The World University Reputation Rankings 2025, released by Times Higher Education (THE), showcases the most prestigious universities worldwide based on academic reputation. US universities continue to dominate the rankings, with Harvard University securing the top position for the 14th consecutive time. Oxford University is the only UK institution in the top 7, while the rest are American universities.
THE World Reputation Rankings 2025 Highlights
US Universities Lead the Rankings:
- Harvard University retains the No. 1 spot for the 14th consecutive year.
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) holds 2nd place (unchanged from 2023).
- Stanford University drops from 3rd (2023) to 4th (2025).
- University of California, Berkeley (6th) and Princeton University (7th) maintain their rankings.
- Other notable US institutions:
- California Institute of Technology (13th)
- University of California, Los Angeles (15th)
- University of Chicago (16th, up one rank from 2024)
- Columbia University (17th)
Indian Institutes’ Performance:
- Indian universities have seen a drop in rankings compared to 2024:
- Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bengaluru: Dropped from 101-125 (2023) to 201-300 (2025).
- IIT Delhi: Declined from 151-175 to 201-300.
- IIT Madras: Moved down from 176-200 to 201-300.
- Shiksha ‘O’ Anusandhan (SOA), Bhubaneswar: New entrant in the 201-300 band.
- IIT Bombay: Dropped out of the rankings (was 151-175 in 2023).
- Despite the decline, Indian universities remain among the most reputed institutions globally, indicating the need for stronger research output and international collaborations to regain higher positions.
New Countries in the Rankings:
- Ten new countries, including Malaysia and Poland, have made their debut in the rankings.
- Sub-Saharan Africa has returned to the rankings after being absent since 2022.
About Times Higher Education (THE) World Reputation Rankings 2025
- The rankings assess global universities based on academic prestige using six key indicators:
- Research vote count (how research quality is perceived globally).
- Teaching vote count (perceived quality of teaching and learning).
- Research pairwise comparison (institutions compared for research output).
- Teaching pairwise comparison (comparisons based on teaching standards).
- Research voter diversity (how widely recognized the institution is across regions).
- Teaching voter diversity (geographical and academic diversity of voters).
The 2025 edition includes 300 universities from 38 countries, reflecting global academic shifts and changes in institutional reputation.