On May 18, Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) published a ranking that looked at the accessibility and quality of university education in different countries. For the study it looked at 50 countries from six continents and the researchers analyzed various areas such as access, the best institutions in that country in terms of performance, and the overall strength of the country’s education system.
The US
The US has 30 universities in the top 100, with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) right up there on numero uno. QS states that the US also performed the best in every criteria such as access, flagship institutions, strength of educational system, and overall economic condition.
The UK
The UK has 18 universities that are in the top 100 list. Its top university is the University of Cambridge that has attained the third position on the table. Several universities such as the University of Oxford at sixth position, Imperial College of London at eighth spot, and University College London in seventh position, are in the top 10 list of best institutions for higher education in the world.
Germany
Germany is at the third spot on the list in spite of the fact that only four institutions from the European country have made it to the top 100. The best institution for higher studies in Germany according to this list is Technische Universität München, which is at the 60th spot in the list of top 100 institutions. However, what works for Germany in terms of being a desirable destination for higher education is its free system of education. The system of tuition fees was abolished in 2014, which means that education is now basically free in Germany. All you need is some admin fee as well as the living expenses.
Australia
Australia has seven universities that feature in the list of top 100 institutions for higher education in the world. In that regard it is preceded only by the US and the UK. The best name for higher education here is the Australian National University, which occupies the 19th spot in global rankings. Its strongest assets are its international faculty and overall reputation in academic circles.
Canada
Three Canadian universities are ranked within the global top 50. Its leading university is McGill University, which is at the 24th spot. Others worth mentioning in this regard are the University of Toronto at 34th spot and University of British Columbia. The application process for higher education here is much simpler and it is also a cheaper alternative to several other more reputed countries.
France
Paris, the capital of France, was named as the finest city in the world for students in 2015. Its top institutions are Ecole Normale Supérieure, Paris, which is at the 23rd position in global rankings and Ecole Polytechnique – located in Paris as well – that is at the 40th spot in world rankings.
The Netherlands
There are five Dutch universities among the top 100 institutions of the world. The leading institution in the Netherlands is the University of Amsterdam, which is at the 55th spot in global rankings. The Maastricht University is another favorable study destination. International students also prefer this university since almost 50% of the undergraduate programs here are offered in English language.
China
There are a couple of Chinese universities in the top 50. Tsinghua University is the leading name in the country for higher education and occupies the 25th spot globally. It is located in northwestern Beijing in what was once the royal garden of the Qing Dynasty. The other is Peking University, which is at the 41st spot.
South Korea
South Korea also has a couple of universities in the top half of the global rankings. Seoul National University, on the 36th spot, is the leading name in this regard followed by Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology (KAIST), which is at the 43rd position. Seoul is at the 10th position as far as student city rankings are concerned.
Japan
Japan is yet another Asian country that has two universities in the top 50 institutions of the world. Its top universities are University of Tokyo and Kyoto University, which are at 39th and 38th spots respectively. In terms of being a favorable destination for students across the world, Tokyo is at the third spot globally. The ratio of students to general population is quite low over here.