The U.S. has many of the best universities in the world, but according to a new global list, it doesn’t have the best.
The University of Oxford, the oldest in the English-speaking world, took the top spot in the latest World University Rankings, released annually by Times Higher Education. The English university dating to 1096 dethroned the California Institute of Technology, a small, private school in Pasadena that had ranked No. 1 for five-straight years, according to Times Higher Education, a London magazine that tracks higher education.
This is the first time a university outside the U.S. is No. 1 in the list’s 13-year history. This year’s list also underscores strengthening university systems in Asia as schools in China and Hong Kong have risen up the ranks, some by double digits.
WUR tends to focus on research, counting metrics like the number of citations and publications by a university’s scholars and the amount of research funding attained in a given year. The list also takes reputation into account by surveying some 20,000 leading scholars to identify top schools, said Phil Baty, rankings editor at Times Higher Education.
Oxford’s boost came from an exceptionally strong research income and global collaboration. The university secured record research income of £522.9 million, or $679 million at today’s exchange rates, from external funders in the 2014-2015 academic year, said Louise Richardson, vice-chancellor of Oxford.“Industry, charities, health organisations and many other funders are all keen to invest in Oxford research,” said Louise Richardson, vice chancellor, chalking up the record funding to the strength and talent of the university’s scholars.
Further down the list, Asian universities have soared past some of the most prestigious institutions in Europe and the U.S. The number of Chinese universities in the top 200 doubled to four this year. China’s top school, Peking University (No. 29), a public school in Beijing with about 30,000 students, ranked above New York University (No. 32).
Over the past eight years, China has invested the equivalent of roughly $33 billion in developing a group of elite universities through two government initiatives.
The highest-ranked university in Asia is the National University of Singapore, a school of about 38,000 students that offers degree programs heavily subsidised by the city-state’s government, according to its website. At No. 24, that school ranks a slot above the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Courtesy: Wall Street Journal
