Best Universities in the World 2025

Badge for BEST IN THE-WORLD COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES
By Dr. James Barham
Reviewed By Dr. Jed Macosko
Updated:

The best universities in the world are those whose faculty and students have the greatest influence on their fields, professions, and the world at large. The top universities are therefore the most influential universities. Through the excellence, achievement, and recognition of their most noteworthy students, alumni, and professors, these schools have had the most profound impact on our accumulated knowledge across time, space, and fields of endeavor. Read on to learn more about the best universities of 2025 by worldwide influence.

Key Takeaways

  • The colleges and universities on this list represent the pinnacle in higher education.
  • Students who attend one of these schools can be confident that they will receive instruction from some of the most influential professors in the world.
  • Earning a degree from one of the best colleges or universities in the world will give you an advantage over other candidates in an extremely competitive job market.

10 Best Universities in the World Today in 2025

  1. Harvard University
  2. University of Oxford
  3. University of California, Berkeley
    +2
  4. Columbia University
    +2
  5. Stanford University
    –2
  6. University of Chicago
    +4
  7. Sorbonne University
    +54
  8. Yale University
    –1
  9. Princeton University
    –1
  10. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    –6

Featured Programs

The 100 Best Universities in the World Today

  1. #1

    Harvard University

    Cambridge , MA
    #1 America's 15 Most Technologically Advanced Colleges #1 50 Best Colleges and Universities Ranked for Undergrads in 2025 #1 Online Colleges with the Most Generous Financial Aid in 2025 #1 Top Schools that Offer Free Master's Degrees Online

    Harvard University is almost universally acclaimed as the world’s most prestigious university. There is little doubt that its towering reputation is well earned. For starters, some 150 Nobel laureates have either studied or taught at the school—more than at any other university in the world. Moreover, over 40 international heads of state or government have passed through its gates. Of these, eight were US Presidents (the most of any college or university): Read more

    What is Harvard University known for?

    Harvard University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

    Most Influential Alumni

    Career Outlook for degree at Harvard University

    Cost of Degree: $59,076
    Expenses: $27,629
    Starting Salary: $139,100
    Cost Recoup Time: 12 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary
    Compare school
  2. #2

    University of Oxford

    #2 Best Schools in the World for Earning an MBA Degree Ranked for 2025

    The University of Oxford is the oldest university in the English-speaking world, which affords it an aura of awe and respect that no amount of money can buy. If Cambridge was preeminent in the analytical philosophy tradition during the twentieth century, Oxford was far more important for the Scholastic philosophical tradition during the High Middle Ages. For example, the great Scottish metaphysician John Duns Scotus (his name means, roughly, “John, of the village of Duns, in Scotland”) was in residence here during the 1290s, and again briefly between 1302 and 1304, between stays at the University of Paris. He fell out of favor in Paris, though, ending his days in Cologne. Another towering medieval thinker, the Franciscan priest William of Ockham (who takes his surname from a town in Surrey, south of London), was a student and briefly a teacher at Oxford during the early years of the fourteenth century, before removing to the Franciscan house in London, and finally being summoned to the papal court in Avignon to defend himself against a charge of heterodoxy. He eventually fled to the court of Holy Roman Emperor, Louis IV of Bavaria, where he died in 1347. Ockham is best known today as the author of the “parsimony principle,” which states that in an explanation “entities ought not to be multiplied beyond necessity” (Ockham’s razor). Read more

    What is University of Oxford known for?

    University of Oxford’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

    Most Influential Alumni

    Compare school
  3. #3

    University of California, Berkeley

    Berkeley , CA
    #1 50 Best Public Colleges and Universities Ranked for Students in 2025 #1 Most Affordable Colleges and Universities in the U.S. 2025 #1 50 Best Public Grad Schools 2025 #1 Best Value Colleges and Universities Ranked for Students in 2025

    The University of California, Berkeley , is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. It was established in 1868 as the University of California and is the state’s first land-grant university and the founding campus of the University of California system. Berkeley has been regarded to be among the top universities in the world. Read more

    What is University of California, Berkeley known for?

    University of California, Berkeley’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

    Most Influential Alumni

    Career Outlook for degree at University of California, Berkeley

    Cost of Degree: $14,850
    Expenses: $30,203
    Starting Salary: $79,000
    Cost Recoup Time: 11 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary
    Compare school
  4. #4

    Columbia University

    New York , NY
    #2 America's 15 Most Technologically Advanced Colleges #2 50 Best Private Colleges and Universities for Undergrads 2025 #2 50 Best Private Grad Schools 2025 #3 50 Best Colleges and Universities Ranked for Undergrads in 2025

    Columbia is the eleventh-oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. After New Jersey founded its college (now Princeton University) in 1746, New Yorkers, not wishing to be outdone, established their own college just eight years later. Its original name was King’s College. However, following the Declaration of Independence in 1776 and George Washington’s final victory at Yorktown in 1781, King George III found himself in bad odor throughout the former colonies. So, in 1784 King’s College was formally rechristened in honor of Christopher Columbus. (With that doughty explorer being in equally bad odor today, a second rebranding sometime soon would not surprise us.) Over the years, Columbia has flourished at several different sites around Manhattan, moving most recently (in 1896) from a Midtown location at 49th Street and Madison Avenue to its present location at 116th and Broadway in the Morningside Heights neighborhood on the Upper West Side. Under whatever name and wherever situated, with around 100 Nobel laureates Columbia has long been at the forefront of research in both the sciences and the humanities. For example, Thomas Hunt Morgan’s experiments between 1911 and 1928 with the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, in his Columbia lab fondly known as “the Fly Room,” laid the foundations for the modern field of population genetics. Read more

    What is Columbia University known for?

    Columbia University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

    Most Influential Alumni

    Career Outlook for degree at Columbia University

    Cost of Degree: $68,171
    Expenses: $20,542
    Starting Salary: $115,600
    Cost Recoup Time: 14 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary
    Compare school
  6. #5

    Stanford University

    Stanford , CA
    #3 America's 15 Most Technologically Advanced Colleges #3 50 Best Private Colleges and Universities for Undergrads 2025 #3 50 Best Private Grad Schools 2025 #4 50 Best Colleges and Universities Ranked for Undergrads in 2025

    Stanford University was founded by Leland Stanford, a wealthy railroad magnate and erstwhile US Senator from California, as well as a former Governor of the Golden State. He placed the university in an unincorporated area about 30 miles south of San Francisco, adjacent to the town of Palo Alto (which he also founded). The campus lies in what is now known as Silicon Valley, which contributes greatly to the immense intellectual and economic influence of the private, research university that still bears the Stanford family name. Today, Stanford University is perhaps the closest thing to a true Ivy League school on the West Coast. The university can claim more than 80 Nobel laureates among its alumni and its full-time or visiting faculty, including: Stanford is also the world-leader in Turing Awards (for computer science) with 27 winners, including such luminaries as: Another area of particular academic strength for Stanford is mathematics, as evidenced by the school’s eight Fields Medalists, including Maryam Mirzakhani and Akshay Venkatesh. Read more

    What is Stanford University known for?

    Stanford University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

    Most Influential Alumni

    Career Outlook for degree at Stanford University

    Cost of Degree: $62,484
    Expenses: $25,349
    Starting Salary: $141,300
    Cost Recoup Time: 12 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary
    Compare school
  7. #6

    University of Chicago

    Chicago , IL
    #4 50 Best Private Colleges and Universities for Undergrads 2025 #4 50 Best Private Grad Schools 2025 #4 50 Best Research Universities Ranked for Undergrads in 2024 #5 50 Best Colleges and Universities Ranked for Undergrads in 2025

    The University of Chicago is one of the foremost universities in the world academically, albeit one of the youngest in that august company. In spite of its relatively recent founding, the school has been associated with some of the world’s most important scientific achievements, above all, the first controlled, self-sustaining, nuclear chain reaction (atomic fission), which was achieved in late 1942 by a team led by the legendary Italian physicist, Enrico Fermi, in a laboratory beneath a football field on the Chicago campus. In another first, in 1952 then-graduate student Stanley Miller, with the assistance of his adviser, the distinguished University of Chicago chemist Harold Urey, demonstrated that organic molecules such as amino acids can be artificially produced in vitro from only inorganic precursor compounds. It is also worth noting that James D. Watson, the co-discover with Francis Crick of the double-helix structure of the DNA molecule at the University of Cambridge—also in 1952—completed his undergraduate education at Chicago. Read more

    What is University of Chicago known for?

    University of Chicago’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

    Most Influential Alumni

    Career Outlook for degree at University of Chicago

    Cost of Degree: $65,619
    Expenses: $23,421
    Starting Salary: $103,000
    Cost Recoup Time: 15 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary
    Compare school
  8. #7

    Sorbonne University

    Sorbonne University is a public research university located in Paris, France. The institution’s legacy reaches back to the Middle Ages in 1257 when Sorbonne College was established by Robert de Sorbon as one of the first universities in Europe. Read more

    What is Sorbonne University known for?

    Sorbonne University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

    Most Influential Alumni

    Compare school
  9. #8

    Yale University

    New Haven , CT
    #5 50 Best Private Colleges and Universities for Undergrads 2025 #5 50 Best Private Grad Schools 2025 #6 50 Best Colleges and Universities Ranked for Undergrads in 2025 #6 Best Universities in the US Ranked for Prospective Students in 2025

    Yale was originally founded under the name of Collegiate School by Connecticut Colony in 1701. It is the fourth-oldest institution of higher learning in the US, after Harvard, the College of William & Mary (in Williamsburg, Virginia), and St. John’s College (in Annapolis, Maryland). Called the “Collegiate School,” its original mission was to train future ministers for the Congregational Church. Yale is known as an all-around powerhouse, not unlike Harvard, with strength in a wide variety of fields. For one thing, five US presidents have passed through Yale, the second-highest number after Harvard. Three of them attended as undergraduates (Howard Taft, George H.W. Bush, and George W. Bush), while two attended Yale Law School (Gerald Ford and Bill Clinton). Yale Law School is often mentioned as one of the two most influential in the country, along with Harvard Law. In all, nine Supreme Court Justices have been Yale Law graduates, including sitting Justices: More than 60 Nobel Prize – recipients have studied, taught, or conducted research at Yale at some point during their careers. In physics, they include: Read more

    What is Yale University known for?

    Yale University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

    Most Influential Alumni

    Career Outlook for degree at Yale University

    Cost of Degree: $64,700
    Expenses: $23,600
    Starting Salary: $124,400
    Cost Recoup Time: 13 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary
    Compare school
  10. #9

    Princeton University

    Princeton , NJ
    #4 America's 15 Most Technologically Advanced Colleges #6 50 Best Private Colleges and Universities for Undergrads 2025 #6 50 Best Private Grad Schools 2025 #7 50 Best Colleges and Universities Ranked for Undergrads in 2025

    Although only the ninth-oldest university in the country, Princeton is one of the most historic. Originally founded as the College of New Jersey, the school’s sixth presidents, the Scottish theologian and educator John Witherspoon, signed the Declaration of Independence—the only college leader to do so. The next year, George Washington’s colonials dealt a small but significant blow to Lord Cornwallis’s superior forces at the Battle of Princeton on January 3, 1777. The victories at the earlier Battle of Trenton and at Princeton had an important positive effect on American morale, leading to increased enlistments in Washington’s army. Princeton has pursued a different strategy over the years from its Ivy League confrères. For example, it has no law school, medical school, or business school. It has only loose academic connections to the nearby Princeton Theological Seminary and Institute for Advanced Study. In spite of its seemingly narrow focus on the arts and sciences to the detriment of professional training, Princeton nevertheless maintains a towering reputation for the cutting-edge academic research of its faculty, as well as for their teaching prowess (all professors are expected to teach undergraduates). Perhaps due to this focus, Princeton has also developed a reputation for academic “toughness,” resisting the grade inflation trend rampant elsewhere in American academia and insuring a challenging intellectual experience to even its very best incoming students. Read more

    What is Princeton University known for?

    Princeton University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

    Most Influential Alumni

    Career Outlook for degree at Princeton University

    Cost of Degree: $59,710
    Expenses: $24,330
    Starting Salary: $116,300
    Cost Recoup Time: 13 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary
    Compare school
  12. #10

    Massachusetts Institute of Technology

    Cambridge , MA
    #5 America's 15 Most Technologically Advanced Colleges #7 50 Best Private Colleges and Universities for Undergrads 2025 #7 50 Best Private Grad Schools 2025 #8 50 Best Colleges and Universities Ranked for Undergrads in 2025

    The Massachusetts Institute of Technology, founded shortly before the American Civil War and universally known as “MIT,” is located just across the Charles River from downtown Boston. Starting from the MIT campus, if you walk, cycle, or drive in a westerly direction along Massachusetts Avenue (“Mass Ave,” to the locals), or ride the Red Line underneath it, you soon arrive at Harvard Square, with the bulk of the town of Cambridge sandwiched in between. Thus, MIT is not unlike a bookend paired with Harvard, geographically speaking, and academically speaking, as well, it looks upon itself very much as the equal of the older school. The main difference, of course, is MIT’s greater emphasis on science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) disciplines. This may be seen, above all, in the whopping 96 Nobel Laureates associated with the school, including such stellar names in physics as: MIT-connected Nobel Laureates in chemistry include: Among those awarded the Prize for their work in physiology or medicine are: Read more

    What is Massachusetts Institute of Technology known for?

    Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

    Most Influential Alumni

    Career Outlook for degree at Massachusetts Institute of Technology

    Cost of Degree: $60,156
    Expenses: $22,574
    Starting Salary: $153,600
    Cost Recoup Time: 11 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary
    Compare school
  13. #11

    University of Cambridge

    #9 Best Schools in the World for Earning an MBA Degree Ranked for 2025

    Founded in 1209, the University of Cambridge is one of the oldest universities in the world (or, at least, in Europe, not to prejudge the claims of several Islamic institutions to that title). It was founded only a little more than a century after the University of Bologna (1088) and the University of Oxford (1096) – which are the oldest and second-oldest universities in Europe – and about half a century after the University of Paris (1150). Cambridge is the second-oldest university in the English-speaking world, after Oxford. With more than 800 years of continuous operation, Cambridge has been home to a great many luminaries of the academic firmament during this long expanse of time. Without a doubt, the brightest of these by far was Isaac Newton, who most would say is the greatest scientist who ever lived (a minority holds out for Albert Einstein). Newton was mostly in residence at Cambridge from 1661 until 1706, first as a student and then a professor, attaining the distinctions of Fellow of Trinity College and Lucasian Professor of Mathematics in the university. Read more

    What is University of Cambridge known for?

    University of Cambridge’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

    Most Influential Alumni

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  14. #12

    Paris Sciences et Lettres University

    Paris Sciences et Lettres University is a public research university based in Paris, France. It was established in 2010 and formally created as a university in 2019. It is a collegiate university with 11 constituent schools, with the oldest founded in 1530. PSL is located in central Paris, with its main sites in the Latin Quarter, at the Montagne Sainte-Geneviève campus, at the Jourdan campus, at Porte Dauphine, and at Carré Richelieu. Read more

    What is Paris Sciences et Lettres University known for?

    Paris Sciences et Lettres University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

    Most Influential Alumni

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  15. #13

    University of Vienna

    The University of Vienna was founded by the Habsburg ruler, Rudolf IV, Duke of Austria. This monarch was known as “Rudolf der Stifter” [Rudolf the Founder] on account of his fondness for building new cathedrals and monasteries, as well as the university. He may also have been motivated by rivalry with his Central European peers, the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles IV (who had established Charles University in Prague just a few years earlier, in 1348) and Casimir III (known as “Casimir the Great”), King of Poland (who had founded Jagiellonian University in Kraków one year earlier, in 1364). Vienna is the oldest university, under continuous operation, in the present-day German-speaking lands (the oldest one in Germany proper being Heidelberg University, dating to 1386). Rudolf closely modeled its structure and curriculum on those of the University of Paris. Over the centuries, the school has experienced many ups and downs: at one point—during the first Siege of Vienna by Ottoman Turkish forces in 1529—its student body was reduced to a mere 30 souls. Read more

    What is University of Vienna known for?

    University of Vienna’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

    Most Influential Alumni

    Compare school
  16. #14

    University of Michigan

    Ann Arbor , MI
    #2 50 Best Public Colleges and Universities Ranked for Students in 2025 #2 Most Affordable Colleges and Universities in the U.S. 2025 #2 50 Best Public Grad Schools 2025 #2 Best Value Colleges and Universities Ranked for Students in 2025

    The flagship campuses of many of the state university systems have superb faculties and excellent academic reputations. However, setting aside Berkeley as a special case, by our criteria the University of Michigan’s Ann Arbor campus is the most distinguished of all these many fine institutions. That is, Michigan has a strong claim to be considered (after Berkeley) the best public research university in the US. One thing in Michigan’s favor is its sheer size (more than 46,000 students and 6,000 academic staff members) and corresponding wealth (an annual research budget of around $1.5 billion). Administratively, the university is subdivided into 17 schools and colleges offering some 600 undergraduate and graduate major programs. Another reason for Michigan’s research prowess is its truly astonishing library, containing more than 14 million individual items, including over 220,000 serials. Michigan has some 25 Nobel Prize laureates associated with its name. Prize-winners in physics include: Read more

    What is University of Michigan known for?

    University of Michigan’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

    Most Influential Alumni

    Career Outlook for degree at University of Michigan

    Cost of Degree: $18,309
    Expenses: $17,554
    Starting Salary: $79,000
    Cost Recoup Time: 10 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary
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  18. #15

    University of Göttingen

    The University of Göttingen was established under the auspices of Georg August, Elector of Hanover, who was at the same time King George II of Great Britain and Ireland. Born in Hanover in 1683, Georg August acceded to both the Electorship and the British throne upon his father George I’s death in 1727. The last of the British monarchs to be born outside of the UK, Georg August’s ties to his native region of Lower Saxony remained strong. As that Land (state or province) did not possess a university at the time of Georg August’s accession to his twin titles, the new Elector and King made it a priority to bring one into being there—in the small town of Göttingen, which lies about 76 miles due south of the provincial capital, Hanover. The new University of Göttingen was explicitly tasked by Georg August with fostering the goals of the Aufklärung (Enlightenment), which accounts for the school’s heavy emphasis right from the beginning on mathematics and the natural sciences. For a relatively small institution (some 31,000 students), Göttingen’s roster of Nobel laureates and other famous names is simply astonishing. Read more

    What is University of Göttingen known for?

    University of Göttingen’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

    Most Influential Alumni

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  19. #16

    New York University

    New York , NY
    #8 50 Best Private Colleges and Universities for Undergrads 2025 #8 50 Best Private Grad Schools 2025 #10 50 Best Colleges and Universities Ranked for Undergrads in 2025 #10 Best Universities in the US Ranked for Prospective Students in 2025

    As the cultural mecca of the US, New York City naturally contains many fine colleges and universities. One of the very best is New York University (NYU), located in Washington Square in Lower Manhattan’s Greenwich Village neighborhood. While NYU is a quintessentially urban school lacking a conventional, pastoral college campus setting, its site is immediately recognizable thanks to Washington Square Arch, which is a replica of the ancient Roman Arch of Titus and very similar in appearance to Paris’s celebrated Arc de Triomphe (though only half its size). One of the principal founders of NYU was Albert Gallatin, president of the National Bank of New York, former US diplomat, and Secretary of the Treasury under Thomas Jefferson. At the center of Gallatin’s vision for NYU was that the school would accept students from a wider variety of social and family backgrounds, thus making a college education available to young men who showed outstanding academic or personal merit. This was a novel idea at the time, but one that NYU continues to take seriously today. For example, its entering undergraduate class each year represents nearly 90 foreign countries, in addition to almost all of the American states. NYU also has 12 mini-campuses, or “global academic centers,” located in cities around the world: Read more

    What is New York University known for?

    New York University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

    Most Influential Alumni

    Career Outlook for degree at New York University

    Cost of Degree: $60,438
    Expenses: $27,314
    Starting Salary: $78,600
    Cost Recoup Time: 17 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary
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  20. #17

    Cornell University

    Ithaca , NY
    #1 Top 15 Best Online Colleges for Transfer Students in 2025 #6 America's 15 Most Technologically Advanced Colleges #9 50 Best Private Colleges and Universities for Undergrads 2025 #9 50 Best Private Grad Schools 2025

    Cornell University was founded in turbulent times. With the Civil War winding down, and less than two weeks after President Abraham Lincoln’s assassination, the Governor of New York signed the school’s official charter in the state capital, Albany, where only the day before Lincoln’s funeral procession had passed through the city’s streets. Two men were behind the drive to establish a first-class university in upstate New York: wealthy businessman Ezra Cornell, the founder of Western Union, who was originally from Ithaca (where the new school was to be located), and Andrew Dickson White, a prominent historian and educator, who hailed from nearby Syracuse. Later on, White would be best remembered as the author of A History of the Warfare of Science with Theology in Christendom (1896), and from the beginning he envisioned Cornell as a rigorously secular institution with a special emphasis on the natural sciences. This lack of an original religious orientation, as well as its geographical isolation from the American center of cultural gravity on the East Coast, make Cornell a bit of an odd-man-out among the eight schools that make up the Ivy League. However, the university’s right to a place among that elite grouping is more than justified by the intellectual firepower of its faculty. Moreover, despite its rural setting, Cornell’s sprawling campus and its total university population of over 23,000 (more than twice the size of the town of Ithaca itself) easily make it a rival of the other Ivy League schools in scale. Read more

    What is Cornell University known for?

    Cornell University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

    Most Influential Alumni

    Career Outlook for degree at Cornell University

    Cost of Degree: $66,014
    Expenses: $22,126
    Starting Salary: $101,200
    Cost Recoup Time: 15 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary
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  21. #18

    University of Pennsylvania

    Philadelphia , PA
    #5 Top Schools that Offer Free Master's Degrees Online #10 50 Best Private Colleges and Universities for Undergrads 2025 #10 50 Best Private Grad Schools 2025 #10 50 Best Research Universities Ranked for Undergrads in 2024

    The University of Pennsylvania (commonly known as “Penn”) is a leading private research university (note that nearly all US universities named after their state are public-supported—Penn is an exception to this rule). The sixth-oldest institution of higher learning in the country, Penn was the brain child of American Founding Father Benjamin Franklin, who also served as its first president. Franklin’s educational ideas were highly innovative for the time, inclining more towards the teaching of practical skills and preparation for the learned professions, in contrast to the traditional curriculum based on the Classical languages, literature, and history, which aimed primarily to produce ministers and “gentlemen.” Accordingly, the first medical school in the 13 colonies (now known as the Perelman School of Medicine) was founded at Penn in 1765. Also, thanks in large part to Franklin’s guiding principles, the first business school in the country (the Wharton School) opened there in 1881. Read more

    What is University of Pennsylvania known for?

    University of Pennsylvania’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

    Most Influential Alumni

    Career Outlook for degree at University of Pennsylvania

    Cost of Degree: $66,104
    Expenses: $22,924
    Starting Salary: $131,600
    Cost Recoup Time: 13 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary
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  22. #19

    University of Tokyo

    The University of Tokyo is a public research university in Bunkyō, Tokyo, Japan. Founded in 1877 by the merger of several pre-westernisation era institutions such as Shoheizaka Institute and Kaiseijo, it was the nation’s first modern university. Read more

    What is University of Tokyo known for?

    University of Tokyo’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

    Most Influential Alumni

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  24. #20

    Humboldt University of Berlin

    This university has a fascinating pedigree. It was originally founded by Kaiser Friedrich Wilhelm III, in consultation with three great German Enlightenment thinkers: the philologist and linguist Wilhelm von Humboldt, the philosopher J.G. Fichte, and the theologian Friedrich Schleiermacher. Originally known simply as the University of Berlin, for most of its existence up until the aftermath of World War II, it was officially known as the Friedrich Wilhelm University. The site of the university lay in the central, Mitte neighborhood of the city, and in the aftermath of the war it unfortunately found itself just inside the Soviet sector—and thus, after 1961, just east of the Berlin Wall. Kaisers (that is, caesars, or emperors) being in bad odor with the new communist regime, in 1949 the university was renamed after Wilhelm von Humboldt, already mentioned above, and his brother Alexander, a famed naturalist and explorer. In 1948, a brand-new university was founded in the western sector of the city. It was named the Free University of Berlin. Since the reunification of the two parts of Germany (and Berlin) in 1990, the Humboldt University and the Free University have entered into fairly close cooperation with each other—even to the extent of sharing the same medical school—while still retaining their own distinctive identities. Read more

    What is Humboldt University of Berlin known for?

    Humboldt University of Berlin’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

    Most Influential Alumni

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  25. #21

    Hebrew University of Jerusalem

    The Hebrew University of Jerusalem was founded in 1918 in the ancient city of Jerusalem. At the time the city, as well as the entire surrounding region of Palestine, was under British military control. The founding occurred during the interim period between the British defeat of the Ottoman Turkish army in late 1917 and the official establishment of British Mandatory Palestine by the League of Nations in the summer of 1922. Planning for a Jewish university in the Holy Land had long figured in the plans of the leaders of the Zionist movement. The cornerstone for the Hebrew University was laid in the summer of 1918 at a location on Mt. Scopus; however, the first classes did not begin to be taught until the spring of 1925. In 1942, a new campus comprising a Faculty of Agriculture, Food, and the Environment was established in the city of Rehovot, near the Mediterranean coast south of Tel Aviv. Much later, in 1985, a veterinary school was added to the Rehovot campus. Read more

    What is Hebrew University of Jerusalem known for?

    Hebrew University of Jerusalem’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

    Most Influential Alumni

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  26. #22

    Moscow State University

    M. V. Lomonosov Moscow State University is a public research university in Moscow, Russia. The university includes 15 research institutes, 43 faculties, more than 300 departments, and six branches . Alumni of the university include past leaders of the Soviet Union and other governments. As of 2019, 13 Nobel laureates, six Fields Medal winners, and one Turing Award winner had been affiliated with the university. Read more

    What is Moscow State University known for?

    Moscow State University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

    Most Influential Alumni

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  27. #23

    University College London

    University College London, which operates as UCL, is a public research university in London, England. It is a member institution of the federal University of London, and is the second-largest university in the United Kingdom by total enrolment and the largest by postgraduate enrolment. Read more

    What is University College London known for?

    University College London’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

    Most Influential Alumni

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  28. #24

    University of California, Los Angeles

    Los Angeles , CA
    #3 50 Best Public Colleges and Universities Ranked for Students in 2025 #3 Most Affordable Colleges and Universities in the U.S. 2025 #3 50 Best Public Grad Schools 2025 #3 Best Value Colleges and Universities Ranked for Students in 2025

    The University of California, Los Angeles is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. Its academic roots were established in 1881 as a normal school then known as the southern branch of the California State Normal School . It was absorbed with the official founding of UCLA as the Southern Branch of the University of California in 1919, making it the second-oldest of the ten-campus University of California system after the University of California, Berkeley. Read more

    What is University of California, Los Angeles known for?

    University of California, Los Angeles’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

    Most Influential Alumni

    Career Outlook for degree at University of California, Los Angeles

    Cost of Degree: $13,747
    Expenses: $24,284
    Starting Salary: $73,200
    Cost Recoup Time: 11 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary
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  30. #25

    London School of Economics

    The London School of Economics and Political Science is a public research university in London, England, and a member institution of the University of London. Founded in 1895 by Fabian Society members Sidney Webb, Beatrice Webb, Graham Wallas and George Bernard Shaw, LSE joined the University of London in 1900 and established its first degree courses under the auspices of the university in 1901. LSE began awarding its degrees in its own name in 2008, prior to which it awarded degrees of the University of London. It became a university in its own right within the University of London in 2022. Read more

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  31. #26

    University of Sydney

    The wave of expansion of Homo sapiens out of its African birthplace reached the continent of Australia around 40,000 years ago, or more. However, the first visit of Europeans to the land down under did not occur until 1606, when the Dutch explorer Willem Janszoon made landfall at what is now the town of Weipa on the western shore of the Cape York Peninsula in northern Queensland. Several sightings and landings by other Dutch, as well as Spanish, explorers occurred over the next century and a half or so. However, it was not until 1770 that Captain James Cook claimed for the British crown the region surrounding an inlet along the southeast coast that he named Botany Bay, lying just south of modern Sydney. It was this event which led in short order to the continuous settlement of Australia by Europeans and other outsiders. It is useful to remember, by way of comparison with the other schools on this list, that by the time the University of Sydney (the first Australian university) was founded in 1850, the British presence in the continent now universally and affectionately known as “Oz” was only about three quarters of a century old. Read more

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  32. #27

    Johns Hopkins University

    Baltimore , MD
    #11 50 Best Private Colleges and Universities for Undergrads 2025 #11 50 Best Private Grad Schools 2025 #11 50 Best Research Universities Ranked for Undergrads in 2024 #14 50 Best Colleges and Universities Ranked for Undergrads in 2025

    Johns Hopkins was designed from its origin to contribute to the cutting edge of scientific discovery. With time, this goal has been fully achieved, leading to the top-tier research institution that the university is today. The school is named after its founding benefactor, the entrepreneur and philanthropist Johns Hopkins, who contributed $7 million (approximately $145 million in today’s money) to create both the university and an associated hospital. The educational philosophy of Hopkins (who had also been a noted abolitionist) and the university’s first president, the distinguished educator Daniel Coit Gilman, was heavily influenced by the model of the recently established German research universities, especially Heidelberg University, which had pioneered the concept of an arts and sciences graduate school analogous to the traditional professional schools for divinity, law, and medicine. For this reason, Johns Hopkins is often referred to as the first “research university” in the United States. Read more

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    Career Outlook for degree at Johns Hopkins University

    Cost of Degree: $62,840
    Expenses: $22,725
    Starting Salary: $89,300
    Cost Recoup Time: 16 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary
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  33. #28

    University of Melbourne

    The University of Melbourne is a public research university founded in 1853, the second-oldest institution of higher learning in Australia. The founding of the university by the State of Victoria was facilitated by the discovery of gold in 1851, and the ensuing “Victorian Gold Rush.” In some years, the Victorian gold fields were second in output worldwide only to California’s. Hence, the State of Victoria became quite prosperous, attracting immigrants from all over the world. The state-financed University of Melbourne also grew quickly and soon achieved a remarkable degree of academic excellence. In 1857, a Law School was opened; in 1861, a Faculty of Engineering; and in 1862, a School of Medicine. Today, Melbourne comprises seven campuses, with a total student body numbering about 52,000. With an endowment of approximately A$1.3 billion, Melbourne remains the wealthiest university in Australia. Melbourne is associated with seven Nobel laureates, namely: Read more

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  34. #29

    Tel Aviv University

    In 1931, a Biological-Pedagogical Institute (later, the Institute of Natural Sciences) was established in the city of Tel Aviv in British Mandatory Palestine. Four years later, in 1935, a second institute—the School of Law and Economics—opened there, as well. In 1954, the Academic Institute of Jewish Studies was founded in the same city, now a part of the State of Israel. Finally, in 1956, the three aforementioned research institutes were combined—along with a new library and several new academic and administration buildings—to create the modern Tel Aviv University (TAU). Today, TAU comprises nine separate faculties, eight schools, and more than 130 research institutes and centers. The student body numbers more than 26,000 individuals. TAU is associated with one Nobel laureate–the physicist, François Englert and one Turing Award winner–Adi Shamir. Other notable TAU–connected individuals include the following: Read more

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  36. #30

    University of Toronto

    The University of Toronto received its royal charter in 1827 from King George IV. Originally known as King’s College, it was the first institution of higher learning in the colonial Province of Upper Canada (consisting of mostly what is now southern Ontario). King’s College was a religious institution, operating under the auspices of the Church of England. In 1850, the university was transferred to a secular administration, at which time it also assumed its present name. Today, the university comprises 11 schools at its principal location in downtown Toronto’s Queen’s Park neighborhood, as well as two satellite campuses. In addition, several administratively autonomous but highly prestigious research centers are housed on the University of Toronto campus. Perhaps the most notable of these is the Fields Institute for Research in Mathematical Sciences. Established in 1992 and named in honor of Toronto–mathematician John Charles Fields, the Fields Institute bestows its coveted award (the Fields Medal) every fourth year on several of the best mathematicians in the world under the age of 40. Read more

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  37. #31

    University of Bonn

    The University of Bonn, officially the Rhenish Friedrich Wilhelm University of Bonn , is a public research university located in Bonn, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It was founded in its present form as the on 18 October 1818 by Frederick William III, as the linear successor of the which was founded in 1777. The University of Bonn offers many undergraduate and graduate programs in a range of subjects and has 544 professors. The University of Bonn is a member of the German U15 association of major research-intensive universities in Germany and has the title of “University of Excellence” ... read more

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  38. #32

    Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich

    The present-day University of Munich traces its roots to a fifteenth-century institution founded in the town of Ingolstadt by Duke Ludwig IX of Bavaria-Landshut. The school was moved to the town of Landshut in 1800 by King Maximilian I of Bavaria, when Ingolstadt was threatened by invading French armies during the Napoleonic Wars. In 1802, it was given its present official name of “Ludwig Maximilian University (LMU)” in recognition of its first and second founding fathers. Finally, in 1826 another Ludwig—King Ludwig I of Bavaria—relocated the university yet again to its present location in the Bavarian capital city of Munich. Since King Ludwig I shared the same name with the original founder, Duke Ludwig IX, this third founding required no further change to the school’s name. Bavaria is, of course, the only predominantly Catholic part of Germany today. Following the Protestant Reformation in the German-speaking lands during the sixteenth century, LMU came under the influence of the Jesuit order, and became an intellectual center of the Counter-Reformation in Central Europe. This helps explain, in part, the primary focus of LMU on the humanities, in general, and on theology and philosophy, in particular. Read more

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  39. #33

    California Institute of Technology

    Pasadena , CA
    #1 50 Best Small Colleges and Universities Ranked for Students in 2025 #8 America's 15 Most Technologically Advanced Colleges #12 50 Best Private Colleges and Universities for Undergrads 2025 #12 50 Best Private Grad Schools 2025

    The California Institute of Technology (universally known as “Caltech”) is located in the Los Angeles suburb of Pasadena. It was originally founded as a vocational school, but took on the complexion of an institute at the cutting edge of scientific discovery quite early in its history. The inflection point probably came with the move of Alfred Amos Noyes from MIT (where he had been serving as acting-President) to Caltech in 1919. Noyes, who had studied chemistry under Wilhelm Ostwald at the University of Leipzig, taught chemistry at Caltech for 17 years, until his death in 1936. During his tenure at Caltech—which assumed its present name in 1921—Noyes was responsible for revising the science curriculum in line with the latest advances in Germany, whose universities were the best in the world at that time. Noyes was also very active in institution-building at the national level (he was one of the founders of the National Research Council) and in recruiting both distinguished older and promising younger science faculty for Caltech. Read more

    What is California Institute of Technology known for?

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    Career Outlook for degree at California Institute of Technology

    Cost of Degree: $63,255
    Expenses: $23,631
    Starting Salary: $106,300
    Cost Recoup Time: 14 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary
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  40. #34

    Peking University

    Peking University is a national public comprehensive university in Beijing, China. The university is affiliated with and sponsored by the Ministry of Education of China. It is part of C9 League, Double First Class University Plan, former Project 985, and former Project 211. Read more

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  42. #35

    University of Warsaw

    The University of Warsaw is a public research university in Warsaw, Poland. Established in 1816, it is the largest institution of higher learning in the country, offering 37 different fields of study as well as 100 specializations in humanities, technical, and the natural sciences. Read more

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  43. #36

    University of Tübingen

    The University of Tübingen, officially the Eberhard Karl University of Tübingen , is a public research university located in the city of Tübingen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. The University of Tübingen is one of eleven German Excellence Universities. The University of Tübingen is especially known as a centre for the study of plant biology, medicine, law, archeology, ancient cultures, philosophy, theology, religious studies, humanities, and more recently as a center of excellence for artificial intelligence. The university’s noted alumni and faculty include presidents, a pope, EU Commissioners,... read more

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  44. #37

    University of Oslo

    The University of Oslo is a public research university located in Oslo, Norway. It is the oldest university in Norway. Originally named the Royal Frederick University, the university was established in 1811 as the de facto Norwegian continuation of Denmark-Norway’s common university, the University of Copenhagen, with which it shares many traditions. It was named for King Frederick VI of Denmark and Norway, and received its current name in 1939. The university was commonly nicknamed “The Royal Frederick’s” before the name change, and informally also referred to simply as Universitetet . Read more

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  45. #38

    University of Copenhagen

    The University of Copenhagen is a public research university in Copenhagen, Denmark. Founded in 1479, the University of Copenhagen is the second-oldest university in Scandinavia after Uppsala University. Read more

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  46. #39

    ETH Zurich

    ETH Zurich is a public research university in Zürich, Switzerland. Founded by the Swiss federal government in 1854, with the stated mission to educate engineers and scientists; the school focuses primarily on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, although its 16 departments span a variety of disciplines and subjects. Read more

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  48. #40

    Kyoto University

    Kyoto University, or KyotoU, is a national research university located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded in 1897, it is one of the former Imperial Universities and the second oldest university in Japan. Founded upon the principles of its words, “freedom of academic culture”, KyotoU is currently composed of three campuses with ten Faculties, eighteen Graduate Schools, thirteen Research Institutes, and twenty-two Research and Educational Centers. The Kyoto University Library, boasting over 7 million volumes, is Japan’s second-largest academic library. Furthermore, KyotoU was one of the first three Design... read more

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  49. #41

    Duke University

    Durham , NC
    #1 Best Online Christian Colleges and Universities for Doctoral Degrees 2025 #1 50 Best Christian Colleges and Universities 2024 #6 Top Schools that Offer Free Master's Degrees Online #13 50 Best Private Colleges and Universities for Undergrads 2025

    Duke began life as Brown’s Schoolhouse, on a site in what is now the town of Trinity in Randolph County, North Carolina, a little over 70 miles west of its current location in the city of Durham. The small school experienced rapid growth in the years leading up to the Civil War, and underwent a succession of name changes: to Union Institute Academy (1841), Normal College (1851), and Trinity College (1859). In its cultural roots, the Methodist and Quaker faiths both loom large. Finally, in 1892 the still-growing college was gifted with a major endowment from the wealthy tobacco entrepreneur, philanthropist, and devout Methodist, Washington Duke. It was at this time that its location was transferred to Durham. A little later, Washington Duke’s son, James B. Duke, substantially increased the university’s endowment, to a total sum of about $40 million (around $580 million in today’s dollars). In honor of the contributions of the Duke family, in 1924the school changed its name one last time. Read more

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    Career Outlook for degree at Duke University

    Cost of Degree: $65,805
    Expenses: $21,267
    Starting Salary: $114,500
    Cost Recoup Time: 14 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary
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  50. #42

    University of Southern California

    Los Angeles , CA
    #9 America's 15 Most Technologically Advanced Colleges #14 50 Best Private Colleges and Universities for Undergrads 2025 #14 50 Best Private Grad Schools 2025 #17 50 Best Colleges and Universities Ranked for Undergrads in 2025

    The University of Southern California (USC) was founded as the first private research university in the state (five years before Stanford) largely through the efforts of Judge Robert Widney, one of the most prominent citizens of Los Angeles at that time. Widney’s vision was of an inclusive institution that would serve all sectors of the already-diverse LA community. Accordingly, the board of trustees he assembled included a wealthy Protestant businessman, a Catholic former-governor, and a Jewish banker. While USC was officially affiliated with the Methodist church during its early years, from the beginning its charter provided that no student would be denied admission on the basis of race. Today, USC enrolls more than 48,000 students, of whom around a quarter (some 12,000) are international students—one of the highest percentages of any university in the country. Half of all students are undergraduates, while the other half are pursuing graduate or professional training. Read more

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    Career Outlook for degree at University of Southern California

    Cost of Degree: $68,237
    Expenses: $22,216
    Starting Salary: $88,800
    Cost Recoup Time: 16 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary
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  51. #43

    University of Texas at Austin

    Austin , TX
    #4 50 Best Public Colleges and Universities Ranked for Students in 2025 #4 Most Affordable Colleges and Universities in the U.S. 2025 #4 50 Best Public Grad Schools 2025 #4 Best Value Colleges and Universities Ranked for Students in 2025

    By rights, the University of Texas (known within Texas itself as “UT,” for short) ought to be 40 years older than it is. In 1839, the Republic of Texas officially set aside 40 acres of prime real estate in the center of the new country’s capital city, Austin, as the site for the campus of a national university. The Texas Congress also granted 288,000 acres of land, mainly in the western regions of the Republic, as a financial endowment for the future university. Much later, oil was discovered beneath a lot of that land. As a result, UT’s endowment is now worth a little more than $30 billion, making the school by far the wealthiest public university in the country. Indeed, among all American universities, UT is second only to Harvard (see above) in the size of its endowment. However, the actual building of the university was long delayed, first by the accession of the Republic of Texas to the United States in 1845, and then by the coming of the Civil War. As a defeated Confederate state, Texas was dealt with harshly by the Federal government during the period of Reconstruction. Eventually, however, the state recovered enough independence in running its own affairs to carry through the long-delayed project of building a state university. Read more

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    Career Outlook for degree at University of Texas at Austin

    Cost of Degree: $11,678
    Expenses: $19,894
    Starting Salary: $73,900
    Cost Recoup Time: 9 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary
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  52. #44

    University of Washington

    Seattle , WA
    #1 15 Best Self-Paced Online Colleges Ranked for 2025 #5 50 Best Public Colleges and Universities Ranked for Students in 2025 #5 Most Affordable Colleges and Universities in the U.S. 2025 #5 50 Best Public Grad Schools 2025

    In the 1850s, the Governor of Washington Territory and some of his Seattle-based friends and business associates, including a prominent Methodist minister, put their heads together to figure out a way to advance two causes close to their hearts: the prospect of statehood for the territory and the economic welfare of the city of Seattle. At first, the Seattle city fathers argued in favor of moving the territorial capital from Olympia to their own city. However, a better plan was eventually decided upon: they would build a university in Seattle. The idea was that an institution of higher education would function both as evidence of Washington Territory’s readiness for statehood and as a stimulus to Seattle’s economic development. This explains why the Territorial University of Washington, occupying a valuable plot of land in downtown Seattle, opened its doors in 1861—long before statehood was finally achieved in 1889. After the latter date, both the new State of Washington and the City of Seattle began to grow rapidly. It was soon found that the needs of the students and faculty of the former territorial university—now called simply the University of Washington (UW)—had outgrown the school’s original downtown campus, where there was little room for expansion. Accordingly, in 1895 UW was moved to a more spacious location in the Union Bay neighborhood of what is now Northeast Seattle. Read more

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    Career Outlook for degree at University of Washington

    Cost of Degree: $12,643
    Expenses: $21,909
    Starting Salary: $69,600
    Cost Recoup Time: 10 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary
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  54. #45

    Northwestern University

    Evanston , IL
    #14 50 Best Research Universities Ranked for Undergrads in 2024 #15 50 Best Private Colleges and Universities for Undergrads 2025 #15 50 Best Private Grad Schools 2025 #18 50 Best Colleges and Universities Ranked for Undergrads in 2025

    The founding of Northwestern University was spearheaded by the physician and politician John Evans, for whom the town of Evanston, Illinois, is named. The school is a private institution whose campus lies along Lake Michigan, just north of Chicago. Northwestern was originally intended to serve the needs of the geographical area corresponding to the former Northwest Territory (Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, and eastern Minnesota)—hence the school’s name. The university is particularly renowned for its many distinguished professional schools, including the: Northwestern is also home to several multi-disciplinary and more-focused research initiatives, including the: In addition, Northwestern is a premier research university in the arts and sciences; its enormous library holdings comprise some five million volumes. Now with campuses in Chicago itself (including the state-of-the-art Northwestern Memorial Hospital complex only blocks from Lake Michigan) and in Doha, Qatar, Northwestern is one of the top private research universities in between the East and West Coasts. Situated as it is on the Great Lakes, Northwestern contributes greatly—together with the University of Chicago several miles to the south—to making the greater Chicago area the intellectually vibrant “third coast” of the United States. Read more

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    Career Outlook for degree at Northwestern University

    Cost of Degree: $65,997
    Expenses: $25,293
    Starting Salary: $93,400
    Cost Recoup Time: 16 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary
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  55. #46

    Tsinghua University

    #12 Best Schools in the World for Earning an MBA Degree Ranked for 2025

    Tsinghua University was founded in 1911 as Tsinghua College. In the modern Pinyin transliteration system, the name would be written as “Qinghua”; however, the university retains the older spelling for official purposes. Tsinghua University was built on the site of the former imperial gardens maintained by the Ming and Qing Dynasties.During the Qing Dynasty’s tumultuous last years, the Boxer Rebellion broke out in 1899. The rebellion targeted the many foreign embassies and private companies that had been occupying parts of China for decades, as well as Chinese Christians and others. After the bloody rebellion was put down in 1901 by an alliance of foreign powers, including the US, heavy reparations (“indemnities”) were imposed on China. Initially, China’s assessment to indemnify the US was set at $30 million. However, the administration of US President Theodore Roosevelt agreed to lower this amount by almost two-thirds, on the condition that the remaining indemnity be used to set up a scholarship fund for Chinese students to pursue their higher education in the US. As a part of this agreement, Tsinghua College was established to serve as a college preparatory school for China’s US-bound students. Read more

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  56. #47

    University of Tehran

    The University of Tehran is the oldest and most prominent Iranian university located in Tehran, Iran. Based on its historical, socio-cultural, and political pedigree, as well as its research and teaching profile, UT has been nicknamed “The Mother University [of Iran]” . In international rankings, UT has been ranked as one of the best universities in the Middle East and is among the top universities of the world. It is also the premier knowledge producing institute among all OIC countries. Tehran University of Medical Sciences is in the 7th ranking of the Islamic World University Ranking in 20... read more

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  57. #48

    National Autonomous University of Mexico

    The National Autonomous University of Mexico is a public research university in Mexico. A portion of is a UNESCO World Heritage site that was designed and decorated by some of Mexico’s best-known architects and painters of the 20th century. The campus also hosted the main events of the 1968 Summer Olympic Games. All Mexican Nobel laureates are alumni or faculty of UNAM. UNAM is known for its rigorous admissions, with acceptance rates often under 10%. Its research and education are also globally recognized for their excellence and impact. UNAM was founded, in its modern form, on 22 Septembe... read more

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  58. #49

    University of Edinburgh

    In spite of dating back to the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, the University of Edinburgh is only the fourth-oldest university in Scotland (after St. Andrews, Glasgow, and Aberdeen), hence the sixth-oldest in the English-speaking world (with Oxford and Cambridge, of course, in first and second positions). As the city of Edinburgh itself grew in importance, however, its university also came to dominate its Scottish rivals. That is why, for such a relatively “young” university, Edinburgh is associated with a quite remarkable list of intellectual luminaries, including the following, including, during the seventeenth century, the well-known Presbyterian theologian, Samuel Rutherford. During the following eighteenth-century – the Scottish Enlightenment – Edinburgh was home to a veritable galaxy of celebrated thinkers, including: During the Victoria era, two of the most-influential scientists of all time, the naturalist Charles Darwin and the physicist James Clerk Maxwell, both studied here. Other nineteenth-century, Edinburgh-connected scientists include the botanist Robert Brown (the first person to observe what is now called “Brownian motion”); the physician Joseph Lister (a pioneer of antiseptic surgery); and Alexander Graham Bell (the inventor of the telephone). Read more

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  60. #50

    University of Minnesota

    Minneapolis , MN
    #6 50 Best Public Colleges and Universities Ranked for Students in 2025 #6 Most Affordable Colleges and Universities in the U.S. 2025 #6 50 Best Public Grad Schools 2025 #21 Best Universities in the US Ranked for Prospective Students in 2025

    The University of Minnesota (UM) traces its roots to a college preparatory school established in the city of Minneapolis seven years before Minnesota entered the Union in 1858. This school closed its doors during the Civil War, but reopened in 1867. In 1869, the prep school was reconfigured as an institution of higher learning. Today, that modest college has grown into one of the largest universities in the country, with a student population of around 52,000. During the 1880s, UM expanded to another campus located in St. Paul, the state capital and the city immediately adjacent to Minneapolis to the east. However, the Minneapolis campus remains by far the larger of the two, sprawling nowadays astride both banks of the Mississippi River as it flows through the heart of the city. Due to its physical bi-location, albeit under a single administration, the school is now officially known as “University of Minnesota, Twin Cities.” It has become the flagship of a far-flung University of Minnesota System, which also includes colleges located in Crookston, Rochester, Duluth, and Morris. Read more

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    Career Outlook for degree at University of Minnesota

    Cost of Degree: $16,488
    Expenses: $16,378
    Starting Salary: $61,200
    Cost Recoup Time: 11 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary
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  61. #51

    Carnegie Mellon University

    Pittsburgh , PA
    #10 America's 15 Most Technologically Advanced Colleges #15 50 Best Research Universities Ranked for Undergrads in 2024 #16 50 Best Private Colleges and Universities for Undergrads 2025 #16 50 Best Private Grad Schools 2025

    In 1900, the Scottish-born industrialist and philanthropist, Andrew Carnegie, donated the funds to establish a vocational college called the Carnegie Technical Schools. In 1912, the Technical Schools’ name was changed to the Carnegie Institute of Technology (CIT). Carnegie based CIT in Pittsburgh, where he had worked as a messenger boy for the Ohio Telegraph Company not long after arriving with his family in the US. By the turn of the twentieth century, that thriving industrial city had become the main base of operations for Carnegie’s vast steel factories. CIT’s site was adjacent to that of the campus of the University of Pittsburgh. In 1913, the brothers, Andrew W. and Richard B. Mellon—scions of a wealthy Pittsburgh banking family (also of Scottish ancestry)—donated money to the University of Pittsburgh for the creation of a Department of Industrial Research. Andrew Mellon would go on to serve as US Secretary of the Treasury under President Warren G. Harding during the early 1920s. Read more

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    Career Outlook for degree at Carnegie Mellon University

    Cost of Degree: $63,274
    Expenses: $19,868
    Starting Salary: $103,000
    Cost Recoup Time: 14 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary
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  62. #52

    University of Zurich

    The University of Zürich is a public research university located in the city of Zürich, Switzerland. It is the largest university in Switzerland, with its 28,000 enrolled students. It was founded in 1833 from the existing colleges of theology, law, medicine which go back to 1525, and a new faculty of philosophy. Read more

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  63. #53

    University of Wisconsin–Madison

    Madison , WI
    #6 Best Value Colleges and Universities Ranked for Students in 2025 #7 50 Best Public Colleges and Universities Ranked for Students in 2025 #7 Most Affordable Colleges and Universities in the U.S. 2025 #7 50 Best Public Grad Schools 2025

    The University of Wisconsin was founded at the same time that the eastern part of the Wisconsin Territory became the new state of Wisconsin and entered the union. In accord with its charter, the new state university was physically located in the state capital, Madison. Today, the University of Wisconsin System has grown into an immense network of more than 180,000 students distributed across some 26 campuses. However, the original Madison location still remains the flagship campus with the largest student body (around 44,000 students) and the most distinguished faculty. The university’s $3 billion endowment allows it to rank third in the US for expenditures on fundamental research. The university is still growing rapidly, with the Wisconsin Institute for Discovery (for biomedical research), the Wisconsin Energy Institute (for alternative energy development), and the Human Ecology Building all having opened within the past ten years. In 2007, the university’s Morgridge Center for Public Service undertook a five-year, fund-raising drive to take advantage of $1 million in annual matching funds that the Morgridge family made available to increase support for the Center’s programs and services, especially in the areas of community-based research and engaged scholarship. Read more

    What is University of Wisconsin–Madison known for?

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    Career Outlook for degree at University of Wisconsin–Madison

    Cost of Degree: $11,205
    Expenses: $17,700
    Starting Salary: $68,000
    Cost Recoup Time: 9 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary
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  64. #54

    Goethe University Frankfurt

    Goethe University Frankfurt is a public research university located in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. It was founded in 1914 as a citizens’ university, which means it was founded and funded by the wealthy and active liberal citizenry of Frankfurt. The original name in German was Universität Frankfurt am Main. In 1932, the university’s name was extended in honour of one of the most famous native sons of Frankfurt, the poet, philosopher and writer/dramatist Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. The university currently has around 45,000 students, distributed across four major campuses within the city. Read more

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  66. #55

    King's College London

    King’s College London is a public research university located in London, England. King’s was established by royal charter in 1829 under the patronage of King George IV and the Duke of Wellington. In 1836, King’s became one of the two founding colleges of the University of London. It is one of the oldest university-level institutions in England. In the late 20th century, King’s grew through a series of mergers, including with Queen Elizabeth College and Chelsea College of Science and Technology , the Institute of Psychiatry , the United Medical and Dental Schools of Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospit... read more

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  67. #56

    Brown University

    Providence , RI
    #10 15 Colleges with the Happiest Freshmen #16 50 Best Research Universities Ranked for Undergrads in 2024 #17 50 Best Private Colleges and Universities for Undergrads 2025 #17 50 Best Private Grad Schools 2025

    Brown began life as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations (officially) or Rhode Island College (unofficially). It is the twelfth-oldest institution of higher learning in the US. Rhode Island College was established in the town of Warren on the eastern shore of Narragansett Bay, a few miles south of the city of Providence. The school moved to Providence in 1770. The College was established by a group of Baptist ministers (that being the religious affiliation of Rhode Island’s founder, Roger Williams), working in close cooperation with Quakers (Friends), Congregationalists, and Anglicans (Episcopalians). The College’s charter stated that there was to be no religious test for entrance. A family consisting of four brothers—Nicholas, John, Joseph, and Moses Brown—was heavily involved in the College’s affairs from the beginning. Joseph Brown was a professor of Physics there, and John Brown served as treasurer for some 20 years during the Revolution and after. Read more

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    Career Outlook for degree at Brown University

    Cost of Degree: $68,230
    Expenses: $19,418
    Starting Salary: $89,100
    Cost Recoup Time: 16 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary
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  68. #57

    Free University of Berlin

    The Free University of Berlin is a public research university in Berlin. It is one of Germany’s most prestigious universities, with a particular emphasis on the humanities and political science. The Free University of Berlin was founded in West Berlin in 1948 with American support during the early Cold War period as a Western continuation of the Friedrich Wilhelm University, or the University of Berlin, whose traditions and faculty members it retained. The Friedrich Wilhelm University , being in East Berlin, faced strong communist repression; the Free University’s name referred to West Berlin... read more

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  69. #58

    University of Buenos Aires

    The University of Buenos Aires is a public research university in Buenos Aires, Argentina. It was established in 1821. It has educated 17 Argentine presidents, produced four of the country’s five Nobel Prize laureates, and is responsible for approximately 40% of the country’s research output. Read more

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  70. #59

    University of Geneva

    The University of Geneva is a public research university located in Geneva, Switzerland. It was founded in 1559 by John Calvin as a theological seminary. It remained focused on theology until the 17th century, when it became a center for enlightenment scholarship. Today, it is the third largest university in Switzerland by number of students. Read more

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  72. #60

    Georgetown University

    Washington , DC
    #2 50 Best Christian Colleges and Universities 2024 #17 50 Best Research Universities Ranked for Undergrads in 2024 #18 50 Best Private Colleges and Universities for Undergrads 2025 #18 50 Best Private Grad Schools 2025

    Georgetown University is a Catholic institution of higher learning that was founded in 1789 by John Carroll, Archbishop of Baltimore. Carroll was the first Catholic bishop in what is now the United States, and cousin of Charles Carroll, the only Catholic signer of the Declaration of Independence. Since 1805, Georgetown has been strongly associated with the Jesuit order. However, the governance of the school has always been independent of the Catholic Church. Today, the majority of Georgetown students are not Catholic. Georgetown was a relatively small, religious-training college until after the Civil War. In the 1870s, Patrick Francis Healey, a Jesuit priest with Irish and African ancestry, undertook a major expansion and reform of the university on the model of the modern, secular, German research university. Healey’s tenure is sometimes referred to as Georgetown’s “second founding.” Today, Georgetown is one of the largest Catholic institutions of higher learning in the US, with a student body of about 19,000. Read more

    What is Georgetown University known for?

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    Career Outlook for degree at Georgetown University

    Cost of Degree: $65,081
    Expenses: $23,660
    Starting Salary: $125,200
    Cost Recoup Time: 13 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary
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  73. #61

    University of Hamburg

    The University of Hamburg is a public research university in Hamburg, Germany. It was founded on 28 March 1919 by combining the previous General Lecture System , the Hamburg Colonial Institute , and the Academic College . The main campus is located in the central district of Rotherbaum, with affiliated institutes and research centres distributed around the city-state. Seven Nobel Prize winners and one Wolf Prize winner are affiliated with UHH. Read more

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  74. #62

    University of Virginia

    Charlottesville , VA
    #7 Best Value Colleges and Universities Ranked for Students in 2025 #8 Top Schools that Offer Free Master's Degrees Online #8 50 Best Public Colleges and Universities Ranked for Students in 2025 #8 Most Affordable Colleges and Universities in the U.S. 2025

    The University of Virginia (UVA) was very much the personal project of the third president of the United States, Thomas Jefferson. Virginia already had a venerable and distinguished university, the College of William & Mary, which is the second-oldest in the country—founded right after Harvard—and was Jefferson’s own alma mater. However, in Jefferson’s day, William & Mary continued to require its students to subscribe to the Thirty-nine Articles of the Church of England, whereas Jefferson had become a deist—not an atheist, but not a Christian, either, and certainly not a friend to the C of E. Jefferson was a great admirer of the French Revolution, and nothing if not a child of the Enlightenment. Therefore, he wanted his home state of Virginia to benefit from a more modern kind of university that would advance the enlightened and progressive values he held dear. In 1817, Jefferson met with three of his friends and political colleagues, the newly elected, fifth President of the United States, James Monroe; the outgoing fourth president, James Madison; and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, John Marshall. At this meeting, they decided on a location for the new university near the town of Charlottesville. Read more

    What is University of Virginia known for?

    University of Virginia’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

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    Career Outlook for degree at University of Virginia

    Cost of Degree: $22,323
    Expenses: $18,940
    Starting Salary: $79,400
    Cost Recoup Time: 11 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary
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  75. #63

    Uppsala University

    Uppsala University is a public research university in Uppsala, Sweden. Founded in 1477, it is the oldest university in Sweden and the Nordic countries still in operation. Initially founded in the 15th century, the university rose to significance during the rise of Sweden as a great power at the end of the 16th century and was then given relative financial stability with a large donation from King Gustavus Adolphus in the early 17th century. Uppsala also has an important historical place in Swedish national culture, and identity for the Swedish establishment: in historiography, religion, liter... read more

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  76. #64

    University of California, San Diego

    La Jolla , CA
    #8 Best Value Colleges and Universities Ranked for Students in 2025 #9 50 Best Public Colleges and Universities Ranked for Students in 2025 #9 Most Affordable Colleges and Universities in the U.S. 2025 #9 50 Best Public Grad Schools 2025

    The University of California, San Diego , is a public land-grant research university in San Diego, California. Established in 1960 near the pre-existing Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego is the southernmost of the ten campuses of the University of California, and offers over 200 undergraduate and graduate degree programs, enrolling 33,096 undergraduate and 9,872 graduate students. The university occupies near the coast of the Pacific Ocean, with the main campus resting on approximately . Read more

    What is University of California, San Diego known for?

    University of California, San Diego’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

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    Career Outlook for degree at University of California, San Diego

    Cost of Degree: $15,265
    Expenses: $23,240
    Starting Salary: $69,600
    Cost Recoup Time: 11 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary
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  78. #65

    Boston University

    Boston , MA
    #19 50 Best Private Grad Schools 2025 #3 Best Grad Schools in Massachusetts 2025 #3 Best Research Universities in Massachusetts 2025 #3 Best Colleges in Massachusetts 2025

    Boston University (universally known as “BU”) traces its roots to a Methodist Church training college, the Newbury Biblical Institute, founded in Newbury, Vermont, by a group of Boston-based Methodist ministers and elders. Ten years later, in 1849, the school was transferred to the much larger town (and state capital) of Concord, New Hampshire, where it operated as the Concord Biblical Institute for 20 more years. Finally, in 1869, it moved again, this time to Boston itself, under the new name of the Boston Theological Institute. Just two years after that, in 1871, the school’s name was changed one last time—to Boston University. BU was built up piecemeal over a period of many years, in several different Boston locations, including the Beacon Hill and Copley Square neighborhoods. It only came to occupy its present main campus—in the Back Bay neighborhood along the south bank of the Charles River across from MIT—during the 1930s. Despite BU’s origins as a Methodist Church training institute, its new 1871 charter stated that there should be no religious test for entrance to the university at large (the School of Theology excepted), placing BU among the ranks of the first American universities to officially sever their ties to their religious past. BU was also early in admitting women and African Americans to its student body on an equal basis with white men. Read more

    What is Boston University known for?

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    Career Outlook for degree at Boston University

    Cost of Degree: $65,168
    Expenses: $21,195
    Starting Salary: $75,900
    Cost Recoup Time: 17 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary

    Boston University’s Online Degrees

    BS in Undergrad Completion Program
    • Required Credits: 64
    • Completion Time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
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  79. #66

    Rutgers University

    #1 15 Best Online Colleges for Veterans to Start Their Careers 2025 #1 10 Fastest Accelerated Online Master's of Accounting Programs 2025 #1 Most Affordable Online Criminal Justice PhDs (Doctorates) 2025 #1 The Most Affordable Online Clinical Nutrition Doctorate Degree Programs (PhDs) 2025

    Rutgers University’s full official name is Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey. Rutgers traces its roots to Queen’s College, which was founded in 1766, making it the thirteenth-oldest university in the US. In 1825, Revolutionary War hero and philanthropist Henry Rutgers made a large financial contribution to the school, which in turn changed its name to Rutgers College. Rutgers College was upgraded to full university status in 1924, and in 1945 Rutgers was officially designated The State University of New Jersey. Today, Rutgers comprises three main campuses (New Brunswick-Piscataway—the flagship campus—Newark, and Camden), with over 4000 faculty members spread across 175 academic departments and a total student body approaching 70,000. Rutgers is associated with six Nobel Prize laureates, namely: Among other prominent Rutgers-connected people, we may note the following: Read more

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  80. #67

    McGill University

    McGill University is the direct descendent of McGill College, founded by royal charter in 1821 and largely funded by a bequest from the Scottish-born Canadian entrepreneur and philanthropist, James McGill. The university took its present name in 1885. Though situated on the slopes of Mount Royal in the heart of French-speaking Montreal (with a satellite campus on the westernmost tip of Montreal Island), McGill was founded as an English-speaking institution, and remains so to this day. Today, McGill is a flourishing, internationally focused university with a student body of around 40,000—one of the largest in Canada. McGill is associated with 12 Nobel laureates—the most of any Canadian university—and one Turing Award winner, who are listed below. Other prominent McGill-connected individuals include the following: Fine Arts and Literature Humanities and Social Sciences Film, Photography, and Performing Arts Media, Law, and Public Affairs Read more

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  81. #68

    Imperial College London

    The origins of Imperial College London (ICL) can be traced back to the Royal College of Chemistry, founded in 1845. In 1853, this school was merged with the Royal School of Mines, established two years previously. The modern Imperial College of Science, Technology, and Medicine (ICL’s official name) was established by royal charter in 1907 through merger of the Royal School of Mines with the Royal College of Chemistry and the City and Guilds College. Imperial College Medical School was formed in 1988 through merger with St. Mary’s Hospital Medical School (itself dating back to 1845), while in 2004 a brand-new Imperial College Business School opened its doors. It is important to note that in 1907 ICL merged with the University of London for administrative purposes, while retaining its own identity as to curriculum, faculty, staff, and students. In 2007, on the one-hundredth anniversary of obtaining its royal charter, ICL became completely independent once again. Read more

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  82. #69

    Technical University of Munich

    The Technical University of Munich is a public research university in Munich, Germany. It specializes in engineering, technology, medicine, and applied and natural sciences. Established in 1868 by King Ludwig II of Bavaria, the university now has additional campuses in Garching, Freising, Heilbronn, Straubing, and Singapore, with the Garching campus being its largest. The university is organized into seven schools, and is supported by numerous research centers. It is one of the largest universities in Germany, with 50,467 students and an annual budget of €1,839.2 million including the univers... read more

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  84. #70

    University of São Paulo

    The University of São Paulo is a public university in the Brazilian state of São Paulo. It is the largest Brazilian public university and the country’s most prestigious educational institution. USP is involved in teaching, research and university extension in all areas of knowledge, offering a broad range of courses. Read more

    What is University of São Paulo known for?

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  85. #71

    University of Helsinki

    The University of Helsinki is a public research university located in Helsinki, Finland, since 1829, but founded in the city of Turku in 1640 as the Royal Academy of Åbo, at that time part of the Swedish Empire. It is the oldest and largest university in Finland with the widest range of disciplines available. In 2020, around 31,600 students were enrolled in the degree programs of the university spread across 11 faculties and 11 research institutes. Read more

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  86. #72

    Sciences Po

    The Paris Institute of Political Studies , also known as Sciences Po or Sciences Po Paris, is a public research university located in Paris, France, that holds the status of grande école and . The institute has decentralized campuses in Dijon, Le Havre, Menton, Nancy, Poitiers and Reims, each with their own academic program focused on a geopolitical part of the world. Sciences Po historically specialized in political science and history, then it progressively started to expand to other social sciences such as economics, law and sociology. Read more

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  87. #73

    University of British Columbia

    The University of British Columbia (UBC) was founded in 1908. For the first several decades of its existence, the university’s activities were modest in scope. In 1925 a bold program to transform UBC into a modern research university was put into effect. At this time the main campus was transferred from the Fairview neighborhood just south of downtown Vancouver, to a larger campus at Point Grey about six miles to the west. Today, UBC is the third-largest university in Canada. In addition to the main campus there is a satellite campus in the city of Kelowna. In all, the UBC student body tops 66,000 souls. UBC is home to Canada’s national high-energy physics laboratory (TRIUMF), which houses a 520-million electron-volt, cyclotron-style, particle accelerator—the world’s largest. Other cutting-edge UBC scientific facilities include the Peter Wall Institute for Advanced Studies and the Stuart Blusson Quantum Matter Institute. UBC is connected with eight Nobel laureates, namely: Read more

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  88. #74

    University of Manchester

    With more than 40,000 students, Manchester is the largest single-site university in the United Kingdom. While it traces its roots back to the Manchester Mechanics’ Institute founded in 1824, the present university was formed by the merger of University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology (UMIST) and Victoria University of Manchester in 2004. Manchester can boast of some 25 Nobel laureates (including four who are on staff today) among its faculty and students, including such great physicists as J.J. Thomson, Ernest Rutherford, Niels Bohr, and Hans Bethe. In fact, it was at Victoria University of Manchester, in 1911, that Rutherford performed one of the most celebrated experiments in the history of science. In order to investigate the structure of the atom, Rutherford and his assistants repeatedly fired “alpha particles” (hydrogen nuclei) at a sheet of gold foil. While most of the particles went straight through the sheet, a small number of them were scattered at different angles, including a few that were reflected 180° backwards. Rutherford correctly interpreted this to mean that the atom consists of a small kernel (nucleus) surrounded by a large expanse of empty space—the “Rutherford model” of the atom. He later said that these results were so unexpected, he could not have been more surprised if he had fired a gun at a piece of tissue paper and the bullet had bounced back at him! Read more

    What is University of Manchester known for?

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  90. #75

    Indiana University Bloomington

    Bloomington , IN
    #10 50 Best Public Colleges and Universities Ranked for Students in 2025 #10 Most Affordable Colleges and Universities in the U.S. 2025 #10 50 Best Public Grad Schools 2025 #1 Best Grad Schools in Indiana 2025

    Indiana University Bloomington (IUB) was founded in 1820. It is the flagship campus of the IU System. The university is divided into 16 schools. Together, they offer some 550 undergraduate and graduate degree programs and professional certificates, of which the business and communications programs are among the most sought-after. IUB’s online program offers more than 150 degree programs. IUB is associated with nine Nobel laureates, namely: Other distinguished IUB-connected individuals include the following: IUB is regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). Read more

    What is Indiana University Bloomington known for?

    Indiana University Bloomington’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

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    Career Outlook for degree at Indiana University Bloomington

    Cost of Degree: $11,790
    Expenses: $17,110
    Starting Salary: $57,800
    Cost Recoup Time: 10 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary
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  91. #76

    Stockholm University

    Stockholm University is a public research university in Stockholm, Sweden, founded as a college in 1878, with university status since 1960. With over 33,000 students at four different faculties: law, humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences, it is one of the largest universities in Scandinavia. Read more

    What is Stockholm University known for?

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  92. #77

    Complutense University of Madrid

    The Complutense University of Madrid is a public research university located in Madrid. Founded in Alcalá in 1293 , it is one of the oldest operating universities in the world. It is located on a sprawling campus that occupies the entirety of the Ciudad Universitaria district of Madrid, with annexes in the district of Somosaguas in the neighboring city of Pozuelo de Alarcón. It is named after the ancient Roman settlement of Complutum, now an archeological site in Alcalá de Henares, just east of Madrid. Read more

    What is Complutense University of Madrid known for?

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  93. #78

    University of Pittsburgh

    Pittsburgh , PA
    #11 Most Affordable Colleges and Universities in the U.S. 2025 #12 50 Best Public Colleges and Universities Ranked for Students in 2025 #12 50 Best Public Grad Schools 2025 #1 Best Public Colleges in Pennsylvania 2025

    University of Pittsburgh (“Pitt”) traces its roots to the Pittsburgh Academy, a preparatory school founded in 1787, when Pittsburgh was still a frontier outpost. Defined in this way, Pitt is the oldest continuously chartered educational institution west of the Allegheny Mountains. The city of Pittsburgh itself has an interesting history. It was founded in 1758 in conjunction with the construction of Fort Pitt, near the point where the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers join to form the Ohio River. This act of founding occurred during the French and Indian Wars, and Fort Pitt was built near the site of an earlier, French-built fort—Fort Duquesne—which had recently been captured and destroyed by British forces. The newly established town was named after the prominent British statesman, William Pitt the Elder. Over the next several decades, increased immigration into the part of Pennsylvania lying west of the Alleghenies gradually created the demand for an institution of higher learning in the region. For this reason, Pittsburgh Academy’s charter was amended in 1819 to create a full-fledged liberal arts college, originally known as the Western University of Pennsylvania (WUP). Read more

    What is University of Pittsburgh known for?

    University of Pittsburgh’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

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    Career Outlook for degree at University of Pittsburgh

    Cost of Degree: $21,524
    Expenses: $16,922
    Starting Salary: $61,200
    Cost Recoup Time: 12 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary
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  94. #79

    Washington University in St. Louis

    Saint Louis , MO
    #19 50 Best Private Colleges and Universities for Undergrads 2025 #20 50 Best Private Grad Schools 2025 #23 50 Best Colleges and Universities Ranked for Undergrads in 2025 #1 Best Grad Schools in Missouri 2025

    Washington University in St. Louis (WUSTL), which is located in an unincorporated area just west of the St. Louis city limits, was founded in 1853. WUSTL’s student body is highly diversified, including individuals from all 50 states and some 120 foreign countries. The university is divided into seven undergraduate, graduate, and professional colleges and schools, which together offer nearly 1900 courses leading to more than 90 different academic degrees. Among WUSTL’s most popular programs are those in engineering, in biological and biomedical sciences, and in social sciences. The university also offers programs in more than 12 foreign languages, including Arabic, Hebrew, Hindi, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Swahili. WUSTL Online offers more than 40 undergraduate and graduate degree, and professional certificate, programs. WUSTL is associated with 25 Nobel laureates, namely: Other distinguished WUSTL-connected individuals include the following: Read more

    What is Washington University in St. Louis known for?

    Washington University in St. Louis’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

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    Career Outlook for degree at Washington University in St. Louis

    Cost of Degree: $62,982
    Expenses: $25,506
    Starting Salary: $87,900
    Cost Recoup Time: 16 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary

    Washington University in St. Louis’s Online Degrees

    BS in Integrated Studies
    Degree Concentrations
    • Humanities
    • Social Science
    • Required Credits: 120
    • Completion Time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
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  96. #80

    National Taiwan University

    National Taiwan University is a national comprehensive public research university in Taipei, Taiwan. It has been regarded as the most prestigious university in Taiwan. The university was founded in 1928 during Japanese rule as the seventh of the Imperial Universities. It was named Taihoku Imperial University and served during the period of Japanese colonization. After World War II, the Nationalist government assumed the administration of the university. The Ministry of Education reorganized and renamed the university to its current name on November 15, 1945, with its roots of liberal traditio... read more

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  97. #81

    Dartmouth College

    Hanover , NH
    #18 50 Best Research Universities Ranked for Undergrads in 2024 #20 50 Best Private Colleges and Universities for Undergrads 2025 #21 50 Best Private Grad Schools 2025 #24 50 Best Colleges and Universities Ranked for Undergrads in 2025

    Despite the word “college” in its name, Dartmouth is a full-scale, PhD-granting, private, research university. Indeed, it is an official member of the Ivy League, and is the fourteenth-oldest university in the US, founded only five years after Brown and 15 years after Columbia. Located in the small town of Hanover in the far western part of central New Hampshire, the Dartmouth campus abuts the Connecticut River, which forms the entire border between New Hampshire and Vermont. The university was founded by Eleazar Wheelock, a Congregationalist minister who was involved in missionary work with the Native American population. Already in 1754, Wheelock had founded a school in Connecticut—known as Moor’s Indian Charity School—whose purpose was to educate Native American boys as Congregationalist missionaries for future work among their own tribes. Wishing to expand this school, Wheelock began a fund-raising drive to which the British statesman, William Legge, 2nd Earl of Dartmouth, was a major contributor (along with the American-born educator, Dr. John Phillips, who would go on to found Phillips Exeter Academy). Read more

    What is Dartmouth College known for?

    Dartmouth College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

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    Career Outlook for degree at Dartmouth College

    Cost of Degree: $65,511
    Expenses: $22,054
    Starting Salary: $110,200
    Cost Recoup Time: 14 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary
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  98. #82

    Weizmann Institute of Science

    The Weizmann Institute of Science is a public research university in Rehovot, Israel, established in 1934, 14 years before the State of Israel. It differs from other Israeli universities in that it offers postgraduate-only degrees in the natural and exact sciences. Read more

    What is Weizmann Institute of Science known for?

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  99. #83

    University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

    Chapel Hill , NC
    #9 Top Schools that Offer Free Master's Degrees Online #9 Best Value Colleges and Universities Ranked for Students in 2025 #12 Most Affordable Colleges and Universities in the U.S. 2025 #13 50 Best Public Colleges and Universities Ranked for Students in 2025

    The University of North Carolina (UNC) system is a large network of 16 public universities with a total student enrollment of around 240,000 souls. The oldest member of the UNC system is the flagship campus in the small, centrally located town of Chapel Hill. Founded in 1789, UNC-Chapel Hill is about the 24th-oldest university in the US (depending on who is doing the counting) and is often considered to be the very oldest of all the public universities. UNC-Chapel Hill comprises 13 professional schools, including the Kenan-Flagler Business School, the Hussman School of Journalism and Media, and the Gillings School of Global Public Health. Altogether, the schools offer over 70 courses of study. The university has a student body of about 30,000 individuals. UNC-Chapel Hill is associated with nine Nobel laureates, namely, The school is also linked to a Turing Award—winner, Frederick Brooks. Other prominent individuals connected to UNC-Chapel Hill include the following: Read more

    What is University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill known for?

    University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

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    Career Outlook for degree at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

    Cost of Degree: $8,989
    Expenses: $17,120
    Starting Salary: $68,800
    Cost Recoup Time: 8 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary
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  100. #84

    University of Notre Dame

    Notre Dame , IN
    #3 50 Best Christian Colleges and Universities 2024 #21 50 Best Private Colleges and Universities for Undergrads 2025 #22 50 Best Private Grad Schools 2025 #25 50 Best Colleges and Universities Ranked for Undergrads in 2025

    The University of Notre Dame (ND) was founded in 1842 by Edward Sorin, a Catholic priest of the religious order of the Congregation of Holy Cross (Congregatio a Sancta Cruce—CSC). ND was originally a primary and secondary school. Two years later, in 1844, the school received its college charter from the General Assembly of Indiana (which had been a state since 1816). It awarded its first degree in 1849. Today, ND is still run by the CSC, although the faculty members and the student body are now recruited from far beyond the confines of the Catholic Church. ND’s transformation from a small Catholic college to a modern research university has been gradual but steady. Already in 1919, the university began to abandon its traditional Classical and Scholastic curriculum in favor of a modern, secular curriculum. Another major push toward parity with secular institutions nationwide was initiated under the leadership of President Theodore M. Hesburgh, C.S.C., beginning in the 1960s. Read more

    What is University of Notre Dame known for?

    University of Notre Dame’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

    Most Influential Alumni

    Career Outlook for degree at University of Notre Dame

    Cost of Degree: $62,693
    Expenses: $20,578
    Starting Salary: $98,400
    Cost Recoup Time: 15 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary
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  102. #85

    Waseda University

    Waseda University , abbreviated as Waseda or Sōdai, is a private research university in Shinjuku, Tokyo. Founded in 1882 as the Tōkyō Professional School by the former Prime Minister of Japan, Ōkuma Shigenobu, the school was formally renamed Waseda University in 1902. Read more

    What is Waseda University known for?

    Waseda University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

    Most Influential Alumni

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  103. #86

    University of California, Santa Barbara

    Santa Barbara , CA
    #13 Most Affordable Colleges and Universities in the U.S. 2025 #14 50 Best Public Colleges and Universities Ranked for Students in 2025 #14 50 Best Public Grad Schools 2025 #4 Most Affordable Colleges in California 2025

    Dating all the way back to the 1891 founding of a small, vocational institution called the Anna Blake School, the University of California, Santa Barbara is now a full-blown public research university, and among the most influential schools in the world. The Anna Blake school was initially established for the purpose of teaching trades and skills, particularly home economics and industrial arts. In 1909, it became the Santa Barbara State Normal School, focusing on teacher training. By 1921, it had grown into the Santa Barbara State College. Finally, in 1944, after much lobbying and debate, the institution became the third member of the University of California System, where it remains today. Though at the time it was conceived as a small liberal arts school, the university quickly grew in size, particularly after acquiring its current campus in 1949 and subsequently absorbing a surge in baby boomer enrollment through the late 1950s. Today, the campus spans 708 acres and boasts its own personal beach. Read more

    What is University of California, Santa Barbara known for?

    University of California, Santa Barbara’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

    Most Influential Alumni

    Career Outlook for degree at University of California, Santa Barbara

    Cost of Degree: $14,965
    Expenses: $25,622
    Starting Salary: $62,400
    Cost Recoup Time: 12 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary
    Compare school
  104. #87

    Ohio State University

    Columbus , OH
    #10 Top Schools that Offer Free Master's Degrees Online #10 Best Value Colleges and Universities Ranked for Students in 2025 #14 Most Affordable Colleges and Universities in the U.S. 2025 #15 50 Best Public Colleges and Universities Ranked for Students in 2025

    Ohio State University (OSU) was founded in 1870 as the Ohio Agricultural and Mechanical College. Three years later, in 1873, the new school opened its doors to a small group of 24 students. In 1878, the first class of just six students graduated. From these modest beginnings, the school grew rapidly. In recognition of the increasing demand for course offerings of wider scope, the same year that the first degrees were granted (1878) the Ohio state legislature changed the school’s name to its present form. Over time, OSU opened five regional campuses—in the towns of Newark, Lima, Marion, Mansfield, and Wooster. Counting the Columbus flagship campus and the five satellite campuses all together, OSU’s student body today numbers more than 68,000 individuals—making the school one of the largest in the US. Among the many distinguished persons who have been associated with OSU, we may mention the following: Read more

    What is Ohio State University known for?

    Ohio State University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

    Most Influential Alumni

    Career Outlook for degree at Ohio State University

    Cost of Degree: $12,859
    Expenses: $18,372
    Starting Salary: $53,600
    Cost Recoup Time: 11 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary
    Compare school
  105. #88

    Purdue University

    West Lafayette , IN
    #1 Top 20 Best Military Friendly Online Colleges Ranked for 2025 #11 America's 15 Most Technologically Advanced Colleges #15 Most Affordable Colleges and Universities in the U.S. 2025 #16 50 Best Public Colleges and Universities Ranked for Students in 2025

    Purdue University was founded in 1869 with substantial financing provided by industrialist John Purdue. Its purpose was to train students in agriculture and engineering. The school officially opened for business in 1874 and grew quickly. By the end of the nineteenth century, Purdue had been organized into five schools: agriculture, mechanical engineering, civil engineering, electrical engineering, and pharmacy. Later, schools of education and home economics were added. An early attempt at creating a medical school was later abandoned. In other respects, Purdue was spectacularly successful. By 1925 the university was home to the largest number of engineering students in the US. It remained the nation’s largest engineering school for the next half-century. Today, Purdue operates four satellite campuses: in Hammond, Fort Wayne, Columbus, and Indianapolis. Overall, the Purdue system has a student body approaching 75,000 souls. Purdue is associated with 13 Nobel Prize winners, including: Read more

    What is Purdue University known for?

    Purdue University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

    Most Influential Alumni

    Career Outlook for degree at Purdue University

    Cost of Degree: $9,992
    Expenses: $14,890
    Starting Salary: $62,200
    Cost Recoup Time: 9 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary
    Compare school
  106. #89

    University of Maryland, College Park

    College Park , MD
    #11 Best Value Colleges and Universities Ranked for Students in 2025 #16 Most Affordable Colleges and Universities in the U.S. 2025 #17 50 Best Public Colleges and Universities Ranked for Students in 2025 #17 50 Best Public Grad Schools 2025

    The University of Maryland is a system comprising 15 campuses. The system has a rather complicated history. The oldest component of the system is the University of Maryland Baltimore (UMB), which traces its roots to the Maryland College of Medicine, founded in 1807. In 1812, the medical college was rechartered as the University of Maryland. In 1920, the University of Maryland System was created through a merger between the Baltimore school—renamed the University of Maryland Baltimore (UMB)—with a pre-existing agricultural school that then became the flagship campus of the overall system under the name of the University of Maryland College Park (UMCP). For its part, UMCP descends from Maryland Agricultural College, founded in 1856 in College Park. During the Civil War the school underwent severe financial difficulties, and for two years was obliged to retrench severely, transforming itself into a boys’ preparatory school. The college reopened in 1867 and its financial situation became stabilized as enrollment gradually increased over the following years. Read more

    What is University of Maryland, College Park known for?

    University of Maryland, College Park’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

    Most Influential Alumni

    Career Outlook for degree at University of Maryland, College Park

    Cost of Degree: $11,505
    Expenses: $19,380
    Starting Salary: $70,800
    Cost Recoup Time: 9 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary
    Compare school
  108. #90

    Technion – Israel Institute of Technology

    The Technion – Israel Institute of Technology is a public research university located in Haifa, Israel. Established in 1912 under the dominion of the Ottoman Empire, the Technion is the oldest university in the country. The Technion is ranked as one of the top universities in both Israel and the Middle East, and in the world’s top 100 universities in the 2022 Academic Ranking of World Universities. Read more

    What is Technion – Israel Institute of Technology known for?

    Technion – Israel Institute of Technology’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

    Most Influential Alumni

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  109. #91

    University of Rochester

    Rochester , NY
    #22 50 Best Private Colleges and Universities for Undergrads 2025 #24 50 Best Private Grad Schools 2025 #25 50 Best Research Universities Ranked for Undergrads in 2024 #4 Best Colleges in New York 2024

    The University of Rochester traces its roots to the Baptist Education Society of the State of New York, founded in 1817 in the town of Hamilton in central New York state. Its primary function was to train Baptist clergymen. In 1823, the educational society changed its name to the Hamilton Literary and Theological Institution. In 1846, the Hamilton Institution created a new collegiate division, under the name of Madison University, for the purpose of providing its students with a broader and more-modern, non-theological curriculum. In 1890, Madison University changed its name to Colgate University, which continues to operate in Hamilton to this day. At the time of the founding of Madison University in 1846, there was a dispute, which led to the departure of many faculty members for a new university that was being planned in the city of Rochester, farther west, near the shore of Lake Ontario. The new school, named the University of Rochester, was finally chartered in 1850, which is usually considered as the date of the school’s founding, in spite of the fact that many of the faculty members had come directly from Madison University. Read more

    What is University of Rochester known for?

    University of Rochester’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

    Most Influential Alumni

    Career Outlook for degree at University of Rochester

    Cost of Degree: $64,348
    Expenses: $21,614
    Starting Salary: $74,300
    Cost Recoup Time: 18 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary

    University of Rochester’s Online Degrees

    BSN in RN to BSN
    • Required Credits: 128
    • Completion Time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
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  110. #92

    University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

    Champaign , IL
    #2 15 Best Self-Paced Online Colleges Ranked for 2025 #12 Best Value Colleges and Universities Ranked for Students in 2025 #17 Most Affordable Colleges and Universities in the U.S. 2025 #18 50 Best Public Colleges and Universities Ranked for Students in 2025

    The University of Illinois began life as the Illinois Industrial University, located in the city of Urbana. Although the original intention of lawmakers and the preference of many state residents was for the new school to concentrate on vocational training, the university’s first president, John Milton Gregory, wisely insisted on offering a full spectrum of liberal arts and science courses. With time, the university grew considerably, causing the original campus to spread across the dividing line between Urbana and its sister city of Champaign, to the west. That is why the flagship campus of the University of Illinois System is now officially known as the “University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign” to distinguish it from two other satellite campuses—one in Chicago and the other in the state capital of Springfield—that were incorporated into the System in 1913 and 1995, respectively. Illinois has long been particularly known for its emphasis on the natural sciences and engineering, notably information and computer engineering. This can be seen in the fact that a number of semi-independent scientific research institutes have grown up on or near the main campus, including the Illinois Applied Research Institute, the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, and the National Center for Superconducting Applications. Read more

    What is University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign known for?

    University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

    Most Influential Alumni

    Career Outlook for degree at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

    Cost of Degree: $18,060
    Expenses: $17,638
    Starting Salary: $70,900
    Cost Recoup Time: 10 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary
    Compare school
  111. #93

    University of Arizona

    Tucson , AZ
    #3 15 Best Online Colleges for Veterans to Start Their Careers 2025 #18 Most Affordable Colleges and Universities in the U.S. 2025 #20 50 Best Public Colleges and Universities Ranked for Students in 2025 #20 50 Best Public Grad Schools 2025

    The University of Arizona (UA) was founded in 1885, when Arizona was still a territory (it entered the Union in 1912). Because there were no high schools in the Arizona Territory, UA also offered college-preparatory classes for the first 23 years of its existence. Today, UA operates 19 separate schools and colleges—including the James E. Rogers College of Law and the University of Arizona College of Medicine (with campuses in both Tucson and Phoenix)—in addition to numerous institutes and centers. Among the latter, one of the most noteworthy is the cutting-edge Center for Consciousness Studies. UA’s student body consists of approximately 46,000 souls. Four UA-connected individuals have won the Nobel Prize, to wit: Other prominent UA-associated persons include the following: Read more

    What is University of Arizona known for?

    University of Arizona’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

    Most Influential Alumni

    Career Outlook for degree at University of Arizona

    Cost of Degree: $13,277
    Expenses: $19,500
    Starting Salary: $56,000
    Cost Recoup Time: 11 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary

    University of Arizona’s Online Degrees

    BA in Africana Studies
    • Required Credits: 120
    • Completion Time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
    BAS in Administration of Justice
    • Required Credits: 120
    • Completion Time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
    BS in Care, Health and Society
    • Required Credits: 120
    • Completion Time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
    BS in Emergency Medical Services
    • Required Credits: 120
    • Completion Time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
    Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in Accounting
    • Required Credits: 120
    • Completion Time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
    BAS in Cyber Operations
    Degree Concentrations
    • Engineering
    • Defense & Forensics
    • and Cyber Law & Policy
    • Required Credits: 120
    • Completion Time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
    BA in Communication
    • Required Credits: 120
    • Completion Time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
    BAS in Early Childhood
    • Required Credits: 120
    • Completion Time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
    Bachelor of General Studies in Economy and Industry
    • Required Credits: 120
    • Completion Time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
    BS in Environmental Science
    • Required Credits: 120
    • Completion Time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
    Bachelor of General Studies, in Arts, Media and Entertainment
    • Required Credits: 120
    • Completion Time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
    Bachelor of General Studies in Global and Intercultural Understanding
    • Required Credits: 120
    • Completion Time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
    BA in Global Media
    • Required Credits: 120
    • Completion Time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
    BA in Government and Public Service
    • Required Credits: 120
    • Completion Time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
    BA in Human Rights Practice
    • Required Credits: None Reported
    • Completion Time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
    BAS in Human Services
    • Required Credits: 120
    • Completion Time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
    BS in Electrical and Computer Engineering
    • Required Credits: 128
    • Completion Time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
    BS in Business Administration
    • Required Credits: 120
    • Completion Time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
    BS in Geographic Information Systems Technology (GIST)
    • Required Credits: 120
    • Completion Time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
    BS in Literacy, Learning and Leadership
    • Required Credits: 120
    • Completion Time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
    BA in Information Science and ESociety
    • Required Credits: 120
    • Completion Time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
    BAS in Organizational Leadership
    • Required Credits: 120
    • Completion Time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
    BA in Psychology
    • Required Credits: 120
    • Completion Time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
    BA in Law
    • Required Credits: 120
    • Completion Time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
    BA in Political Science
    • Required Credits: 120
    • Completion Time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
    BAS in Regional Commerce
    • Required Credits: 120
    • Completion Time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
    BAS in Intelligence and Information Operations
    • Required Credits: 120
    • Completion Time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
    BA in History
    • Required Credits: 120
    • Completion Time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
    BA in Philosophy: Ethics
    • Required Credits: 120
    • Completion Time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
    Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in Biology
    • Required Credits: 120
    • Completion Time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
    BS in Nutritional Sciences
    • Required Credits: 120
    • Completion Time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
    BA in Spanish
    • Required Credits: 120
    • Completion Time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
    Bachelor of General Studies in Sports and Society
    • Required Credits: 120
    • Completion Time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
    BS in Public Health
    • Required Credits: 120
    • Completion Time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
    BS in Sustainable Built Environments
    • Required Credits: 120
    • Completion Time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
    Bachelor of General Studies in Social Behavior and Human Understanding
    • Required Credits: 120
    • Completion Time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
    Compare school
  112. #94

    University of California, Irvine

    Irvine , CA
    #19 Most Affordable Colleges and Universities in the U.S. 2025 #21 50 Best Public Colleges and Universities Ranked for Students in 2025 #21 50 Best Public Grad Schools 2025 #5 Most Affordable Colleges in California 2025

    The University of California, Irvine , is a public land-grant research university in Irvine, California, United States. One of the ten campuses of the University of California system, UCI offers 87 undergraduate degrees and 129 graduate and professional degrees, and roughly 30,000 undergraduates and 6,000 graduate students are enrolled at UCI as of Fall 2019. The university is classified among “R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity”, and had $523.7 million in research and development expenditures in 2021. UCI became a member of the Association of American Universities in 1996... read more

    What is University of California, Irvine known for?

    University of California, Irvine’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

    Most Influential Alumni

    Career Outlook for degree at University of California, Irvine

    Cost of Degree: $14,237
    Expenses: $24,814
    Starting Salary: $65,800
    Cost Recoup Time: 12 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary
    Compare school
  114. #95

    Paris-Saclay University

    Paris-Saclay University is a combined technological research institute and public research university in Paris, France. Paris-Saclay was established in 2019 after the merger of four technical grandes écoles, as well as several technological institutes, engineering schools, and research facilities; giving it fifteen constituent colleges with over 48,000 students combined. Read more

    What is Paris-Saclay University known for?

    Paris-Saclay University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

    Most Influential Alumni

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  115. #96

    Pennsylvania State University

    #5 15 Best Online Colleges for Veterans to Start Their Careers 2025 #22 50 Best Public Grad Schools 2025 #1 Best Online Bachelor's in Cybersecurity in Pennsylvania 2025 #1 Best Online Associate Degrees in Pennsylvania 2024

    Pennsylvania State University (Penn State) was founded in 1855 as the Farmers’ High School of Pennsylvania. In 1862, the school’s name was changed to the Agricultural College of Pennsylvania. In 1874 it was changed once again, this time to Pennsylvania State College, at which time a classical liberal arts curriculum was married to the agricultural training program. In 1953, under the presidency of Milton S. Eisenhower—the brother of former US Army Supreme Commander and then–US President, Dwight D. Eisenhower—the college was upgraded to Pennsylvania State University. With 23 campuses statewide in addition to the flagship University Park campus, Penn State is the first-tier public university system in Pennsylvania (the University of Pennsylvania being a private institution). With a total student population of more than 96,000, it is one of the largest universities in the US. Prominent Penn State connected individuals include the following: Read more

    What is Pennsylvania State University known for?

    Pennsylvania State University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

    Most Influential Alumni

    Compare school
  116. #97

    University of Florida

    Gainesville , FL
    #2 Online Colleges with the Most Generous Financial Aid in 2025 #2 Top 15 Best Online Colleges for Transfer Students in 2025 #3 15 Best Self-Paced Online Colleges Ranked for 2025 #6 15 Best Online Colleges for Veterans to Start Their Careers 2025

    The University of Florida (UF) traces its roots back to East Florida Seminary, which was founded in 1853 in the town of Ocala. The seminary, which was the first publicly supported institution of higher learning in the state, relocated to the city of Gainesville in 1858. Another public institution, the Florida Agricultural College, was established in Lake City in 1884, while the St. Petersburg Normal and Industrial School was established in 1893. In 1895, a fourth public institution, the South Florida Military and Educational Institute, was established in Bartow. Its name was changed to South Florida Military College in 1903. That same year, the Lake City agricultural college’s remit was expanded and its name was changed to University of Florida. Just two years later, in 1905, the state undertook a major reorganization of its publicly supported system of higher education, in which the four preceding schools were all abolished and merged into one which was called the University of the State of Florida. Read more

    What is University of Florida known for?

    University of Florida’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

    Most Influential Alumni

    Career Outlook for degree at University of Florida

    Cost of Degree: $6,381
    Expenses: $16,220
    Starting Salary: $65,700
    Cost Recoup Time: 8 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary
    Compare school
  117. #98

    Osaka University

    Osaka University, abbreviated as Handai, is a public research university located in Osaka Prefecture, Japan. It is one of Japan’s former Imperial Universities, a Designated National University and listed as a “Top Type” university in the Top Global University Project. The university is often ranked among the top three public universities in Japan, along with the University of Tokyo and Kyoto University. Read more

    What is Osaka University known for?

    Osaka University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

    Most Influential Alumni

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  118. #99

    Michigan State University

    East Lansing , MI
    #21 Most Affordable Colleges and Universities in the U.S. 2025 #23 50 Best Public Colleges and Universities Ranked for Students in 2025 #24 50 Best Public Grad Schools 2025 #2 Best Colleges in Michigan 2025

    Michigan State University (MSU) was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the first of its kind in the US. Its original curriculum elevated the study of the natural sciences over the Classical languages and humanities, which was quite unusual at the time. The state reorganized the curriculum just six years later, in 1861, restoring a more traditional balance between the sciences and the humanities. At this time, the school’s name was changed to State Agricultural College. The following year, in 1862, the first of the Morrill Land-Grant Acts was passed by the US Congress under the leadership of President Lincoln. These Acts were intended to encourage the development of publicly supported institutions of higher learning throughout the US. Michigan’s State Agricultural College was mentioned by the first Morrill Act as a model for the other states to emulate. In addition, the Act established a new system of public financing—the “land-grant” system—under which the states obtained the right to sell off certain federal lands for the purpose of setting up publicly supported colleges. Read more

    What is Michigan State University known for?

    Michigan State University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

    Most Influential Alumni

    Career Outlook for degree at Michigan State University

    Cost of Degree: $17,270
    Expenses: $16,680
    Starting Salary: $63,200
    Cost Recoup Time: 11 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary
    Compare school
  120. #100

    University of Utah

    Salt Lake City , UT
    #7 15 Best Online Colleges for Veterans to Start Their Careers 2025 #22 Most Affordable Colleges and Universities in the U.S. 2025 #24 50 Best Public Colleges and Universities Ranked for Students in 2025 #25 50 Best Public Grad Schools 2025

    The University of Utah was established as the University of Deseret in 1850. Like all “Deseret” (the original name for Utah) institutions, it was originally closely associated with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (“Mormons”). Eighteen-fifty was the same year the Utah Territory was established by the US Congress as a part of the Compromise of 1850 on slavery in the new territories acquired by the US as a result of the Mexican-American War of 1846–1848. During the first two decades, there were no funds for building a proper campus, and classes were held in private homes, in the Council House (or State House), or wherever space could be found. The Territorial Legislature had trouble paying faculty salaries, and class offerings were spotty. Finally, beginning in 1869, the financial situation of Utah Territory stabilized and the University of Deseret began to function on a more secure basis. The school’s president traveled to Europe to study the best academic practices of the day. Read more

    What is University of Utah known for?

    University of Utah’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

    Most Influential Alumni

    Career Outlook for degree at University of Utah

    Cost of Degree: $9,315
    Expenses: $21,298
    Starting Salary: $63,500
    Cost Recoup Time: 10 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary
    Compare school

The above ranking consists of the 100 best universities in the world today. Our complete ranking of the world’s best universities, however, consists of almost 20,000 schools. The full ranking is available here (scroll down and click “next” to run through the entire ranking).

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What Makes a University Great?

AcademicInfluence.com’s global ranking of colleges and universities puts the focus where it needs to be, namely, on influence. Our ranking spotlights those schools that have rich histories of hiring influential faculty and of shaping alumni who become influential.

By focusing on influence, this ranking underscores the academic accomplishments, scholarly excellence, and intellectual firepower of the people associated with the world’s top colleges and universities. Consequently, this ranking shows where you are most likely to work with the brightest faculty and students throughout the world.

University rankings can focus on many different factors, including expected income of graduates, satisfaction of students, attractiveness of campus, extracurricular benefits, competitive athletics, affordability of tuition, and even tastiness of cuisine. In fact, all these factors have been used to create university rankings. This ranking, by contrast, is substantial, focusing on what truly makes a school great.

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How We Ranked the Best Universities in the World

For this 2025 ranking of the best universities in the world, we significantly updated and upgraded our InfluenceRanking™ engine. This engine currently provides an internationally balanced influence-based ranking of the best schools around the world. Our full ranking includes 19,775 schools as gauged by the influence scores of the academic persons associated with them - notably faculty and alumni. In this article, we feature the top 100 universities from that full worldwide ranking.

Influence provides the master criterion for this global ranking of the best universities. Our InfluenceRanking™ engine uses machine learning to quantify influence, providing an objective ranking of the world’s top universities. Our engine uses publicly available data sources, such as Wikipedia, Wikidata, CrossRef, and Semantic Scholar. For an international university ranking like this, we cast our data net as wide as we could. Thus, with Wikipedia, for instance, we used the 40 most popular languages in which Wikipedia appears (in fact, Wikipedia appears in 325 languages).

Using such data, our InfluenceRanking engine assesses the influence of academic individuals based on their scholarly footprint. An academic’s scholarly footprint includes their publications, citations to their work, associated web searches and page views, and authortative web links related to them. Our machine-learning algorithm measures the influence in an academic person’s scholarly footprint. It then associates these by-person influence measures with the institutions where they have taught, researched, and/or and learned. The colleges and universities thus receive cumulative influence scores for all the academic influencers associated with them. For more on this, see our methodology and InfluenceRanking engine white papers.

AcademicInfluence.com’s ranking of the world’s best universities is thus ultimately based on how the world’s most influential academics have helped to raise the influence of their associated schools. In this regard, the web analytics underlying this ranking far exceed those of other global university rankings, such as QS (Quacquarelli Symonds) and the Shanghai Ranking. Many global university ranings depend overwhelmingly on subjective features, such as reputation surveys. QS and Shanghai, to their credit, put a premium on publications, citations, and academic awards. But our web analytics delve much deeper into the scholarly footprint of the academic influencers and what actually makes them influential.

Countries with the Most Top-Tier Universities

How do American universities stack up against their foreign competition in this ranking? Close to half of the world’s 100 best universities (45 to be exact) are in the United States. Of the top ten universities in the world, eight are in the United States. Of the top twenty, thirteen are in the United States.

If one focuses on countries that have the most top-tiered schools per capita, Israel and Switzerland, because of their small populations, come up on top. Israel has four: Hebrew University, Tel Aviv, Technion, and Weizmann. Switzerland has three: ETH, Geneva, and Zurich.

Asian universities also loom large in this ranking. Japanese schools are well represented (Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka), but so are some up-and-coming schools in China (Peking and Tsinghua).

Cities with High Concentrations of Top Global Universities

The city with the highest concentration of top universities is London, with four (LSE, University College, Imperial College, and King’s). That said, the UK schools at the very top are - no surprise here - Cambridge and Oxford, which are located outside London.

Paris has three schools in our top 100 (Sorbonne, Sciences et Lettres, and Saclay). This concentration in Paris makes sense because in French higher education, Paris was always the place to be. German higher education, by contrast, always tended to be more decentralized, distributed more evenly among university towns, with typically one school to a municipality (Berlin and Munich being exceptions).

Among American cities, New York, Boston, and Los Angeles have two top 100 schools (Columbia and NYU in New York, Harvard and MIT in Boston, UCLA and USC in Los Angeles). Chicago also comes into the mix if you treat Northwestern, in the adjacent suburb of Evanston, as belonging to the Chicago area (the University of Chicago being the other top 100 school in the vicinity).

If you expand Los Angeles to include the Los Angeles metro area, then you’ll need also to include Caltech and UC Irvine, along with UCLA and USC. In that case, Los Angeles can be considered as tied with London for the highest concentration of top 100 schools.

Top Global Universities with a Distance or Online Component

Some of the best Universities in the world offer distance learning, including some on this list. University College London, which appears at the #27 spot in this ranking, introduced distance learning, spanning a full range of studies and degrees, back in the 19th century. It did this to educate English persons who were living abroad in the age of empire and colonialism. Back then, distance learning was conducted by ordinary mail, and schools, in doing distance learning, were essentially correspondence schools.

With the internet, all that has changed, and distance learning nowadays happens in real-time with students going online. Consistent with its history, UCL is still a leader in distance learning. The University of Arizona, which leads AcademicInfluence.com’s ranking of the best online colleges in America, appears in this global ranking of universities at the #74 spot.

American schools in this ranking are also highly ranked in online education, especially for online graduate degrees.:

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Image Credit: St. John’s College, Cambridge University.

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