QS 2027 Rankings: MIT Stays on Top as Asian Universities Surge

QS released the 2027 edition of its university rankings on June 18, covering 1,504 institutions across 106 countries. Massachusetts Institute of Technology held the top spot. Imperial College London and Stanford University tied for second. Oxford ranked fourth and Harvard fifth.

The United States and United Kingdom each placed four schools in the top ten. ETH Zurich in Switzerland and the National University of Singapore broke the Anglo-American lock, at sixth and tenth respectively.

The U.S. led by total count with 184 ranked universities. The U.K. had 93 and mainland China 85.

The sharpest moves came from Asia. Singapore now holds two of the world's top 12 spots: National University of Singapore at 10th and Nanyang Technological University at 12th. Chinese University of Hong Kong surged 14 places to 18th. Mainland China recorded more upward moves and more new entrants than any other country.

QS weights academic reputation at 30% of the score, research citations at 20%, and employer reputation at 15%. Faculty resources, internationalization, employment outcomes, and sustainability account for the remainder.