The Best Universities In The World: Times Higher Education List

Channeling all the fun that comes with the spirit of competition, we've looked at the list of the best universities in America, which switches -- ever so slightly -- year to year between ivy leaguers and their prestigious competitors.

Since it's the London Summer Olympics are starting, we're using the Times Higher Education release of its World University Rankings for 2011-2012 to see how the United States stacked up against universities around the world.

Check out the list below to see which schools cracked the top 25:

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• 1. California Institute of Technology

  Photo Credit: <a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Beckman_Institute_Reflection.jpg" target="_hplink">Canon.vs.nikon</a>

• 2. Harvard University

  Photo Credit: <a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Harvard_college_-_annenberg_hall.jpg" target="_hplink">Jacobolus</a>

• 2. Stanford University

  Photo Credit: Jawed<a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Stanford_University_Walkway_Panorama.jpg" target="_hplink">http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Stanford_University_Walkway_Panorama.jpg</a>

• 4. University of Oxford

  Photo Credit: <a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bevington_Road_Rear,_St_Anne's_College,_University_of_Oxford.jpg" target="_hplink">Stannered</a>

• 5. Princeton University

  Photo Credit: <a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Princeton_University_halls.jpg" target="_hplink">Quantockgoblin</a>

• 6. University of Cambridge

  Photo Credit: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150233390809864&set=a.10150233390734864.327542.5979139863&type=3&theater" target="_hplink">Facebook</a>

• 7. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

  Photo Credit: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=340671742643130&set=a.340669265976711.77598.126533127390327&type=1&theater" target="_hplink">Facebook</a>

• 8. Imperial College London

  Photo Credit: <a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Imperial_College.jpg" target="_hplink">Eusebius</a> (Guillaume Piolle)

• 9. University of Chicago

  Photo Credit: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151937029935650&set=a.10151937029525650.888631.192609620649&type=3&theater" target="_hplink">Facebook</a>

• 10. University of California, Berkeley

  Photo Credit: <a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:South_Hall--UC_Berkeley--Panoramic.jpg" target="_hplink">Falcorian</a>

• 11. Yale University

  Photo Credit: <a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Yale_Peabody_Museum_2.JPG" target="_hplink">Ragesoss</a>

• 12. Columbia University

  Photo Credit: <a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Columbia_University_01.jpg" target="_hplink">Momos</a>

• 13. University of California, Los Angeles

  Photo Credit: <a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Eng._IV.JPG" target="_hplink">Srivas4101</a>

• 14. Johns Hopkins University

  Photo Credit: Daderot<a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Johns_Hopkins_Monument,_Johns_Hopkins_University,_Baltimore,_MD.jpg" target="_hplink">http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Johns_Hopkins_Monument,_Johns_Hopkins_University,_Baltimore,_MD.jpg</a>

• 15. ETH Zürich - Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zürich

  Photo Credit: <a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:ETHZ.JPG" target="_hplink">ZachT</a>

• 16. University of Pennsylvania

  Photo Credit: <a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Quad_Tower,_University_of_Pennsylvania.jpg" target="_hplink">Watchmike</a>

• 17. University College London

  Photo Credit: <a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:University_College_London_(front_quad).jpg" target="_hplink">Polarlys</a>

• 18. University of Michigan

  Photo Credit: <a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:MichiganCentralCampusDiag.jpg" target="_hplink">Pentawing</a>

• 19. University of Toronto

  Photo Credit: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=6192900998&set=a.6192815998.8417.6169515998&type=3&theater" target="_hplink">Facebook</a>

• 20. Cornell University

  Photo Credit: <a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cornell_University_-_Artsquad.jpg" target="_hplink">Cornell010</a>

• 21. Carnegie Mellon University

• 22. University of British Columbia

  Photo Credit: <a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:University_of_British_Columbia_-_Orientation_day.jpg" target="_hplink">DesireeAlexis</a>

• 22. Duke University (tie)

  Photo Credit: <a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:DukeChapel_angle.jpg" target="_hplink">PensDevil</a>

• 24. Georgia Institute of Technology

  Photo Credit: <a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Georgia_Tech_campus.jpg" target="_hplink">Joseph Zollo</a> from Marietta, GA, United States of America

• 25. University of Washington

  Photo Credit: <a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Seattle_-_UW_%26_University_Bridge_from_I-5_bridge_01.jpg" target="_hplink">Joe Mabel</a>

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Comments

[Jonakolbert]

12:11 PM on 12/02/2012

When I decided to take a 4 years, BSc.Agronomy and Biotechnology, and spend it studying in China Agricultural University, I had never been to the People's Republic before and had begrudgingly studied Chinese at school with no real intent to ever take it beyond Year 12. 96 months later, I returned to Papua New Guinea after what remains the most eventful, exhilirating, educational and exciting year of my life. China is a country diverse in population, culture, language and landscape. Scholars can spend a lifetime studying it and never tire, just like students of the language can spend a lifetime trying to grasp all its nuances (not to mention all its characters) and never succeed (though don't let this discourage you!). If you are wondering, “Why China?”, then stop hesitating and see for yourself what everyone's talking about. China is a profound contributor to the cultural and scientific technological history of this world, an economic powerhouse in the present day, and the likely political heavyweight of the future. Whatever your interest area, China will likely impact on it in the years to come. The more we all understand about this nation and its people in the present moment and the stronger our international ties, the better. (Despite, university reputation, the essence of what a student fight for is knowledge, innovation, creativity and learning new things.
艾利维 中国农业大学校区
北京
2012/12/03

[eslpedagogue]

03:16 AM on 08/18/2012

How come Drexel University of Temple University didn't make the cut? I know they said 25 maybe they came in 29 or something. Best universities based on what, popularity?

[realpragmatist]

03:45 AM on 08/01/2012

University of Toronto rated higher than Cornell. Interesting!
I do not see "Washington University" listed and neither is McGill (the best ranked Universitiy in Canada) though two Canadian Universities are in the top 25 list.
But I respect "The Times" publication and hence their rating list.

[ricchh]

10:36 AM on 07/31/2012

This list is from London, England and extremely biased. Also heavily biased toward engineering schools. Other than engineering, Caltech, MIT, Georgia Tech etc, do not excell in anything.

[realpragmatist]

12:54 PM on 07/31/2012

MIT does not excel in anything else?
Have you heard of Sloan School of Management for example?

[IDIOTA]

12:49 AM on 08/06/2012

MIT is more than just engineering.

[rachydee]

02:26 AM on 07/31/2012

Yup--"the world" is mostly the United States, some England and a bit of Canada (and one Swiss)

more like a nationalistic, English-only "best schools" IN THE WORLD.

classic.

[eslpedagogue]

03:12 AM on 08/18/2012

lol

[saffronrain]

03:14 PM on 08/29/2012

Truth.

[Lam56]

12:04 PM on 07/30/2012

The saddest fact is that even though we have most of the greatest universities in the world, our K-12 education is lacking in comparison with so many other nations in Asia and Europe.

[Sam1USA]

12:26 AM on 08/01/2012

And because of this, we are now ranked 17th and falling in numbers of college graduates per capita. Asian K-12 education is not all roses. I am part of the teaching system here in South Korea and the students are as completely burned out as they can possibly be by the time they get to freshman year in college. They can barely think for themselves after learning for the test, the test, nothing but the test for 12-14 years. They excel in disciplines where the round peg goes into the round hole, but thinking beyond that is simply not encouraged and thus, not done while in the preparatory learning years. The lead the world in STEM graduates, but we will never, ever get something like Facebook or HP for that matter from a student brought through the Asian system.

[Lam56]

11:10 AM on 08/01/2012

I agree with a lot of what you said, and I am speaking as a teacher in a private school, where we do encourage our students to do a lot of critical thinking not just rote memorization. The education is also decent in our local suburban schools, especially in upper-middle-class areas. However, there are still millions of children in the US who get a really sub-standard education--both in terms of real knowledge and work skills, which have to be the foundation for higher order thinking and creativity. After all, you can't ask your students to figure out how the civilizations of Greece and Rome were different if you don't have them learn about them, memorizing information.

To me, the problem you mentioned in places like South Korea is more fixable; indeed, I was in China in 2007, and our guide mentioned that his daughter is in a private school that takes its cues from elite American prep schools, encouraging the kids to think for themselves and even argue with the teachers, which is very different from Chinese education in the past.

Respectfully, I wouldn't be so quick to predict that we will never get innovations from students coming through the Asian educational system.
After centuries of stasis, the Asian countries are coming on strong now; I saw that for myself in China. People on the tour who had been there in the early 90's were absolutely astonished at the transformation of Beijing and Shanghai.

[dawghater23]

01:35 AM on 07/30/2012

I love seeing GA Tech make this list. As a student here about to graduate in the Industrial Engineering program, I still haven't met another IE who has gone through the strenuous workload we have--especially to be a state school in the South! (Now, I haven't spoken with anyone from MIT or CalTech) Also, I firmly believe that GT holds the best "bang for your buck" as it is extremely cheap--even for out of state students--compared to just about every school on this list and other schools I applied to as well, hence my enrollment here! Still surprised we made the list considering how concentrated we are in the Sciences and Engineering departments.

In regards to all of these "biased" comments below: Perhaps many of you are unaware how densely populated these institutions are with international students. I know here at GT alone, there is a large percentage of students from the rest of the world (Pacific and Indian nations), just as I'm sure is the case with Cal Tech, MIT, Stanford, etc. Students, both past and present, of these institutions have put in significant efforts for their alma maters to be on this list. I'm sure there are good institutions in the regions not included in this list, but everyone needs to admit that these schools have always stood apart from others on an international level (well, maybe except Georgia Tech, haha).

Go Jackets!

[IDIOTA]

12:50 AM on 08/06/2012

I have always heard good things about Georgia Tech

[diving in reality]

06:46 PM on 07/29/2012

Home of the great leaders ...

[Sral Rolyat]

02:23 PM on 07/29/2012

Go Bears!

Hang in there. Don't let the profiteers bring you down.

Wait... I think this is a 5 place drop from last year.

Stupid profiteers.

[marcchagal]

11:26 AM on 07/29/2012

There is no way UC Berkeley should be ranked #10. They are among the top 5 on the planet, and number 1as the best public university in the world. As usual this list is wrong.

[ilovemiami]

01:50 PM on 07/29/2012

Here is another ranking of the top universities in the world, and Berkeley is 21. Michigan is 14th one spot after Princeton, which makes it the number one public university, at least in this ranking. Berkeley has no medical school or university hospital, which puts it at a disadvantage.

http://www.usnews.com/education/worlds-best-universities-rankings/top-400-universities-in-the-world

[Sral Rolyat]

02:14 PM on 07/29/2012

That is the U.S. rankings which is generally regarded as crap.

They put too much emphasis on Alumni giving rate and post graduation income. They make no adjustment for the fact that Ivy leagues have generally wealthy and connected kids going in so it is natural their post graduation income (due to family connections and an advantage in initial capital) and giving rates will be higher than the middle and lower class class kids at public universities.

A university should be judged on the academics and contributions to the fields they teach and conduct research in. Not on how rich the families of their students are.

[Sral Rolyat]

02:21 PM on 07/29/2012

You also listed one of the most criticized rankings; it lists London School of Economics 64th.

U.S. news methodology slights schools for specializing in either liberal arts, science, or medicine which is a ridiculous rating scheme.

[Johnangry]

02:30 PM on 07/29/2012

No, it isn't.

[Scott Merrick]

08:32 AM on 07/29/2012

All too expensive, by far, and all more or less primarily in the business of self-sustaining themselves as commercial entities in a future that will see less value in their product. Those that will survive will find ways to sustain their legacies in the interests of nurturing questioning and problem-solving individuals who are invested in the global community without remaining committed to eternally increasing costs for their students. (If that's not a run-on sentence, I've never written one...)

[gdauth]

07:42 AM on 07/29/2012

Interesting, most of them are in English speaking countries.

[Johnangry]

02:31 PM on 07/29/2012

It's called bias. And most are in majority white English speaking countries.

[Elsinor]

09:37 PM on 07/30/2012

I don't think that it is bias. The Chinese government, which I don't think is pro-English biased, also does a ranking with much the same results (e.g., with Harvard, Cambridge, Oxford, MIT, Caltech, U. of Chicago, et al once again all appearing at the top). The US and the UK have much more inequality in their funding of universities than other wealthy countries. For example, all of the universities I cited have multi-billion dollar endowments whereas Germany has a more egalitarian state-funded system. Thus the high-end "elite tail of the bell curve" is much larger in the US and UK. This does not mean that the "average" American university is of higher quality than the "average" German university.

[Transilvanian]

07:35 AM on 07/29/2012

Hey...cool... my son is getting an MIT education. He went to college as the "smartest" in his school, now he works to simply pass....it's good for him and he's figuring it out. MIT is one ROUGH place to get through. I have a huge appreciation for those that will put in the work to earn a degree there.

I was a bit surprised though that CIT was number one. But, hey, it is a trend setter in many areas.

Shun simplicity and seek for knowledge and understanding of that knowledge! We live in a great creation by God. What a privilege to learn about it.

[realpragmatist]

03:33 AM on 08/01/2012

Congrats on your son getting into MIT. I know lots of very great students who did not get in. Getting into MIT undergraduate program is probably the most difficult along with Harvard.
MIT graduate program in Engineering is in its own league. Only Stanford and Berkeley come close, after MIT!

[sourpatch575]

08:36 PM on 07/28/2012

UofT brap brap!

[Johnangry]

05:13 PM on 07/28/2012

The best university in the world is in Atlanta? How on Earth do they rank these things?

[eclipse535]

06:51 PM on 07/28/2012

Caltech was rated number one on this list.

[Johnangry]

08:56 PM on 07/28/2012

look again. look where it say ranked