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!
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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 Education,
The University of Louisiana at Lafayette is a public research university in Lafayette, Louisiana. It has the largest enrollment within the nine-campus University of Louisiana System and the second-largest enrollment in Louisiana, behind only Louisiana State University. It is classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity".
Nalanda College is a leading Buddhist school in Sri Lanka where provides primary and secondary education for Sri Lankan boys. The school was established by P. de S. Kularatne as an offshoot of Ananda College Colombo and was registered as a separate school on 1 November 1924.
The University of Fort Hare is a public university in Alice, Eastern Cape, South Africa. It was a key institution of higher education for Africans from 1916 to 1959 when it offered a Western-style academic education to students from across sub-Saharan Africa, creating an African elite. Fort Hare alumni were part of many subsequent independence movements and governments of newly independent African countries.
University of Magallanes is a university in the southern Chilean city of Punta Arenas. It is a public state university and it is part of the Chilean Traditional Universities. The University of Magallanes was established in 1981 during the neoliberal reforms of the Chile's military regime as the successor of Universidad Técnica del Estado's Punta Arenas section. Universidad Técnica del Estado had established the Punta Arenas section in 1961. The University of Magallanes have campuses in Punta Arenas and Puerto Natales as well as a university centre in Puerto Williams. University of Magallanes...
The Glion Institute of Higher Education is a private hospitality management school with campuses in Switzerland and the United Kingdom. It is owned by Eurazeo, a private equity firm based in Paris, and it forms part of the education group Sommet Education.
Furman University is a private liberal arts university in Greenville, South Carolina. Founded in 1826 and named after Baptist pastor Richard Furman, Furman University is the oldest private institution of higher learning in South Carolina. It became a secular university in 1992, while keeping Christo et Doctrinae as its motto. As of Fall 2021, it enrolls approximately 2,300 undergraduate students and 150 graduate students on its campus.
Alabama State University is a public historically black university in Montgomery, Alabama. Founded in 1867, ASU is a member-school of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund. History Alabama State University was founded in 1867 as the Lincoln Normal School of Marion in Marion. In December 1873, the State Board accepted the transfer of title to the school after a legislative act was passed authorizing the state to fund a Normal School, and George N. Card was named president. Thus, in 1874, this predecessor of Alabama State University became America's first state-supported educational institution for blacks.
Stavropol State Agrarian University is a state institution of higher education in Stavropol, Northern Caucasus. The previous title of the University is Stavropol State Agricultural Academy. History 1930 – as a result of Moscow Zootechnic Institute’s reorganization four education institutions were established: Moscow Zootechnic Institute of horse breeding based on the Horse Breeding Faculty, Moscow Cattle Institute, Moscow Sheep-breeding Institute and Moscow Veterinarian Institute.
Laurentian University , officially Laurentian University of Sudbury, is a mid-sized bilingual public university in Greater Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, incorporated on March 28, 1960. Laurentian offers a variety of undergraduate, graduate-level, and doctorate degrees. Laurentian is the largest bilingual provider of distance education in Canada.
Tianjin Normal University is a public research university founded in 1958 in Tianjin, China. In 2017–2018, Chinese University Alumni Association ranks Tianjin Normal University 3rd in normal universities in north China.
Keimyung University , abbreviated as KMU or Keimyung , is a private university located in Daegu, the fourth largest city in South Korea. The university takes roots from Jejungwon founded in 1899. The higher education started in 1954 with the support of the leaders of the Northern Presbyterian Church of the U.S. as a Christian university. KMU is composed of three campuses in the city of Daegu, South Korea. They are named for their locations within the city; Daemyeong, which is near the downtown area, Seongseo, which is in the western part of the city, and also Dongsan campus which includes Dongsan Medical Center.
Asian University for Women is an independent, international university in Chittagong, Bangladesh seeking to educate a new generation of leaders in Asia. AUW admits students solely on the basis of merit, regardless of their family's income level. Currently, 85% of AUW students are on scholarship support with many being the first in their family to attend a university. AUW offers two pre-collegiate bridge programs called Access Academy and Pathways for Promise, as well as a three-year undergraduate program based on the liberal arts and sciences. As of 2023, AUW has around 1300 students enrolled...
The Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration is a federal state-funded institution of higher education located in Moscow, Russia. With the merger of ANE, RAPA, 12 other regional civil service academies in 2010, the newly formed Russian Presidential Academy became one of the larger socioeconomic and humanities universities in Russia and Europe.
Whittier College is a private liberal arts college in Whittier, California. It is a Hispanic Serving Institution and, as of spring 2023, had approximately 1,200 undergraduate and graduate students. It was founded in 1887. Whittier offers one graduate degree, a master’s degree in education.
Texas Christian University is a private research university in Fort Worth, Texas. It was established in 1873 by brothers Addison and Randolph Clark as the AddRan Male & Female College. It is affiliated with the Christian Church .
The Catholic University of Portugal , also referred to as Católica or UCP for short, is a concordat university headquartered in Lisbon and with four locations: Lisbon, Braga, Porto and Viseu. Besides the four centres in Portugal, UCP also has the University of Saint Joseph in Macau as its affiliate.
Azerbaijan University of Languages is a public university in Baku, Azerbaijan. The student body consists of approximately 4,000 undergraduates and 900 graduate students. The university has a combined faculty of more than 700 teachers.
HELP University is a private university in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It was founded on 1 April 1986 by its Chancellor, Paul Chan Tuck Hoong, and his wife, Chan-Low Kam Yoke. HELP Institute was awarded the University College status in 2004 by the Ministry of Higher Education, Malaysia and was awarded full university status in 2011.
Qingdao University is a key provincial research university located in Qingdao, Shandong, China. The university was first established in 1985. In 1993, the former Qingdao University, Qingdao Medical College, Shandong Textile Engineering College, and Qingdao Normal College, merged to form the new Qingdao University. At present, QDU is one of the best comprehensive universities in Shandong Province, recognized as a member of the national "Excellent Engineer Education and Training Program."
The Azerbaijan Teachers` Institute is a higher educational institution that provides training, retraining, and advanced training of teachers. Introduction Since the 1920s, the People's Commissariat for Education has organized short courses for school teachers. In those years, the Commissariat decided to create home pedagogical technical schools. These technical schools were established in 1927 with the purpose of training teachers with secondary special education.
Chicago State University is a predominantly black public university in Chicago, Illinois. Founded in 1867 as the Cook County Normal School, it was an innovative teachers college. Eventually the Chicago Public Schools assumed control of the school from the county and it became Chicago Teachers College . Northeastern Illinois University began as a branch campus of CTC in 1949. In 1951, the State of Illinois began funding the college, and assumed control in 1965, transforming it into a comprehensive state college. In 1967, it became Chicago State University. CSU is a member of the Thurgood M...
Gauhati University also known as GU, is a collegiate public state university located in Guwahati, Assam, India. It was established on 26 January 1948 under the provisions of an Act enacted by the Assam Legislative Assembly and is the oldest university in Northeast India.
The State University of New York at Albany, commonly referred to as the University at Albany, UAlbany or SUNY Albany, is a public research university with campuses in Albany, Rensselaer, and Guilderland, New York. Founded in 1844, it is one of four "university centers" of the State University of New York system.
Lappeenranta-Lahti University of Technology LUT , better known by the abbreviation LUT University is a Finnish public research university which was established in 1969. The university's Lappeenranta campus is situated on the shore of lake Saimaa – the 4th largest lake in Europe. LUT University's second campus is in the Finnish city of Lahti. The university also has research units in the Finnish cities of Mikkeli and Kouvola, as well as a regional office in Brussels, Belgium.
, often referred to as TMU, is a public research university in Japan. Origin The origin of Tokyo Metropolitan University was Prefectural Higher School, under the old system of education, established by Tokyo Prefecture in 1929 as the third public higher school. The School was modeled on Eton College, with three years of advanced course and four years of regular course.
Dankook University , abbreviated as DKU, is a private research university in Yongin and Cheonan, South Korea. The university was established in 1947. It was the first university established after the National Liberation Day of Korea, and its original location was in Jongno District and Yongsan District , Seoul.
The University of Central Lancashire is a public university based in the city of Preston, Lancashire, England. It has its roots in The Institution For The Diffusion Of Useful Knowledge, founded in 1828. Previously known as Harris Art College, Preston Polytechnic and Lancashire Polytechnic, in 1992 it was granted university status by the Privy Council. The university is the 19th largest in the UK in terms of student numbers.
Linnaeus University is a state university in the Swedish historical province Småland, with campuses located in Växjö and Kalmar. Linnaeus University was established in 2010 by a merger of former Växjö University and Kalmar University , and is named in honour of the Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus.
The École Supérieure des Sciences Economiques et Commerciales is a French business and management school, with non-profit association status , founded in 1907, with its principal campus located in Cergy. It also has locations in La Défense, Rabat and Singapore, which are used in particular for the ESSEC Global BBA and ESSEC Executive MBA programs.
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.
Glasgow Caledonian University , informally GCU, Caledonian or Caley, is a public university in Glasgow, Scotland. It was formed in 1993 by the merger of The Queen's College, Glasgow and Glasgow Polytechnic . It is located in the Cowcaddens district, just to the immediate north of the city centre.
The Ocean University of China is a national public research university located in Qingdao, Shandong, China. It is affiliated with the Ministry of Education of China. The university is part of Project 985, Project 211, and the Double First Class University Plan.
Balıkesir University is a public university in Balıkesir, Turkey. It was established in 1992. History The roots of Balikesir University date back to Karesi Teacher Training School, which was established in 1910. Balikesir State Engineering Academy, Balikesir Management and Tourism Vocational School and Balikesir Vocational School started educational facilities in 1975-1976 and this marked an important step for the establishment of the university. These establishments changed their names and status and they were made to continue their educational facilities under the name of Uludag University in 1982 with the decree law numbered 41.
Saint Petersburg Electrotechnical University "LETI" is a public university. It was founded in 1886 as a Technical College. LETI, as it is popularly called, received the status of a higher education institution in 1899 and became known as Electrotechnical Institute. The University has programs in fields of radio engineering, telecommunications, control processes, computer engineering and IT, electronics, biomedical engineering, management, and linguistics.
The California Institute of the Arts is a private art university in Santa Clarita, California. It was incorporated in 1961 as the first degree-granting institution of higher learning in the US created specifically for students of both the visual and performing arts. It offers Bachelor of Fine Arts, Master of Fine Arts, Master of Arts, and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees through its six schools: Art, Critical Studies, Dance, Film/Video, Music, and Theater.
The Katholische Universität Eichstätt-Ingolstadt is a Roman Catholic research university in Eichstätt and Ingolstadt, Bavaria, Germany. Compared to other German universities it is a rather small institution with 4,800 students in 2019; nevertheless, it is the largest non-state university in Germany. The university has its main campus in Eichstätt and another in Ingolstadt, site of the first Bavarian university in 1472.
Frederick University is a private university in the Republic of Cyprus. It offers undergraduate and graduate programs on two campuses, one in the capital of the island Nicosia and the other in the second largest city, Limassol.
The University of Aden is the first Yemeni university founded alongside Sana'a University in 1970. The university is a non-profit public higher education institution located in the metropolis of Aden . Officially recognized by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research of Yemen, the University of Aden is a coeducational Yemeni higher education institution. The University of Aden offers courses and programs leading to officially recognized higher education degrees such as bachelor's degrees, master's degrees, and doctorate degrees in several areas of study. The University of Aden ...
University of Erlangen–Nuremberg is a public research university in the cities of Erlangen and Nuremberg in Bavaria, Germany. The name Friedrich–Alexander comes from the university's first founder Friedrich, Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth, and its benefactor Alexander, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach.
Claremont McKenna College is a private liberal arts college in Claremont, California. It has a curricular emphasis on government, economics, public affairs, finance, and international relations. CMC is a member of the Claremont Colleges consortium.
Haramaya University is a public research university in Haramaya, Oromia Region, Ethiopia. It is approximately east of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The Ministry of Science and Higher Education admits qualified students to Haramaya University based on their score on the Ethiopian Higher Education Entrance Examination .
Utkal University is a Public university in Bhubaneswar, Khordha, Odisha, and is the oldest university in the state, and the 17th-oldest university in India. It is a teaching-cum-affiliating university. The present campus at Vani Vihar located on a sprawling 399.9 acre area in the heart of Bhubaneswar.
The University of Cauca is a public research university located in the city of Popayán, capital of the department of Cauca, Colombia. It was created on April 24, 1827, by a decree by the President Francisco de Paula Santander. It was installed on November 11, 1827 and the nationalization was ratified by Law 65 of 1964. It currently has 43 undergraduate programs and 48 postgraduate programs which include 29 specializations, 14 Masters and 5 PhDs.
Shanghai Normal University is a public research university in Shanghai, China. SHNU is one of the three Key Universities in Shanghai, which are strongly supported by Shanghai Municipal Government.
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.
Ashland University is a private Christian university in Ashland, Ohio. The university consists of a main campus and several off-campus centers throughout central and northern Ohio. Ashland was founded in 1878 as Ashland College. It is affiliated with The Brethren Church.
Azerbaijan State University of Culture and Arts was founded in 1923 on the basis of the Baku Theatrical College. It is Azerbaijan's main state-funded institution of higher education in performing arts.
The American University of Afghanistan was a private university located in the Darulaman section of Kabul. Former students of AUAF live abroad and, as of 2022, there are plans to create a new AUAF campus in Qatar. AUAF was the country's first private, not-for-profit institution of higher education and was located in Kabul near the Darul Aman Palace and the Afghan Parliament.
Alfred University is a private university in Alfred, New York. It has a total undergraduate population of approximately 1,600 students. The university hosts the statutory New York State College of Ceramics, which includes The Inamori School of Engineering and the School of Art and Design.
Zurich University of the Arts has approximately 2,500 students, which makes it the largest arts university in Switzerland. The university was established in 2007, following the merger between Zurich's School of Art and Design and the School of Music, Drama, and Dance . ZHdK is one of four universities affiliated to Zürcher Fachhochschule.