MDDI (P) 020/05/2026 QS World University Rankings 2026 YearbookPublished by QS Quacquarelli Symonds Limited.1 Tranley Mews, Fleet Road, London NW3 2DG United Kingdom qs.com1st edition, May 2026 The content of this publication is protected by international copyright. No part of it may be copiedor reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form, without the prior writtenpermission of the publisher. For permission, please write to Anton John Crace anton@qs.com The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors. They do not purport to reflectthe opinions or views of QS Quacquarelli Symonds. AcknowledgementsQS would like to thank the advertisers in this edition and the many colleagues who provided their thoughts and time. QS Insights Magazine cover design: Adobe Firefly and ChatGPT Notes on data and tablesEvery effort has been made to ensure information contained in this book is accurate. However, with the volume of data, the authors cannot give a total guarantee. The publisher sincerely regretsany inaccuracies and is grateful for them to be brought to its attention. Furthermore, limitedpage space, translation, and the need for stylistic editing means that some university names havehad to be abbreviated (e.g. University = Uni, Technology = Tech, and = &). Please always refer touniversities directly to confirm full and correct names. Space permitting, commonly abbreviatednames after an institution’s full name (e.g. University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), RoyalMelbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT)) have been included. In some cases, however, thisapproach was not possible. Additionally, where universities are ranked in bands - e.g. 151 – 200 - a broad alphabetical approachhas been taken based on a selected key word in a name; the banded list does not imply that thelower listed institution is of a lower rank to other universities in the same band. The publisherrealises that sometimes selected key words may differ from that which the university or businessschool might itself have selected and which could potentially have given it a different position inthe presented band list. For the most complete and up to date data for all QS Rankings, please see topuniversities.comand topmba.com Contents Introduction6 QS World University Rankings9An introduction: QS World University Rankings 202610Methodology & performance lenses12Ranks 1 - 40014What we talk about when we talk about ranking18Ranks 401 - 80024The Qualitative Data That Shapes University Reputation28Ranks 801 - 1,20032Emerging Metrics in University Success36Ranks 1,201 - 1,401+38 Sustainability Rankings43 Sustainable futures and the drive for change44Methodology & performance lenses48Ranks 1 - 70051Teaching sustainably58Ranks 701 - 1,30064From commitment to action70Ranks 1,301 - ,1501+74 Regional Rankings Asia92Navigating Identity and Opportunity in the APAC Region93Ranks 1 - 80095Riding the K-wave103 Ranks 801 - 1,400108Cultivating globally competent talents: International educationpractices and vision of lifelong education college, Shanghai JiaoTong University (SJTU)1141,400 - 1,501+118Europe122Is Europe Relevant?123Ranks125Latin America136The collaboration between universities and embassies: Fosteringglobal citizens and a culture of peace137Ranks140Arab146Ranks147Africa150Ranks151Best Student Cities152Ranks153Subject Rankings155Unconventional education156Degrees of doubt160Arts & Humanities166Ranks167Top 100 by individual subject: Arts & Humanities173Mega, super, better182Top 100 by individual subject: Arts & Humanities continued187Engineering & Technology192Ranks193Top 100 by individual subject: Engineering & Technology199Life Sciences & Medicine208Ranks209 Top 100 by individual subject: Life Sciences & Medicine215The TNE oversight gap224Natural Sciences230Ranks231Top 100 by individual subject: Natural Sciences237Social Sciences & Management248Ranks249Top 100 by individual subject: Social Sciences & Management255The new skills order272Graduate Management Education277Beyond the MBA278Global MBA282Ranks283Business Masters Specialisations288Masters in Business Analytics289Masters in Finance291Masters in Management293Masters in Marketing296Masters in Supply Chain Management298International Trade304Ranks305The power of knowledge diplomacy306QS Stars University Ratings311Strategic unity319Key, Advertiser Index328Contributors Introduction Anton John Crace It’s tricky selecting 20 stories to represent a rankings cycle, both because ‘how can weselect only 20?’, and “are there 20 to select?’. As Lenin once wrote, “There are decadeswhere nothing happens; and there are weeks where decades happen”. In that case,there were a lot of weeks between the 2025 and 2026 editions of the QS Yearbook.In past editions I’ve written about how attempting to predict the future is a sure-fire way to ensure that you’re wrong. At the same time, as tired a phrase as it’s become, “therate of change is accelerating at an unprece