Here are the top ten best universities in the world, based on the quality of education, quality of faculty, alumni employment, publications, and other factors.
1. California Institute of Technology
California Institute of Technology or more popularly known as Caltech was established in 1891. It is a small university, but it is considered one of the world’s best universities. Some of its faculty members are affiliated with NASA and Howard Hughes Medical Institute.
It has also produced a total of 34 Nobel Prize graduates and 71 States National Medal of Science and Technology. It remains to be a research university with very promising researches.
2. Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university founded in 1636. It is the United States’ oldest surviving university. The Harvard library is considered the world’s largest and private academic library that contains over 18 million volumes of books.
Its most notable graduates were 8 U.S. Presidents, 62 billionaires, foreign heads of state, 335 Rhodes Scholars, and 150 Nobel laureates.
3. University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a collegiate research university in England. It is the oldest surviving university in the whole world, despite having no exact date of when it was founded. It is home to prestigious scholarships namely the Clarendon Scholarship and the Rhodes Scholarship.
It has produced notable graduates that include 27 Nobel laureates, 26 British Prime Ministers, and some foreign heads of state.
4. Stanford University
Stanford University, which is formally known as Leland Stanford Junior University was founded in 1885 by Leland Staford. It was established in memory of Leland Stanford’s son with the same name, who died from typhoid fever. The university opened on October 1, 1891.
It is a private research university that is located in California and is considered one of the most prestigious in the world. It is also behind companies such as Google, Hewlett-Packard, Nike, Sun Microsystems, and Yahoo.
5. University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a collegiate public research university that was founded in 1209. It is the second oldest university in the world and is considered one of the most prestigious and influential. The university also has research departments and teaching faculties in different academic disciplines.
It also has 114 libraries, the central university being The Cambridge University Library contains about 8 million volumes of books.
6. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
A private research university that was founded in 1861, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology is best known for its research and education in engineering, physical sciences, biology, economics, linguistics, and management.
It was considered as one of the top schools in the whole world, having 81 Nobel laureates, 52 National Medal of Science Recipients, 45 Rhodes Scholars, 38 McArthur Fellows, 34 Astronauts, and 2 Fields Medalists, that graduated from this university.
7. Princeton University
Princeton university is a private Ivy League research university that was founded in 1746. It used to be called the College of New Jersey but was later renamed Princeton University in 1896. It provides undergraduate and graduates studies in humanities, natural science, social sciences, and engineering.
Its graduates include two U.S. Presidents, 12 U.S. Supreme Court Justices, billionaires, some members of the U.S. Congress and Cabinet, and foreign heads of state.
8. University of California, Berkeley
The University of California or more popularly known as UC Berkeley was founded on March 23, 1868. It became a major public research university and the flagship campus of the University of California. It offers about 350 undergraduate and graduates degree programs in different disciplines.
The Berkeley faculty, researchers, and alumni have won a total of 72 Nobel Prizes, 45 Mcarthur Fellowships, 20 Academy Awards, and 11 Pulitzer Prizes. UC Berkley scientists have also discovered a total of 16 elements of the periodic table while working together with the Berkley Lab.
9. Imperial College London
Imperial College London is a public research university that was founded in 1907 by Prince Albert, whose purpose was to create an area of public education that specializes in industrial and art, and science. It is a leading biomedical research center and was responsible for forming the first academic health science center.
The university boasts of its 15 Nobel laureates, 2 Fields Medalists, 70 Fellows of the Royal Society, 82 Fellows of the Royal Academy of Engineering, and 78 Fellows of the Academy of Medical Sciences.
10. Yale University
Yale University is an Ivy League school that was founded in 1701 as a collegiate school. It is the third of America’s oldest institutions of higher education. It was first established to train Congregationalist ministers who want to study theology and sacred languages. Sons of the elite used to be educated here, as it was the only university in Connecticut in those times.
Among its notable graduates were five U.S. Presidents, 19, U.S. Supreme Court Justices, 13 billionaires, and a number of foreign heads of state.
These universities have proven themselves to be the best among the rest of the world. Its graduates have contributed so much to society in their pursuit of learning and research.