The Most Influential Schools in the World
Find the most influential colleges and universities in the world in nearly 25 academic disciplines
Find brilliant thinkers for your research papers and bibliographies. Using our proprietary AI program, we have ranked everyone in Wikipedia, Wikidata, Schematic Scholar, and CrossRef based on the number of citations, publications, and academically relevant web presence. This is how we find the most influential people in the world.
We then gather all the faculty and alumni associated with a college or university and attribute the people’s influence to their schools. Hence, the most influential schools are those that employ and graduate the most influential faculty and alumni.
Students and parents now have the easiest and fastest way to find colleges and universities with histories of impacting the world through their scholarship. If you ever wanted to find schools that have the most influence in engineering or in literature, you now can!
Use the power of AI for your research!
If you are searching for your ideal college , our Build Your Own College Rankings tool has more options to help you find the right school for your degree. Methodology: How and Why We Rank by Influence …
List of the most influential schools in Communications,
#1201
Yunnan University
Yunnan University is a provincial public university in Kunming, Yunnan, China. It is affiliated with the Yunnan Provincial People's Government, and co-sponsored by the Ministry of Education of China and the province. The university is part of the Double First Class University Plan and Project 211.
Bournemouth University is a public university in Bournemouth, England, with its main campus situated in neighbouring Poole. The university was founded in 1992; however, the origins of its predecessor date back to the early 1900s.
#1203
University of Bangui
The University of Bangui is a public university located in Bangui, Central African Republic. History Before independence in Oubangui-Chari , most students going on to higher education headed for universities in France. After gaining independence in 1958, the Central African Republic took part in the Foundation for Higher Education in Central Africa . The FESAC encompassed several former French colonies, each with schools or institutes with a specific focus. Within the FESAC, the Central African Republic had the agricultural institute.
Rio de Janeiro State University is a public research university in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is one of the largest and most prestigious universities in the country. The university's law and medical schools are among the best in the nation . Its Biology, Social Science, Nursing and Philosophy courses are also highly praised, as stated by Guia do Estudante.
The Graduate School and University Center of the City University of New York is a public research institution and postgraduate university in New York City. Serving as the principal doctorate-granting institution of the City University of New York system, The CUNY Graduate Center is classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very High Research Activity". The school is situated in the landmark B. Altman and Company Building at 365 Fifth Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, opposite the Empire State Building. The CUNY Graduate Center has 4,600 students, 31 doctoral programs, 14 master's programs, and 30 research centers and institutes.
Kobe Design University is a private university in Kobe, Hyōgo, Japan. It was established in 1989 by Tanioka Gakuen Educational Foundation , which runs several schools such as Osaka University of Commerce.
#1207
Jagannath University
Jagannath University is a public university located in Sadarghat, Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. Founded as Dhaka Brahma School in 1858 and renamed Jagannath School in 1872, the 158-year-old institution was taken over by the then Pakistan government in 1968. It opened graduate and post-graduate programmes in 1975 and was approved as a full-fledged public university in 2005.
Northern Arizona University is a public research university based in Flagstaff, Arizona. Founded in 1899, it was the final public university established in the Arizona Territory, 13 years before Arizona was admitted as the 48th state.
#1209
Odesa University
Odesa I. I. Mechnykov National University , often referred to as Odesa National University , located in Odesa, Ukraine, is one of the country's major universities, named after the scientist Élie Metchnikoff , a Nobel prizewinner in 1908. The university was founded in 1865 by an edict of Tsar Alexander II of Russia, which reorganized the Richelieu Lyceum of Odesa into the new Imperial Novorossiya University. In the Soviet era, the university was renamed Odesa I. I. Mechnykov State University .
Quinnipiac University is a private university in Hamden, Connecticut. The university grants undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees. It also hosts the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute.
The University of Buckingham is a non-profit private university in Buckingham, England and the oldest of the country's six private universities. It was founded as the University College at Buckingham in 1973, admitting its first students in 1976. It was granted university status by royal charter in 1983.
The is a public research university in Amsterdam, Netherlands, being founded in 1880. The VU Amsterdam is one of two large, publicly funded research universities in the city, the other being the University of Amsterdam . The literal translation of the Dutch name is "Free University". "Free" refers to independence of the university from both the State and the Dutch Reformed Church. Both within and outside the university, the institution is commonly referred to as "the VU". Although founded as a private institution, the VU has received government funding on a parity basis with public universities since 1970.
Suffolk University is a private research university in Boston, Massachusetts. With 7,560 students , it is the tenth-largest university in metropolitan Boston. It was founded as a law school in 1906 and named after its location in Suffolk County, Massachusetts. The university's notable alumni include mayors, dozens of U.S. federal and state judges and members of the U.S. Congress. The university is also host to its namesake public opinion poll, the Suffolk University Political Research Center.
#1215
University of Aleppo
University of Aleppo is a public university located in Aleppo, Syria. It is the second largest university in Syria after the University of Damascus. During 2005–06, the University had over 61,000 undergraduate students, over 1,500 post graduate students and approximately 2,400 faculty members. The university has 25 faculties and 10 intermediate colleges.
The University of Lethbridge is a public comprehensive and research higher education institution located in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada, with a second campus in the city of Calgary, Alberta. It was founded in the liberal education tradition.
Kaunas University of Technology is a public research university located in Kaunas, Lithuania. Established in 1922, KTU has been one of Lithuania's top science education centers. According to rankings conducted in 2021, KTU was the second-best university in Lithuania. The primary language spoken in courses is Lithuanian, although there are courses that are taught jointly in Lithuanian and English or solely in English.
#1218
Hasselt University
Hasselt University is a public research university with campuses in Hasselt and Diepenbeek, Belgium. It has more than 7,000 students and 1,700 academic, administrative and technical staff . The university was officially established in 1971 as the Limburg Universitair Centrum and changed its name to Hasselt University in 2005.
The University of Akron is a public research university in Akron, Ohio. It is part of the University System of Ohio. As a STEM-focused institution, it focuses on industries such as polymers, advanced materials, and engineering. It is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity".
#1220
Jilin University
Jilin University is a national public university located in Changchun, Jilin, China. It is affiliated with the Ministry of Education of China. The university is part of the Double First Class University Plan, Project 985, and Project 211.
#1221
University of Agder
The University of Agder , formerly known as Agder College and Agder University College, is a public university with campuses in Kristiansand and Grimstad, Norway. The institution was established as a university college in 1994 through the merger of the Agder University College and five other colleges, including a technical college and a nursing school, and was granted the status of a full university in 2007.
California State University, Los Angeles is a public university in Los Angeles, California. It is part of the California State University system. Cal State LA offers 142 bachelor's degree programs, 122 master's degree programs, and 4 doctoral degrees: the Doctor of Philosophy in special education in collaboration with the University of California, Los Angeles , Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership, Doctor of Nursing Practice , and Doctor of Audiology . It also offers 22 teaching credentials.
Central Michigan University is a public research university in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. It was established in 1892 as the Central Michigan Normal School and Business Institute as a private normal school. After the Michigan State Board of Education took over governance of the school it became a state institution and was renamed Central State Normal School in 1895. The institution became a full university and gained its current name Central Michigan University in 1959 under the university's 6th president Judson W. Foust.
The University of El Salvador or Universidad de El Salvador is the oldest and the most prominent university institution in El Salvador. It serves as the national university of the country. The main campus, Ciudad Universitaria, is located in the capital of San Salvador, but there are also branches of the university in other Salvadoran cities such as Santa Ana, San Miguel and San Vicente. The university counts a total of 9 faculties in its main campus and has a student population of more than 50,000.
#1225
Indiana University
Indiana University is a system of public universities in the U.S. state of Indiana. Campuses Indiana University has two core campuses, five regional campuses, and two regional centers under the administration of IUPUI.Indiana University Bloomington is the flagship campus of Indiana University. The Bloomington campus is home to numerous premier Indiana University schools, including the College of Arts and Sciences, the Jacobs School of Music, an extension of the Indiana University School of Medicine, the School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering, which includes the former School of Li...
Davidson College is a private liberal arts college in Davidson, North Carolina. It was established in 1837 by the Concord Presbytery and named after Revolutionary War general William Lee Davidson, who was killed at the nearby Battle of Cowan's Ford.
#1227
Flinders University
Flinders University is a public research university based in Adelaide, South Australia, with a footprint extending across 11 locations in South Australia and the Northern Territory. Founded in 1966, it was named in honour of British navigator Matthew Flinders, who explored and surveyed the Australian and South Australian coastline in the early 19th century.
The is a research university in greater Lyon, France. Founded in 1857 by François Barthélemy Arlès-Dufour in response to the increasing industrialization of France, it is one of the oldest graduate schools in France. The university is part of the Grandes Écoles, a prestigious group of French institutions dedicated to engineering, scientific research, and business education. The current 45-acre campus opened in 1967 and is located in the city of Ecully.
The University of Wales Trinity Saint David is a multi-campus university with three main campuses in South West Wales, in Carmarthen, Lampeter and Swansea, a fourth campus in London, England, and learning centres in Cardiff, Wales, and Birmingham, England.
China Foreign Affairs University is a public university for diplomats located in Beijing, China. It is jointly administered by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Education. It is a Chinese state Double First Class University Plan university identified by the Ministry of Education of China.
The University of Toledo is a public research university in Toledo, Ohio. It is the northernmost campus of the University System of Ohio. The university also operates a Health Science campus, which includes the University of Toledo Medical Center, in the West Toledo neighborhood of Toledo; a satellite campus in the Scott Park neighborhood of Toledo; the Center for the Visual Arts is located in downtown Toledo at the Toledo Museum of Art; and a research and education facility, known as the Lake Erie Center, at Maumee Bay State Park.
Washburn University is a public university in Topeka, Kansas, United States. It offers undergraduate and graduate programs, as well as professional programs in law and business. Washburn has 550 faculty members, who teach more than 6,100 undergraduate students and nearly 800 graduate students. The university's assets include a $158 million endowment.
#1233
University of Málaga
The University of Málaga is a public university ranked 23 among all Spanish universities and 683 in the world. It was established in 1972 and has, as of 2016, 30,203 Bachelor students and 2576 on a Master's program, 1255 tenured and 1056 temporary teachers. The UMA offers 65 degree courses and 6 double degrees, over 21 doctoral programmes, 64 master's Degrees, and 100 courses throughout the academic year. Education takes place in 18 centres by appointed teachers from 81 departments. The great majority of the teaching is organised within the two campuses, although classes also take place in lo...
Lincoln University is a public state-related historically black university near Oxford, Pennsylvania. Founded as the private Ashmun Institute in 1854, it has been a public institution since 1972 and is the second HBCU in the state, after Cheyney University of Pennsylvania. Lincoln is also recognized as the first college-degree granting HBCU in the country. Its main campus is located on 422 acres near the town of Oxford in southern Chester County, Pennsylvania. The university has a second location in the University City area of Philadelphia. Lincoln University provides undergraduate and graduate coursework to approximately 2,000 students.
The Lille 2 University of Health and Law was a French university for health, sports, management and law. It was located in Lille and was part of the Community of Universities and Institutions Lille Nord de France.
National Sun Yat-sen University is a public research university located in Sizihwan, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. NSYSU is listed as one of six national research universities, and one of four universities that make up the Taiwan Comprehensive University System, a research-led university alliance in Taiwan. With AACSB and CFA accredited and the number one maritime management program in Asia, the NSYSU College of Management is among the best in East Asia, and the College of Marine Sciences is the oldest and highest ranked in Taiwan.
Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University , commonly known as Al-Imam University, is a public university in the sub-municipality of Shemal in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It was founded in 1950 as an Islamic seminary by Muhammad ibn Ibrahim ash-Sheikh, the first Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia. It was renamed the College of Sharia in 1953, before becoming a full-fledged university through amalgamations of other colleges and assuming its current name in 1974. The university also has overseas presence in Indonesia and Djibouti.
Southwest Jiaotong University is a national public science and engineering university in Chengdu, Sichuan, China. The university is affiliated with the Ministry of Education. It is a national key university co-sponsored by the Ministry of Education, China Railway Corporation, the Sichuan Provincial Government, and the Chengdu Municipal Government. The university is part of Project 211 and the Double First Class University Plan.
The Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague is a public university located in Prague, Czech Republic. The university offers the study disciplines of painting, illustration and graphics, fashion design, product design, graphic design, ceramics and porcelain, photography and architecture.
The University of Zimbabwe is a public university in Harare, Zimbabwe. It opened in 1952 as the University College of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, and was initially affiliated with the University of London. It was later renamed the University of Rhodesia, and adopted its present name upon Zimbabwe's independence in 1980. UZ is the oldest university in Zimbabwe.
Gonzaga University is a private Jesuit university in Spokane, Washington. It is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. Founded in 1887 by Joseph Cataldo, an Italian-born priest and Jesuit missionary, the university is named after the young Jesuit saint Aloysius Gonzaga. The campus houses 105 buildings on 152 acres of grassland alongside the Spokane River, in a residential setting a half-mile from downtown Spokane.
Bucknell University is a private liberal arts college in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1846 as the University at Lewisburg, it now consists of the College of Arts and Sciences, Freeman College of Management and the College of Engineering. It offers 65 majors and 70 minors in the sciences and humanities. Located just south of Lewisburg, the campus rises above the West Branch of the Susquehanna River.
Biola University is a private, nondenominational, evangelical Christian university in La Mirada, California. It was founded in 1908 as the Bible Institute of Los Angeles. It has over 150 programs of study in nine schools offering bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees.
Osaka University of Foreign Studies, abbreviated to OUFS or Ōsaka gaidai, Hangaidai, Hangai or Daigaidai was a national university in Osaka, Japan. It was dedicated to area studies and the study of foreign languages and their related cultures.
Clark Atlanta University is a private, Methodist, historically black research university in Atlanta, Georgia. Clark Atlanta is the first Historically Black College or University in the Southern United States. Founded on September19, 1865 as Atlanta University, it consolidated with Clark College to form Clark Atlanta University in 1988. It is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity".
Adelphi University is a private university in Garden City, New York. Adelphi also has centers in Downtown Brooklyn, Hudson Valley, and Suffolk County, in addition to a virtual, online campus for remote students. It is the oldest institution of higher education in suburban Long Island. It enrolls 7,859 undergraduate and graduate students.
Meiji Gakuin University is a Christian university in Tokyo and Yokohama that was established in 1863. The Reverend Dr. James Curtis Hepburn was one of its founders and served as the first president. The novelist and poet Shimazaki Toson graduated from this college and wrote the lyrics of its college song.
The Imperial University of Constantinople, sometimes known as the University of the Palace Hall of Magnaura , was an Eastern Roman educational institution that could trace its corporate origins to 425 AD, when the emperor Theodosius II founded the Pandidacterium .
#1249
Southeast University
Southeast University is a public university located in Nanjing, Jiangsu, China. It is affiliated with the Ministry of Education of China. The university is part of the Double First Class University Plan, Project 985, and Project 211.
#1250
Trent University
Trent University is a public liberal arts university in Peterborough, Ontario, with a satellite campus in Oshawa, which serves the Regional Municipality of Durham. Trent is known for its Oxbridge college system and small class sizes.
