Times Higher Education Announces its World University Rankings 2015-2016

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September 30, 2015

Times Higher Education Announces its World University Rankings 2015-2016

California Institute of Technology

Photo: A house situated inside the California Institute of Technology Campus. Image Credit: Jim Fruchterman.

According to Times Higher Education, the world dominance of U.S. universities has further waned in its World University Rankings 2015-2016 announced today. This is despite the fact that the country boasts almost a fifth of institutions in the table.

A total of 147 US universities feature in the top 800 - the largest THE rankings to date - including the California Institute of Technology, which claims pole position for the fifth consecutive year.

Phil Baty, THE rankings editor, said that the US’ movement is to some degree owing to significant improvements to the rankings’ data sources this year, with “improved coverage of research not published in English and a better geographical spread of responses to our academic reputation survey”.

However, he added that it also demonstrates that the US’ leading status as the world’s top magnet for academic and student talent “cannot be taken for granted”, citing figures that show that 47 states in the US have implemented higher education funding cuts since the global recession in 2008.

Simon Marginson, professor of international higher education at the UCL Institute of Education, said that US research is “not declining in the absolute sense”, but rather “other countries are improving and crowding into the top 200 space”.

One of these competitor nations is the UK, which has improved its standing this year. A total of 78 UK institutions feature in the top 800, with 34 of these sitting in the first quarter, up from 29 last year.

Other countries in Europe have also performed well. Germany has 20 universities in the top 200, a rise of eight since last year, while the Netherlands has 12 in the first quarter, up from 11. Meanwhile, Switzerland’s ETH Zurich is the first non-Anglo-American institution to make the top 10 for a decade.

Overall, Europe has 345 universities in the world top 800, meaning its institutions comprise more than two-fifths of the table.

Institutions from 70 countries, 29 more than last year, feature in this year’s rankings, with several countries including Indonesia, Bangladesh and Kenya being represented for the first time.

The National University of Singapore is the number one institution in Asia - the first time the city-state has claimed the continent’s top spot in the rankings’ 12-year history.

NUS is in 26th position overall in the rankings, with the next highest Asian institutions - China’s Peking University and Japan’s University of Tokyo - taking 42nd and 43rd place respectively.

“Tough times for Japan and disappointment for South Korea mean that leading Asian nations’ grip on the higher ranks of the THE World University Rankings is loose,” said Phil Baty, THE rankings editor.

“Many institutions, particularly in East Asia, have been focusing heavily on attaining world-class status, backed with funding and powerful political will. But this ranking demonstrates how difficult a task this is, as universities right across the world continue to improve.”

TIMES HIGHER EDUCATION WORLD UNIVERSITY RANKINGS 2015-2016: TOP 10

RANK — INSTITUTION — COUNTRY