Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) has released the list of world’s best universities “QS World University Rankings 2025: Top global universities”. This year, the London based higher education analyst, has released the largest ever ranking of universities. The list features over 1,500 universities across 105 higher education systems. The US is the most represented country with 197 ranked institutions, followed by the UK with 90 and China with 71.
According to the list, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has maintained its reign at the top for the 13th consecutive year. Imperial College London has jumped four places to replace the University of Cambridge from the second place. The University of Oxford and Harvard University are in third and fourth place, respectively, while the University of Cambridge has slipped to fifth place.
Indian students who want to study overseas can look at the list released by Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) University Rankings for 2025 of the best universities worldwide before deciding on their preferred destination.
Here are the top five universities across the globe:
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, United States tops the listas the best university across the globe. According to QS World University Rankings 2025, MIT tops all the three parameters adopted by the higher education analyst. Its overall score is 100, Academic Reputation score is 100 and Employers Reputation is also 100.
Established in1861, MIT has evolved into an educational behemoth, with around 1,000 faculty members and more than 11,000 undergraduate and graduate students.
The independent and coeducational Institute is organized into five schools: (1) Architecture and Planning; (2) Engineering (3) Humanities, arts, and social sciences (4) Management (5) Science and one college (Computing).
The close association of industry and research has helped MIT alumni go on to launch more than 30,000 active companies, creating 4.6 million jobs and generating roughly $1.9 trillion in annual revenue.
Imperial College London
Imperial College London, South Kensington in London (UK), is a public research university in London, England. Established by royal charter in 1907, ranks as second best in the list of QS World University Rankings 2025. ICL jumped four places to replace the University of Cambridge from second place this year on the list.
According to QS World University Rankings 2025, CIL’s overall score is 98.5, Academic Reputation score is 98.5 and Employers Reputation is 99.5.
ICL offers 67 undergraduate and 155 postgraduate programs solely on science, engineering, medicine and business. ICL is also known for its number of award winners, Nobel Prize holders and prestigious Fellowships (Royal Society, Royal Academy of Engineering, Academy of Medical Sciences) amongst its staff. It is one of the most international universities in the world, with 62% of its student body in 2021-22 being non-UK citizens and more than 140 countries are currently represented on campus.
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is the oldest university in England. It is so ancient that its founding date is unknown. It comprises 44 colleges and halls as well as the largest library system in the UK. There are 22,000 students at Oxford in total, around half of whom are undergraduates, while 40% are international students.
According to QS World University Rankings 2025, Oxford’s overall score is 96.9, Academic Reputation score is 100 and Employers Reputation is 100.
Oxford university offers 62 undergraduate and 347 postgraduate programs under four academic divisions within the university: Humanities, Mathematical, Physical and Life Sciences; Medical Sciences; and Social Sciences. The university’s particular strength is the sciences, and it is ranked number one in the world for medicine.
Oxford boasts of an alumni network of over 250,000 individuals, including more than 120 Olympic medalists, 26 Nobel Prize winners, seven poets laureate, and over 30 modern world leaders (including Bill Clinton, Aung San Suu Kyi, Indira Ghandi and 26 UK Prime Ministers).
Harvard University
Harvard University is the oldest higher education institution in the United States. Established in 1636, widely regarded in terms of its influence, reputation, and academic pedigree in not just the US but also the world.
According to QS World University Rankings 2025, Harvard’s overall score is 96.8, Academic Reputation score is 100 and Employers Reputation is 100.
Harvard offers 1 undergraduate and 24 postgraduate programs. The university houses the largest academic library system in the world, with 18 million volumes, 180,000 serial titles, an estimated 400 million manuscript items and 10 million photographs. Harvard’s alumni include eight US presidents, several foreign heads of state, 62 living billionaires, 359 Rhodes Scholars, and 242 Marshall Scholars.
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is one of the oldest universities in the world and one of the largest in the United Kingdom. Established in 1209, Cambridge University is a public collegiate research university.
According to QS World University Rankings 2025, Cambridge University’s overall score is 96.7, Academic Reputation score is 100 and Employers Reputation is 100.
Cambridge University offers 32 undergraduate and 299 postgraduate programs. There are 31 Colleges in Cambridge. Three are for women (New Hall, Newnham and Lucy Cavendish) and two admit only graduates (Clare Hall and Darwin). The remainder house and teach all students enrolled in courses of study or research at the University. Each College is an independent institution with its own property and income.