The Times Higher Education (THE) has released the World University Reputation Rankings 2025, with Harvard University once again claiming the top spot. This marks the 14th year in a row that Harvard has led the rankings. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the University of Oxford follow in joint second place, making Oxford the highest-ranked UK university in the reputation rankings since 2015.
The rankings evaluate universities based on their perceived academic excellence, as judged by leading scholars across the globe. The assessment offers valuable insights into how institutions are regarded internationally in terms of their research and teaching quality.
Top 10 Universities in the World University Reputation Rankings 2025
- Harvard University (United States) – 99.9
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology (United States) – 99.7
- University of Oxford (United Kingdom) – 99.7
- Stanford University (United States) – 99.6
- University of Cambridge (United Kingdom) – 99.6
- University of California, Berkeley (United States) – 98.7
- Princeton University (United States) – 95.1
- Tsinghua University (China) – 92.2
- Yale University (United States) – 91.8
- The University of Tokyo (Japan) – 90.7
In addition to securing the top overall position, Harvard is also tied for first place in a new measure assessing voter diversity, alongside Oxford and Cambridge. This further reinforces its influence on a global scale. Oxford’s move to joint-second is particularly notable, as it aligns with its dominance in the overall THE World University Rankings, where it has maintained the number one position for the past nine years.
Meanwhile, Tsinghua University continues to hold onto its eighth-place ranking, remaining the top-ranked institution from China and Asia.
This year’s rankings highlight a more diverse global representation, with universities from various regions gaining recognition. Several institutions, including LMU Munich, KU Leuven, Sorbonne University, the University of Melbourne, the University of Hong Kong, and the University of Manchester, have made it into the top 50 most influential university brands.
Moreover, the 2025 rankings mark the inclusion of ten new countries that were not represented in the previous year’s rankings. Among them, Chile, Malaysia, Poland, and Portugal have made their debut, reflecting the expanding global reach of higher education institutions.
How Are the THE World University Reputation Rankings Determined?
The methodology behind the World University Reputation Rankings 2025 has been refined to provide a more in-depth evaluation of institutional prestige. This year, the rankings incorporate a more extensive set of assessment criteria to better capture the global academic landscape.
Three main factors determine the rankings: vote counts, pairwise comparison, and voter diversity. The vote count measures how many votes an institution receives for its research and teaching excellence. The pairwise comparison method ensures that scholars consider a broader range of institutions when casting their assessments. Meanwhile, voter diversity plays a critical role by rewarding universities that receive recognition from a wide range of geographical regions and academic disciplines.
