Top 100 Universities in the World (ARWU)
Harvard University was ranked 1st among the world's top 500 institutions, according to the Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) 2016, followed by Stanford University in 2nd place globally.
Harvard University
Harvard University, located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is synonymous with academic excellence. Established in 1636, Harvard has become the oldest institution of higher education in the United States and remains at the forefront of global academic leadership. Its top position in the ARWU rankings for 2016 is a result of its consistent performance across several key metrics. Harvard is renowned for its exceptional faculty, groundbreaking research, and large endowment, which allows the university to offer unparalleled resources and support for its students and faculty members.
The university’s strength lies in its broad range of programs spanning the arts and sciences, medicine, law, engineering, business, and social sciences. Harvard’s reputation is particularly strong in fields such as law, business, and medicine, where it has produced numerous Nobel laureates, MacArthur fellows, and successful business and political leaders. Its Faculty of Arts and Sciences is one of the largest and most prestigious in the world, producing significant research that shapes global trends in science, economics, and humanities.
In the 2016 ARWU ranking, Harvard’s dominance is especially evident in the number of Nobel Prizes and Field Medals awarded to its faculty and alumni. As of that year, Harvard has been home to more Nobel Prize winners than any other university, reinforcing its status as a leader in research and intellectual innovation. Additionally, the university’s commitment to interdisciplinary studies has contributed significantly to its global academic influence. Harvard's research output, in terms of citations and publications in top-tier journals, is another critical factor that has ensured its top ranking. Furthermore, its strong international reputation among both academic peers and employers is a testament to its impact on education, policy, and global development.
Stanford University
In second place, Stanford University has consistently been a powerhouse in the world of academia, maintaining its reputation for producing cutting-edge research and world-class graduates. Located in California’s Silicon Valley, Stanford is at the heart of one of the world’s most innovative regions, which has contributed to its prominence in technology, entrepreneurship, and scientific research. The close proximity to major tech giants like Apple, Google, and Facebook allows Stanford to collaborate closely with the private sector, enabling its students and researchers to engage in practical applications of their work that can directly influence the global economy.
Stanford University’s excellence in the fields of engineering, computer science, and business has played a crucial role in shaping the modern world. In particular, the university’s contribution to Silicon Valley’s rise as the global tech hub is an enduring legacy. The Stanford School of Engineering is a leader in fields such as artificial intelligence, biomedical engineering, and electrical engineering, and it has produced some of the most successful entrepreneurs and innovators in the world, including the founders of Google, Yahoo, and Hewlett-Packard. This strong emphasis on innovation, combined with a robust research output, solidified Stanford’s position as the second-best university in the world in the ARWU rankings.
Stanford’s academic prowess is also supported by its remarkable faculty, many of whom are world-renowned researchers. The university is home to multiple Nobel laureates, Fields Medalists, and Turing Award winners, further cementing its position as a global academic leader. In 2016, Stanford’s performance in research and academic reputation, both in terms of citations and academic influence, was central to its high ranking.
Other Leading Institutions in the ARWU Rankings
Following Stanford University in the rankings, the University of California, Berkeley, holds the third spot globally in the ARWU 2016 rankings. UC Berkeley, located in California, is one of the world’s leading public research universities, excelling in disciplines ranging from engineering to social sciences. UC Berkeley is known for its high-impact research, particularly in environmental science, public policy, and engineering. Like Stanford, UC Berkeley’s proximity to Silicon Valley has encouraged collaboration with major tech companies, reinforcing its leadership in scientific and technological advancements.
The University of Cambridge, the fourth-ranked university, is one of the oldest and most prestigious universities in the world, with a reputation for excellence that dates back to its founding in 1209. It is renowned for its contributions to the sciences, particularly physics, chemistry, and biology, and has produced over 100 Nobel Prize winners. Cambridge’s rigorous academic programs, research output, and global influence have ensured its place among the top universities in the world.
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), ranked fifth, is another powerhouse in global higher education, particularly known for its expertise in technology, engineering, and the natural sciences. MIT has long been at the cutting edge of scientific discovery and innovation, and its strong reputation in both the academic and business worlds contributes to its global stature.
Princeton University, ranked sixth, excels in research in the fields of mathematics, physics, and economics. Princeton’s distinguished faculty and rigorous academic programs make it one of the most selective universities in the world. The university is known for its emphasis on undergraduate education and small class sizes, which foster close relationships between students and faculty.
The University of Oxford, ranked seventh, is one of the oldest and most respected institutions in the world, known for its academic traditions and excellence across all fields of study. Oxford is particularly renowned for its humanities, law, and medical programs and has produced numerous leaders in various fields, including politics, business, and science.
The California Institute of Technology (Caltech), ranked eighth, is a leading institution in the physical sciences, particularly in the fields of physics, chemistry, and astronomy. Despite its smaller size compared to many other top-ranked universities, Caltech’s intense focus on scientific research and innovation has helped it maintain a strong global presence.
Columbia University and the University of Chicago, ranked ninth and tenth, respectively, are also among the top ten universities globally. Columbia, located in New York City, is a leader in business, law, and the arts, while the University of Chicago is renowned for its economics department, rigorous academic programs, and distinguished faculty.
Top 100 Universities in the World 2016:
1 Harvard University
2 Stanford University
3 University of California, Berkeley
4 University of Cambridge
5 Massachusetts Institute of Technology
6 Princeton University
7 University of Oxford
8 California Institute of Technology
9 Columbia University
10 University of Chicago
11 Yale University
12 University of California, Los Angeles
13 Cornell University
14 University of California, San Diego
15 University of Washington
16 Johns Hopkins University
17 University College London
18 University of Pennsylvania
19 Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich
20 The University of Tokyo
21 University of California, San Francisco
22 The Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine
23 University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
23 Washington University in St. Louis
25 Duke University
26 Northwestern University
27 University of Toronto
28 University of Wisconsin - Madison
29 New York University
30 University of Copenhagen
30 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
32 Kyoto University
33 University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
34 University of British Columbia
35 The University of Manchester
35 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
37 Rockefeller University
38 University of Colorado at Boulder
39 Pierre and Marie Curie University - Paris 6
40 The University of Melbourne
41 The University of Edinburgh
42 University of California, Santa Barbara
43 The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas
44 Karolinska Institute
44 The University of Texas at Austin
46 University of Paris-Sud (Paris 11)
47 Heidelberg University
47 Technical University Munich
49 University of Southern California
50 King's College London
51 University of Munich
52 University of Maryland, College Park
53 University of Geneva
54 University of Zurich
55 The University of Queensland
56 University of Helsinki
57 University of Bristol
58 Tsinghua University
58 University of California, Irvine
60 Uppsala University
60 Vanderbilt University
62 Ghent University
63 McGill University
63 Purdue University - West Lafayette
65 Aarhus University
65 Utrecht University
67 University of Oslo
68 Carnegie Mellon University
69 Technion-Israel Institute of Technology
70 University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh Campus
71 Peking University
72 Nagoya University
72 Rice University
72 University of Groningen
75 Boston University
75 University of California, Davis
77 Pennsylvania State University - University Park
77 The Australian National University
79 Monash University
79 The Ohio State University - Columbus
81 Stockholm University
82 University of Sydney
83 McMaster University
83 National University of Singapore
83 University of California, Santa Cruz
86 Mayo Medical School
87 Ecole Normale Superieure - Paris
87 Moscow State University
87 The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
90 Brown University
90 University of Florida
92 Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne
93 Georgia Institute of Technology
93 KU Leuven
93 Leiden University
96 Osaka University
96 Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey - New Brunswick
96 The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center
96 The University of Western Australia
100 University of Utah
Source: ARWU
The Center for World-Class Universities at Shanghai Jiao Tong University has published the ARWU annually since 2003, using objective indicators including: number of alumni and staff winning Nobel Prizes and Fields medals; number of highly cited researchers selected by Thomson Scientific; number of articles published in journals of Nature and Science; etc.
Top 100 Universities in the World 2016:
1 Harvard University
2 Stanford University
3 University of California, Berkeley
4 University of Cambridge
5 Massachusetts Institute of Technology
6 Princeton University
7 University of Oxford
8 California Institute of Technology
9 Columbia University
10 University of Chicago
11 Yale University
12 University of California, Los Angeles
13 Cornell University
14 University of California, San Diego
15 University of Washington
16 Johns Hopkins University
17 University College London
18 University of Pennsylvania
19 Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich
20 The University of Tokyo
21 University of California, San Francisco
22 The Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine
23 University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
23 Washington University in St. Louis
25 Duke University
26 Northwestern University
27 University of Toronto
28 University of Wisconsin - Madison
29 New York University
30 University of Copenhagen
30 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
32 Kyoto University
33 University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
34 University of British Columbia
35 The University of Manchester
35 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
37 Rockefeller University
38 University of Colorado at Boulder
39 Pierre and Marie Curie University - Paris 6
40 The University of Melbourne
41 The University of Edinburgh
42 University of California, Santa Barbara
43 The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas
44 Karolinska Institute
44 The University of Texas at Austin
46 University of Paris-Sud (Paris 11)
47 Heidelberg University
47 Technical University Munich
49 University of Southern California
50 King's College London
51 University of Munich
52 University of Maryland, College Park
53 University of Geneva
54 University of Zurich
55 The University of Queensland
56 University of Helsinki
57 University of Bristol
58 Tsinghua University
58 University of California, Irvine
60 Uppsala University
60 Vanderbilt University
62 Ghent University
63 McGill University
63 Purdue University - West Lafayette
65 Aarhus University
65 Utrecht University
67 University of Oslo
68 Carnegie Mellon University
69 Technion-Israel Institute of Technology
70 University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh Campus
71 Peking University
72 Nagoya University
72 Rice University
72 University of Groningen
75 Boston University
75 University of California, Davis
77 Pennsylvania State University - University Park
77 The Australian National University
79 Monash University
79 The Ohio State University - Columbus
81 Stockholm University
82 University of Sydney
83 McMaster University
83 National University of Singapore
83 University of California, Santa Cruz
86 Mayo Medical School
87 Ecole Normale Superieure - Paris
87 Moscow State University
87 The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
90 Brown University
90 University of Florida
92 Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne
93 Georgia Institute of Technology
93 KU Leuven
93 Leiden University
96 Osaka University
96 Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey - New Brunswick
96 The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center
96 The University of Western Australia
100 University of Utah
Source: ARWU
The Center for World-Class Universities at Shanghai Jiao Tong University has published the ARWU annually since 2003, using objective indicators including: number of alumni and staff winning Nobel Prizes and Fields medals; number of highly cited researchers selected by Thomson Scientific; number of articles published in journals of Nature and Science; etc.
