QS Top Universities released the 22^nd Edition of the QS World University Rankings on 18^th June 2026. While the USA maintains its lead as the country with the largest number of world-ranking universities, Asian universities overall achieved a significant showing, indicating a “shifting center of gravity in higher education”, according QS Senior Vice President, Ben Sowter.

The rankings feature over 1,500 universities across 106 locations. The USA maintains its country-wise lead with 192 institutions, with the UK in second place (90 universities) and Mainland China coming in third (54 universities). The top 10 universities, according to the 2026 rankings, are as follows:

1. MIT – The USA
2. Imperial College London – The UK
3. Standford University – The USA
4. The University of Oxford – The UK
5. Harvard University – The USA
6. The University of Cambridge – The UK
7. ETH Zurich – Switzerland
8. National University of Singapore – Singapore
9. UCL – The UK
10. California Institute of Technology – The USA

India is among the top 5 countries ranking the greatest number of universities, with 54 institutions. These include:

1. Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IITD): =123
2. Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IITB): #129
3. Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM): #180
4. Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur (IIT-KGP): =215
5. Indian Institute of Science: =219

The rankings also indicate the shifting landscape of global higher education over the past year. 71% of Australian universities fell in rankings, while 45% of China’s institutions climbed up. Meanwhile, Italy and Saudi Arabia debut with university entries in the top 100.

According to Sowter, “While traditional powerhouses maintain strong positions, the data shows clear momentum in regions investing heavily in research capacity, internationalization, and long-term strategy. The QS World University Rankings illuminate not only institutional excellence, but also the evolving contours of global knowledge production. These shifts underscore an increasingly multipolar academic world – more competitive, more connected, and more ambitious than ever.”