US universities rising in key global rankings – for now

US universities have made key gains in the QS World University Rankings 2026 released on 19 June, the first time in seven years that the US has seen more universities rise than fall.

In terms of who has the most winners and losers, the US stands out with 78 universities rising compared to 60 falling, and the UK has lost the most ground, with 54 universities falling compared to just 24 rising, narrowly worse than Japan, which saw 30 universities fall places and just two rising.

However, the US successes come with a warning from QS that the data predates recent policy announcements and visa restrictions that could significantly impact international student demand and application trends.

The US and UK both have four universities in the top 10, with Switzerland and Singapore having one each.

The top 10 has changed little, with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) coming first for the 14th year. Imperial College London stays second, while Stanford University climbs three positions to take third, and both the University of Oxford and Harvard University drop one place to rank fourth and fifth, respectively.

Switzerland’s ETH Zurich – Swiss Federal Institute of Technology and Singapore’s National University of Singapore (NUS) place seventh and eighth. There are no new entries among the global top 10.



India is the other success story of these rankings, with 48% of its universities rising and 24% dropping, outshining China’s positive performance with 45% of its universities climbing the table and 35% dropping.

Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IITD) climbs an impressive 27 positions to place 123rd and take the top rank in India, usurping last year’s leader, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IITB), which drops to 129th.

It is a good year for Germany, with 26 rising and 17 falling – only the second time it has made net gains in more than 10 years. But it has been a gloomy performance by Australian universities, with 25 losing places and just seven making gains. Italy joins the top 100 for the first time with Politecnico di Milano in 98th, up 13 places year on year.

The US has 15 universities in the top 50 and 26 in the top 100, while the UK has seven in the top 50 and 17 in the top 100.

Their nearest challengers are Australia, with six in the top 50 and nine in the top 100, and China, with five in the top 50 and five in the top 100.

But US higher education is facing intensifying financial headwinds in 2025, with S&P Global, Fitch, and the Federal Reserve warning of mounting risks due to declining enrolment, frozen research funding, and shrinking state support.

Ben Sowter, QS senior vice-president, said: “The story of global higher education over the past two decades has been one of US dominance – home to more world-leading institutions and ranked universities than any other nation – holding firm against the rise of ambitious systems in Asia, the Gulf, and parts of Europe.

“Yet, recent ranking results offer the clearest signal to date that this privileged position can no longer be taken for granted.”

He said at the heart of the US’s hegemony was its “unparalleled research power and levels of internationalisation: a cosmopolitan knowledge-producing, knowledge-disseminating machine.

“This year, its scores for internationalisation and research impact have dropped across the board. In the light of these trends, the global academic community is less certain than ever that educational excellence resides stateside – and more convinced than ever that the rest of the world, slowly but surely, is gaining ground.”

The 2026 QS World University Rankings indicate that Asia is the primary beneficiary of the United States’ relative decline.

The region now boasts the highest number of ranked universities globally – 565 – surpassing Europe (487), the Americas (358), Africa (47), and Oceania (44). Asia also leads in dynamism, contributing the largest number of new entrants to the rankings: 84, compared to just 10 in the Americas, nine in Europe, eight in Africa, and only one in Oceania.

This year’s ranking is the largest ever, featuring more than 1,500 universities across 106 countries and territories. The United States is the most represented higher education system, with 192 ranked universities, followed by the UK with 90 and Mainland China with 72.

Jessica Turner, CEO of QS, commenting on India’s progress in this year’s rankings, said India’s leading universities still do not yet rival the very best in the United States, with no Indian institution featured among the global top 100.

“However, the pace of improvement across India and Asia more broadly should give pause to those within US higher education, particularly at a time when American institutions are grappling with mounting pressures,” she noted.

She said that while the US remains a top destination for Indian students, recent declines in interest suggest a shifting tide.

“Rising costs, policy uncertainty, and the growing strength of regional alternatives are encouraging Indian students and families to reassess their choices. As high-quality education becomes more accessible closer to home, international mobility patterns are likely to evolve in response,” she stated.

The Arab Region achieves its first top 100 rank, with King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals in Saudi Arabia climbing 34 positions to place 67th. The UAE is home to two of the world’s most improved universities among the top 500, with Abu Dhabi University and the University of Sharjah climbing 110 and 106 places to rank 391st and 328th, respectively.

Three Latin American universities have dropped out of the top 100 this year, including Universidade de São Paulo, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile and Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. Universidad de Buenos Aires is Latin America’s highest-ranked university and the only one now among the top 100. It ranks 84th.

South Africa remains the powerhouse in Africa, holding the continent’s top four positions. The University of Cape Town remains the highest-ranked institution, climbing an impressive 21 places to rank 150th.

The QS World University Rankings 2026 are based on a weighted index of nine indicators that fall under five “lenses”. The lenses are: research and discovery, with an overall weighting of 50%; employability and outcomes (20%); global engagement (15%); learning experience (10%) and sustainability (5%).

The individual indicators are: academic reputation and citations per faculty (research and discovery lens); employer reputation and employment outcomes (employability and outcomes); international faculty ratio, international research network, international student diversity; international student ratio (global engagement); faculty-student ratio (learning experience); and sustainability.

See below for a round-up of performances by global region.

Asia

China remains Asia’s science powerhouse, according to QS, with 10 of China’s 15-top performing universities having improved their placing since the 2025 iteration, and Peking University retains the title of top-ranked university in the country, once again ranking 14th best in the world. But the country with the most significant signs of improvement in this year’s rankings is India.

China

Of the 32 Chinese universities that improved their ranking this year, 18 increased by 10 or more places.

The strongest areas of improvement were in citations per faculty, where 71% of Chinese universities increased their ranking, and in employer reputation, where 64% did so. Only five locations have a better average score in citations per faculty than Mainland China’s 70.6 – Qatar (86.7), the Netherlands and Singapore (both 73.1), Hong Kong SAR (71.6) and Australia (70.7).

“In the past decade, Chinese universities have made extraordinary progress in both teaching quality and research strength,” said Ben Sowter, QS senior vice-president.

But QS pointed to areas where China needs to improve. It has a low average in international student ratio: 12.3 average score is far lower compared to 84.5 in UAE, 83.5 in the UK and 81.6 in Austria.

It only has one university in the top 100 for global engagement, and its average score of 23.9 in employment outcomes is among the lowest 25 countries and territories in the world in this indicator.

India

Close to half of the 46 Indian universities featured in last year’s ranking improved their positions this year.

India’s top-ranked institution, the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, has risen up the world rankings to place joint 123rd, which means it has now climbed more than 70 places in two years. This has resulted in outstanding results in employer reputation (where it now ranks 50th), citations (86th), sustainability (172nd), and academic reputation (142nd).

Jessica Turner, CEO of QS, said: “India is rewriting the global higher education map. No other country has seen more universities debut in this edition of the QS World University Rankings — a clear sign of a system evolving at speed and scale.

She noted that since 2020 India has been trying to promote the country as a study destination, and the government “has introduced an ‘internationalisation at home’ agenda to advance this ambition.”

Japan

Just two Japanese universities improved their rank, while 30 declined and 14 held steady. This trend places Japan among the countries with the highest proportion of year on year drops, underscoring growing pressure on its global standing.

Worryingly, 64% of ranked institutions fell in position, 74% dropped in academic reputation, the most heavily weighted indicator, and 77% declined in citations per faculty, the core research impact metric.
Every Japanese university fell in the employer reputation indicator, and 31 of 47 dropped in employment outcomes.

“For a country facing a rapidly ageing population, the ability to attract students, faculty, and research partners from abroad is no longer optional — it is essential,” added Sowter. “Yet, Japanese universities remain well behind top performers in internationalisation.

“Unless bold action is taken to sharpen global engagement and strengthen employer alignment, Japan risks being overtaken by faster-moving systems,” he warned.

Arab region

In a first for the Arab region, a Saudi Arabian university, King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals, breaks into the top 100, climbing from 101 to 67 while two universities debut.

In total, 107 universities from the Arab Region feature in the rankings, representing a significant increase of 25 since last year. Some 42% of institutions improve their position, 32% maintain their place from last year, and 26% drop. A total of 11 universities feature for the first time, with Jordan accounting for six new institutions and Iraq five.

Lebanon and Oman both see three universities ranked for the first time this year, and Palestine sees one.

Three Saudi Arabian institutions appear in the global top 500 – with two rising for the first time: Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd University, which rises 77 places to joint 436th, and Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University (formerly University of Dammam), which improves by 22 spots to rank joint 491st. This means the region is now home to 19 top 500 universities.

Qatar University and King Saud University also both rise in the ranking, to 112th and 143rd, respectively, while Qatar’s one other university in the ranking falls from the top 200, this year placing at joint 244th.

The UAE sees seven of its 12 universities improve their rank this year, with Khalifa University of Science and Technology appearing in the top 200 for the first time at joint 177th.

Jordan has the joint second-most universities entering the ranking for the first time this year, tying with Azerbaijan with six new institutions, and four of Lebanon’s six universities that featured in the 2025 rankings improved their positions this year. American University of Beirut (AUB) is the country’s top-ranked institution, climbing 13 places to joint 237th.

Sowter said only nine places have added five or more universities to this year’s ranking, and three of these are in the Arab region: Jordan, Iraq and Egypt.

“Arab universities continuing to debut in QS rankings is testament to the region’s higher education ecosystem advancing, developing and growing in both quality and reputation.”

However, he said the ranking also identifies where governments as well as individual institutions need to focus to ensure higher education systems in the region continue to improve.

Sub-Saharan Africa

With 11 institutions once again in the ranking, South Africa is the only country in the region where any institutions improve their overall ranking.

As a whole, 19 universities from the region rank among the globe’s top 1,500 institutions this year. Nigeria is the only country that has seen a new university enter the ranking this year. Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, debuted at 1201-1400.

Uganda, Kenya and Ethiopia each see their one university drop in overall rankings, while the two universities from Ghana and Nigeria ranked in the last iteration each maintain their positions.

The University of Cape Town (UCT) in South Africa – which tops the list in the region – is among only three African institutions that climb the rankings. UCT rose from 171st last year to 150th in 2026. The other two are the University of Johannesburg, which rises from 312 to 308, and the University of KwaZulu-Natal, which rises from 587 to 558.

These improvements are driven by improved scoring in citations per faculty and academic reputation (together worth 50% of overall ranking under the research and discovery lens).

All three South African institutions improve in the international research network indicator (part of the global engagement lens), as do nine other institutions across the region.

The University of Ghana and Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, as well as Nigeria’s University of Lagos and Ethiopia’s Addis Ababa University, are among the institutions to improve in this area.

Nine universities from the region feature in the top 150 in the international research network indicator, all of which are in South Africa. The University of South Africa enters the top 150, climbing 18 places to 138th.

South Africa has the highest average score in the world in the international research network indicator, measuring the success of universities attempts at creating and sustaining international research partnerships. Its 91.1 average is narrowly ahead of Denmark’s 90.1 and Sweden’s 88.8.

There are 14 African universities within the top 250 for employment outcomes, including eight of which score over 90 in the indicator, with a 5% weighting. However, despite this historical success, increased competition in this area measuring the degree to which institutions can ensure high-level employability for their graduates has seen 16 of 19 institutions drop.

Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria debuted at 154th, with Ghana’s Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology the only institution to see an improvement in this area. The University of the Free State in South Africa maintains its position from last year.

Sowter said the fact that only three of the 19 institutions in the top 1,500 improved their rankings means universities need to ensure they keep up with improvements in higher education elsewhere in the world.

“Citations and academic research are two key areas where institutions must work to improve, as is employability,” he said.

North America

United States

The rankings include 192 US universities – the highest representation of any country (the UK is next with 90) – with five making their debut. Among those ranked, 78 have improved their position, 49 remain unchanged, and 60 have declined.

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) extends its unmatched reign at the top, claiming the world’s top spot for the 14th consecutive year and earning perfect scores across six of the nine QS indicators.

Stanford University (3rd) rises three places, fuelled by gains in research impact and sustainability. The University of Chicago climbs eight places to 13th. New York University has fallen out of the top 50 for the first time since 2018, dropping to its lowest-ever rank of 55th this year.

Three US institutions fall out of the top 500: University of Hawaii at Mañoa; University of Tennessee and Yeshiva University.

According to QS analysis, the results show that while US higher education remains the global leader, its dominance is increasingly challenged by fast-rising emerging systems, and US higher education is seeing a decline across several key indicators, including in academic reputation, as measured by a global survey of over 127,000 academics, as well as in research impact and internationalisation.

Sowter said challenges to the US system from global competitors were being compounded by a “worsening domestic outlook”.

“With enrolments falling, federal funding under strain, and some 80 colleges forecast to close in the next five years, the sector is under growing pressure to stay both solvent and globally competitive. While iconic institutions like MIT, Stanford and Harvard continue to set the global benchmark, further down the table the cracks are widening.”

He said unless US higher education can reverse those trends, its global leadership would continue to slip.

“Higher education institutions must remain financially secure and demonstrably relevant to sustain the outstanding role they play in American society and life as engines of economic growth, scientific innovation, and democratic resilience.”

Canada

In Canada, McGill University has regained the title of top-ranked university in that country, overtaking the University of Toronto for the first time since 2023.

McGill saw its overall rank climb two places to 27th in the world, thanks largely to its improvement in the citations per faculty indicator (research and discovery lens), while the University of Toronto fell four places to 29th.

Overall, Canada has the ninth-best overall score on average globally among countries with at least eight institutions in the ranking, but with 55% of Canadian entries seeing drops, there is cause for concern after an unpredictable year for higher education in the country.

Sowter said by being among a handful of countries with three or more universities ranked in the top 50 worldwide, Canada “demonstrates the esteem in which the country’s best-performing universities are held around the world”.

He said while the results reveal the quality and impact of Canada’s higher education, they also show areas where Canadian institutions should focus, given the heightened competition in higher education across the globe.

“Universities have warned that underinvestment in cutting-edge research and key infrastructure for the future risks Canada losing ground in critical industries. This year’s ranking warns that underinvestment in higher education could also see key global competitors gain on Canada’s outstanding reputation.”

Australasia

Asutralia

In a challenging year, 25 of Australia’s 36 ranked universities have seen declines – although the country still has the fifth-best higher education system in the world, and it remains one of only five locations globally with at least two institutions in the top 20.

The past year has seen the Australian higher education sector affected by claims of underfunding and widespread restructuring and redundancies, according to QS. In addition, international education and students themselves have been at the centre of a political debate, and the country’s ability to attract international faculty and graduate outcomes are in the spotlight.

The University of Melbourne retains its position as Australia’s highest-ranked institution, despite slipping from 13th to 19th globally. The University of New South Wales also remains among the world’s top 20, dropping one place to 20th. The University of Sydney falls out of the top 20 to 25th.

Adelaide University – the newly formed Group of Eight university which is due to open in January 2026 following the amalgamation of the University of Adelaide and the University of South Australia – debuts at 82nd place.

Turner said: “despite the individual institutional successes and achievements again evident in this year’s ranking, there are also areas of concern for Australian higher education overall”.

Hinting at competition from Asian universities, Angel Calderon, director of strategic insights at RMIT University in Australia, said: “The results are also a wakeup call to Australia. We are experiencing an acceleration in the pace of change in higher education globally.

“Universities from emerging, middle-income economies and Asian countries are now global standouts. Our universities must adapt by providing quality education to the communities they serve if they want to remain competitive, relevant, and boost national productivity.”

New Zealand

Meanwhile, all of New Zealand’s universities feature in the top 30% of the 1,500+ institutions included in the latest ranking, with four of eight higher education institutions improving their ranking.

The leading institution is the University of Auckland, which stays the same at position 65, while the second highest ranked university, the University of Otago, moves up into the top 200 – from 214 to joint 197 – for the first time since 2022. Third is Massey University, which moves up from joint 239 to joint 230.

Sowter said: “The breadth of excellence shown across the country’s eight universities is testament to the work of students, outstanding staff and brilliant research carried out across New Zealand. With the University of Otago returning to the top 200 for the first time since 2022, the country once again has two institutions ranked among the very top tier of universities worldwide,” he said.

Europe

United Kingdom

In total, 24 UK universities improved their ranking this year; 11 maintained their position, while 54 institutions – 61% of those ranked – saw a decline.

A total of 17 of the 90 UK universities included in the ranking feature among the top 100, with the University of Sheffield (from 105 to 92) and the University of Nottingham (from 108 to 97) returning to the global top 100.

With 90 universities in total, the UK is the second-most represented country in the rankings, behind only the US with 192. Imperial College London maintains its number two spot in the world, behind MIT. Additionally, Oxford, Cambridge and University College London all retain a position within the global top 10, although Oxford and Cambridge both dropped a place as Stanford climbed three places to rank third in the world.

Turner said while the QS analysis outlines detailed performances on a wide range of metrics for each institution, the picture for the wider country as a whole is “more worrying”.

“The UK government is seeking to slash capital funding in a higher education system that has already sustained financial pressure, introduce an international student levy and shorten the length of the graduate visa route to 18 months from two years. This could accumulate in a negative impact on the quality and breadth of higher education courses and research undertaken across the country,” she said.

“While the UK government has placed research and development as a key part of the recent spending review, universities across the country will need more support to ensure their stability going ahead.

“At the same time, global competitors are seeing their governments increase investment in higher education and research, leading to international peers gaining and, in many cases, overtaking UK universities in the QS World University Rankings.”

Ireland

With seven out of its eight universities showing an improvement in ranking and all its universities featuring within the top 800 for the first time, Ireland is the most improved country in Europe and second-most improved in the world, behind Azerbaijan.

Top-performing university Trinity College Dublin improves its rank from 87th in the world last year to 75th in the latest iteration, followed by University College Dublin, which rises to 118th, and University College Cork, which rises to 246th place.

While Ireland represents Europe’s biggest percentage increase in improved institutions, its overall average 44.8 score still puts it behind the Netherlands (61.7), Sweden (60), Denmark (58), Switzerland (57.3) and Belgium (45.6).

However, it outperforms many of its European counterparts and global English-speaking student destinations in key areas such as employer reputation (third in Europe), international faculty (seventh in Europe) and sustainability (third in Europe).

Every Irish institution improves in the international students ratio indicator, indicating that Irish campuses are increasingly benefiting from international networking opportunities, cultural exchanges and diverse learning experiences.

Sowter said the Irish government has “been clear in its ambitions to make Ireland a first-choice destination for international learners in its Global Citizens 2030 Talent and Innovation Strategy, and, with every university improving in the international student indicator, the country’s campuses are increasingly open and diverse.”

He said this benefits domestic students “with diverse learning experiences and academics, as well as prospective employers, should they choose to hire international students during their studies or after they graduate as part of the third-level graduate programme”.

The Netherlands

With an overall average score of 61.7, the Netherlands takes the lead as the best-performing education system in Europe, ahead of Sweden (60) and Denmark (58). With nine of its 13 ranked universities rising, the country's higher education system is also one of the world’s most improved this year among countries with at least five universities in the ranking.

Delft University of Technology is the top-ranked university in the Netherlands, improving its position by two places to appear at joint 47th, while the University of Amsterdam is narrowly behind in 53rd position (rising from 55), followed by Utrecht University at joint 103 (rising from joint 105).

QS data shows improvements across several core indicators for Dutch universities, including academic reputation, employment outcomes and sustainability.

Sowter said: “All of the 13 Dutch universities in the 2026 QS World University Rankings appear in the top 350 globally, an achievement not fulfilled in many other locations in the world. Dutch universities perform exceptionally well in reputation among both academics and employers, with many also improving in sustainability.”

QS notes that the country’s strong results are “despite recent financial difficulties and challenges to [the] internationalisation of the country’s higher education system”.

“Academics recognise the quality of research carried out across the Dutch higher education landscape; now it is time the government did the same,” Sowter said.

Germany

Germany also shows significant improvement, with a majority of 26 out of 48 institutions climbing to reverse a downward trend. The last time Germany had a majority of institutions improve their rankings was in 2019.

Once again five German universities feature in the global top 100, all of which improve their position, with the Technical University of Munich (TUM) leading the way, placing 22nd, up from 28th last year. This is the university’s highest ranking ever.

A decade ago, in 2026, TUM ranked 60th. It is followed in second place by Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, which climbs from 59th to 58th and Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg in third place, which climbs from 84th to 80th.

Germany’s successes are driven by some key areas, including international research networks, sustainability and student experience.

Sowter said: “Higher education systems across a range of locations continue to attract significant investment and a wealth of global talent. While traditional English-speaking study destinations have suffered from financial difficulties in recent years, Germany is one country where higher education is on an upwards trend.”

France

France’s highest-placed university, PSL University, fell four places to 28th, and while Institut Polytechnique de Paris rose five places to 41st and Université Paris-Saclay rose three places to 70th, Sorbonne University fell nine places to 72nd.

According to QS, France experiences significant declines in global visibility. A striking 88% of institutions fall in Citations per Faculty, the key measure of research influence. International faculty and student ratios also drop across the board, pointing to persistent challenges in attracting global talent.

On the other hand, the International Research Network is France's strongest-performing indicator, with 10 institutions in the global top 100 and six among the top 20. PSL University ranks 3rd worldwide, underlining the country's exceptional engagement in cross-border academic partnerships.

Jessica Turner, CEO of QS, said: “These rankings show that while France continues to excel in international research collaboration, it risks losing momentum where it matters most: talent attraction, research visibility, and graduate employability.”

She added: “The merger that created the Institut Polytechnique de Paris was heralded as the birth of the ‘MIT of France’. A bold step toward scale, focus, and international competitiveness.

“Yet the deeper question remains: can these newly amalgamated institutions – PSL, Paris-Saclay, and others – forge a shared identity strong enough to inspire global talent and withstand the weight of France’s administrative complexity?

“France’s ambition to welcome 30,000 Indian students annually by 2030 is a powerful signal, but to realise it, universities must evolve into agile, mission-driven ecosystems.”

Belgium

Supported by their highly international research agendas and strengthened environmental, social, and governance strategies, three Belgian universities rank in the top 200 this year – one more than last year. Notably, all four of the country’s highest-ranked institutions have risen in this edition.

Belgium’s four highest-ranked universities all climb the table in this edition. KU Leuven remains the country’s highest-ranked university, climbing to 60th globally and placing ninth in Continental Europe, followed by Ghent University in second place (climbing to 162nd from 169th).

Meanwhile, Université Catholique de Louvain (UCL) breaks into the top 200, giving the country three universities in this tier.

Sowter said Belgium’s universities are “at the forefront of global research collaboration, conducting 69% of their research with international partners – more than three times the global average. This level of collaboration is pivotal in driving influential research and addressing global challenges.”

Poland

Six Polish universities improve in the latest ranking, driven by improvements in the Faculty Student Ratio (Indicator), and nine remain the same. Despite falling from 258th to 271st, the University of Warsaw is the top-ranked institution in the country. In total, 20 Polish universities appear in the ranking.

Warsaw University of Technology’s rise by 40 places to joint 487th (third place nationally after Jagiellonian University, which climbs from 312 to 303) is the institution’s best ever result and the first time it has appeared in the top 500. The significant rise is attributable to improvement in the employer reputation indicator.

Sowter said Poland had performed relatively well in a year marked by heightened global competition in the higher education landscape.

“However, the analysis carried out by QS Quacquarelli Symonds clearly shows areas where Polish universities should focus to ensure they continue to benchmark well against European peers.

“Building reputation in research and industry, ensuring students graduate with the skills and knowledge employers desire and attracting international staff and students will help universities to improve further in future rankings,” said Sowter.

Nordic countries

Nordic higher education continues to rank highly, with three Swedish universities in the global top 100 – led by Lund University at joint 72nd, KTH Royal Institute of Technology at 78th and, for the first time since 2017, Uppsala University at 93rd, up from 103rd last year.

The ranking also shows strong results across Scandinavia, with strong scores in student experience, global engagement and sustainability continuing to put Nordic higher education systems ahead of both European and global peers.

A total of 29 universities from the region’s five countries – Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden – feature in this year’s rankings, 11 of which improve their overall rank. Two institutions, University of Oslo (joint 119th) and Aalborg University (joint 306th), maintain their rankings from last year, and 16 fall. However, historical achievements and showings in key indicators continue to put Nordic universities ahead of global peers.

Only one of Iceland’s seven universities features in the ranking this year. The University of Iceland fell from joint 547th last year to joint 582nd in 2026, level with Florida International University in the United States.

Latin America

Brazil

While Brazil remains Latin America’s strongest higher education system, its universities lose ground in the new ranking as Universidade de São Paulo (USP) – Brazil’s premier university – exits the top 100 for the first time in three years, placing 108th.

Out of 24 ranked Brazilian universities, three climb the table and nine drop while 12 remain stable in their ranks or bands.

Brazil’s performance mirrors a regional downward trend in the Latin American region, where 50% of universities drop down the table and three of the region’s leading universities drop out of the top 100. In addition to USP, they include Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile and Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM).

Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA) at 84th (down from 71st) is now the sole Latin American top 100 university.

Sowter said: Brazilian universities, like others in the region, face challenges in areas such as research and attracting global talent. “However, there is every possibility to reverse its fortunes through targeted funding, international mobility incentives and research partnerships.”

Argentina

Argentina’s Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA) is now Latin America’s only top 100 university and places 84th in this edition, down 13 positions year on year. However, a sharp drop-off sees Argentina’s next best university, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, placed outside the top 400 and is followed by Pontificia Universidad Católica Argentina Santa María de los Buenos Aires at 517.

In total, QS ranks 18 Argentinian universities. Of these, three climb, 12 drop and two remain stable in their ranks or bands, while Universidad Argentina de la Empresa features for the first time (1001-1200). The drop rate of -71%is the highest in Latin America.

According to Sowter, UBA’s appearance as Latin America’s sole representative in the global top 100 is a “significant achievement” following the exit of its regional peers and “underscores UBA’s enduring reputation as the country’s premier institution, highly valued by both international employers and academics”.

However, challenges persist, he said. “Argentina’s public universities face mounting pressures amid funding pressures, shifting societal needs and uneven student outcomes, sparking debate about the future of its higher education system.”

Chile

Three of Chile’s 20 ranked universities rise this year, but, overall, institutions struggle to compete with their global peers. The top four ranked institutions in the country all drop this year, with Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile falling from its record high 93rd rank last year and out of the top 100 to appear at joint 116th. This is still the university’s third-best ranking ever, placing higher in 2025 (last year, 93rd) and 2024 (103rd).

The three Chilean institutions to improve this year are Universidad de Concepción (joint 613), Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso (791-800) and Universidad de los Andes Chile (901-950).

Chilean universities appear in the top 200 in four indicators, with Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile in the top 200 in each of these areas. They include academic reputation, employer reputation, employability outcomes and sustainability.

Sowter described the “broader picture” in Chilean higher education as “sobering”, saying it is “struggling to keep pace at a time when global peers are accelerating investment in talent, research, and international collaboration”.

He said as Chile deals with slower economic growth, structural inequality, and the need to diversify beyond extractive industries, its universities must be recognised as growth engines for a knowledge-driven economy.

“The latest data highlights where progress is stalling: employability, international engagement, and research visibility. These are not just rankings concerns—they are national competitiveness concerns.”

Across the region, 17 countries feature in the 2026 QS World University Rankings. Guatemala and Honduras appear for the first time, while, in addition to Argentina, Peru and Ecuador each see one institution enter the ranking.

Mexico

Among 22 ranked Mexican universities, none climb the table, while 41% remain stable and 59% drop. Mexico’s net drop rate of -59% in this edition is the second highest in Latin America (after Argentina with -71% [see table below]), among countries with five or more ranked institutions.

Furthermore, Mexico’s premier institution and its only representative among the top 100 last year, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), dropped from 94th to 136th, its lowest rank in a decade.

However, Mexico remains firmly one of Latin America’s best higher education systems, with two universities among the top 200 (UNAM and Tecnológico de Monterrey), more than any other country, and boasting the second-most ranked universities in the region, with 22.