Editoria e Media
University of Tokyo Maintains Top 50 Position as Kyoto University Climbs to Joint 54th in Latest Times Higher Education World University Rankings
The THE World University Rankings are the most balanced and comprehensive global ranking, with 13 separate performance metrics covering the full range of core activities for research-intensive universities: teaching, research, knowledge transfer, and international outlook. This year's ranking analysed over 86 million citations across more than 13.6 million research publications and included survey responses from 22,000 scholars globally.
The 17 edition of the Rankings sees a record 18 countries and regions represented in the top 100, and 93 represented overall, demonstrating that geopolitical competition in the global knowledge economy is intensifying. Moreover, a record 1,527 institutions qualify for the 2021 edition, a 9% increase from the 2020 rankings when 1,397 institutions qualified.
Notwithstanding the success story of the University of Oxford , the UK's status as a higher education superpower is under challenge, as institutions from Asia show clear signs of continued improvement. Of the UK's highest 20 ranked institutions last year, only five were able to improve their position in the table. The US also sees the challenge from Asia affecting its performance. Its universities continue to perform well at the top end of the ranking, commanding the highest number of positions in the overall top 10 (8) since the rankings began, as the University of California, Berkeley , climbs 6 places, from joint 13 to 7 . However, 50% of the US's 20 best performing universities from the 2020 ranking fail to maintain their position. Over the past five years, the US has lost 4 positions in the overall top 200 (63 in 2016, 59 in 2021) as competition rises for the top spots.
Asia's rise is fronted by mainland China's Tsinghua University (joint 20 ), which becomes the first Asian university ever to break into the THE World University Rankings top 20 since the current methodology launched in 2011. This achievement is an indicator of the wider positive movements in higher education for mainland China , and the rest of Asia in recent years. Since 2016, mainland China has gained 5 additional places in the top 200 (from 2 in 2016 to 7 in 2021). It has also doubled its representation in the top 100 since last year, gaining 3 additional places (6 in total). Of the 7 universities that achieved a top 200 place in 2020, 85% improved their position in 2021, as mainland China continues to challenge the world's very best.
In total, there are 16 Asian universities in the top 100, the highest total for Asia since the rankings began. Mainland China's Fudan University (joint 70 ), Zhejiang University (joint 94 ), Shanghai Jiao Tong University (100 ) and South Korea's Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology ( KAIST ) (96 ), all move into the elite group. Of those 16 institutions, 13 of them either improved or maintained their position from last year, demonstrating the rising competition from Asia at the expense of western higher education systems.
In terms of representation, Japan has an impressive 116 qualifying universities, making it the second most represented country or region in the rankings (second to the US, 181). The US dominates the top 200 positions (59), with the United Kingdom (29) and Germany (21) following in second and third. Overall, European representation at the top of the table is in a steady decline, losing 9 top 200 places in the past 5 years (105 in 2016, 96 in 2021). This is a result of China , Australia , South Korea , Hong Kong , and Canada all gaining positions in the same period. However, it's not all doom and gloom for Europe , as Germany's top five performing universities in the 2021 ranking all improve or equal their 2020 ranking positions. Furthermore, Paris-Saclay University (joint 178 ), formerly Paris-Sud University, is the highest ranked new entrant in the 2021 ranking.
The THE World University Rankings 2021 sees 141 universities qualify for the first time. India has the highest total of new entrants, with 14, and sees a record number of ranked institutions as a result (63). After India , the US (13), mainland China (10), Russia , Japan , and Iran (all 9), bolster their representation in the rankings following a number of new entries. There is also a first ever entrant for Botswana : the University of Botswana (1001+).
THE is the trusted global data partner for higher education. Drawing on five decades of expertise in the sector, millions of individual data points, more institutions participating in our flagship university rankings than any other and 28 million website users in 2019, we offer deeper and richer insight into university performance than anyone else. From powerful data-driven insights and strategic consultancy support to agenda-setting events and hiring solutions, our products and services enable everyone in higher education to make smarter, more informed decisions.
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Harry Huskisson
Head of Communications, THE
communications@timeshighereducation.com
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