Published by Quacquarelli Symonds since 2004
QS World University Rankings
A global research and reputation ranking — useful for graduate school and international standing, close to useless for undergraduate fit.
QS rankings in our dataset
The 166 institutions we track that appear on a QS list, in that publisher's order, with the underlying data alongside.
| Rank on list | College | Average net price |
|---|---|---|
| #1 | Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridge, MA · 4,535 undergrads | $20,111 |
| #3 | Stanford UniversityStanford, CA · 7,554 undergrads | $13,807 |
| #5 | Harvard UniversityCambridge, MA · 7,601 undergrads | $19,066 |
| #10 | California Institute of TechnologyPasadena, CA · 987 undergrads | $16,075 |
| #13 | University of ChicagoChicago, IL · 7,569 undergrads | $14,860 |
| #15 | University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia, PA · 10,650 undergrads | $28,699 |
| #16 | Cornell UniversityIthaca, NY · 15,995 undergrads | $28,690 |
| #18 | University of California, BerkeleyBerkeley, CA · 33,068 undergrads | $13,481 |
| #21 | Yale UniversityNew Haven, CT · 6,758 undergrads | $23,777 |
| #24 | Johns Hopkins UniversityBaltimore, MD · 5,693 undergrads | $18,809 |
| #25 | Princeton UniversityPrinceton, NJ · 5,709 undergrads | $6,128 |
| #38 | Columbia UniversityNew York, NY · 8,973 undergrads | $21,590 |
| #42 | Northwestern UniversityEvanston, IL · 9,201 undergrads | $29,167 |
| #45 | University of Michigan–Ann ArborAnn Arbor, MI · 34,177 undergrads | $13,138 |
| #46 | University of California, Los AngelesLos Angeles, CA · 33,475 undergrads | $12,548 |
| #52 | Carnegie Mellon UniversityPittsburgh, PA · 7,304 undergrads | $31,944 |
| #55 | New York UniversityNew York, NY · 28,663 undergrads | $37,050 |
| #62 | Duke UniversityDurham, NC · 6,442 undergrads | $29,612 |
| #68 | University of Texas at AustinAustin, TX · 42,855 undergrads | $19,857 |
| #69 | Brown UniversityProvidence, RI · 7,226 undergrads | $25,184 |
| #70 | University of Illinois Urbana-ChampaignChampaign, IL · 36,258 undergrads | $14,355 |
| #81 | University of WashingtonSeattle, WA · 31,942 undergrads | $14,091 |
| #83 | Pennsylvania State UniversityUniversity Park, PA · 42,284 undergrads | $32,875 |
| #88 | Boston UniversityBoston, MA · 18,248 undergrads | $24,402 |
| #111 | University of Wisconsin-MadisonMadison, WI · 36,902 undergrads | $17,354 |
| #115 | University of California, DavisDavis, CA · 32,253 undergrads | $14,741 |
| #123 | Georgia Institute of TechnologyAtlanta, GA · 18,785 undergrads | $12,116 |
| #142 | University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel Hill, NC · 20,752 undergrads | $11,655 |
| #144 | Texas A&M UniversityCollege Station, TX · 59,615 undergrads | $21,315 |
| #146 | University of Southern CaliforniaLos Angeles, CA · 20,443 undergrads | $32,740 |
| #161 | Michigan State UniversityEast Lansing, MI · 40,922 undergrads | $19,680 |
| #167 | Washington University in St LouisSt. Louis, MO · 7,857 undergrads | $21,786 |
| #179 | University of California, Santa BarbaraSanta Barbara, CA · 23,113 undergrads | $16,109 |
| #182 | Emory UniversityAtlanta, GA · 7,298 undergrads | $22,585 |
| #190 | Ohio State UniversityColumbus, OH · 45,638 undergrads | $17,339 |
| #209 | University of MarylandCollege Park, MD · 30,760 undergrads | $15,678 |
| #210 | University of MinnesotaMinneapolis, MN · 31,855 undergrads | $16,778 |
| #213 | University of FloridaGainesville, FL · 35,629 undergrads | $6,541 |
| #236 | University of RochesterRochester, NY · 6,331 undergrads | $29,278 |
| #248 | Dartmouth CollegeHanover, NH · 4,541 undergrads | $29,519 |
| #249 | University of Massachusetts-AmherstAmherst, MA · 23,671 undergrads | $22,383 |
| #250 | Vanderbilt UniversityNashville, TN · 7,208 undergrads | $15,846 |
| #273 | North Carolina State UniversityRaleigh, NC · 27,371 undergrads | $17,303 |
| #275 | University of VirginiaCharlottesville, VA · 17,597 undergrads | $21,565 |
| #281 | University of PittsburghPittsburgh, PA · 20,370 undergrads | $30,434 |
| #285 | Georgetown UniversityWashington, DC · 7,569 undergrads | $40,815 |
| #289 | University of ArizonaTucson, AZ · 42,537 undergrads | $16,674 |
| #293 | University of California, IrvineIrvine, CA · 30,197 undergrads | $14,251 |
| #294 | Case Western Reserve UniversityCleveland, OH · 6,437 undergrads | $41,190 |
| #296 | University of Notre DameNotre Dame, IN · 8,818 undergrads | $26,780 |
| #299 | University of Colorado BoulderBoulder, CO · 31,939 undergrads | $25,346 |
| #307 | Indiana University BloomingtonBloomington, IN · 37,806 undergrads | $16,264 |
| #328 | Rutgers UniversityNew Brunswick, NJ · 37,751 undergrads | $24,406 |
| #336 | Tufts UniversityMedford, MA · 7,061 undergrads | $39,998 |
| #338 | University of Illinois ChicagoChicago, IL · 22,170 undergrads | $10,974 |
| #358 | George Washington UniversityWashington, DC · 11,182 undergrads | $36,586 |
| #361 | Virginia TechBlacksburg, VA · 30,923 undergrads | $24,953 |
| #384 | Northeastern UniversityBoston, MA · 17,326 undergrads | $30,915 |
| #413 | University at BuffaloBuffalo, NY · 20,112 undergrads | $20,995 |
| #426 | Washington State UniversityPullman, WA · 21,099 undergrads | $14,971 |
| #444 | University of California-RiversideRiverside, CA · 22,593 undergrads | $14,304 |
| #449 | Iowa State UniversityAmes, IA · 25,367 undergrads | $18,589 |
| #454 | Stony Brook UniversityStony Brook, NY · 18,101 undergrads | $18,784 |
| #458 | Colorado State University-Fort CollinsFort Collins, CO · 25,538 undergrads | $21,279 |
| #460 | University of California, Santa CruzSanta Cruz, CA · 17,940 undergrads | $17,890 |
| #468 | University of KansasLawrence, KS · 21,217 undergrads | $18,059 |
| #526 | University of GeorgiaAthens, GA · 32,137 undergrads | $13,936 |
| #527 | Boston CollegeChestnut Hill, MA · 10,085 undergrads | $41,704 |
| #533 | University of IowaIowa City, IA · 22,264 undergrads | $22,531 |
| #535 | University of ConnecticutStorrs, CT · 19,835 undergrads | $25,097 |
| #542 | University of UtahSalt Lake City, UT · 27,264 undergrads | $16,200 |
| #548 | University of Hawaii at ManoaHonolulu, HI · 15,029 undergrads | $15,664 |
| #550 | Florida State UniversityTallahassee, FL · 32,212 undergrads | $11,297 |
| #555 | University of DelawareNewark, DE · 19,071 undergrads | $17,799 |
| #558 | University of HoustonHouston, TX · 38,380 undergrads | $14,276 |
| #583 | Florida International UniversityMiami, FL · 39,508 undergrads | $9,288 |
| #588 | American UniversityWashington, DC · 7,266 undergrads | $41,943 |
| #594 | Illinois Institute of TechnologyChicago, IL · 2,833 undergrads | $18,425 |
| #602 | Tulane University of LouisianaNew Orleans, LA · 7,767 undergrads | $39,949 |
| #604 | University of Texas at DallasRichardson, TX · 21,751 undergrads | $18,267 |
| #608 | University of Tennessee-KnoxvilleKnoxville, TN · 30,418 undergrads | $18,976 |
| #626 | Oregon State UniversityCorvallis, OR · 30,743 undergrads | $19,604 |
| #628 | Yeshiva UniversityNew York, NY · 2,852 undergrads | $49,965 |
| #631 | Missouri University of Science and TechnologyRolla, MO · 5,521 undergrads | $16,298 |
| #659 | University of South FloridaTampa, FL · 37,207 undergrads | $9,812 |
| #672 | Lehigh UniversityBethlehem, PA · 5,898 undergrads | $36,931 |
| #675 | Stevens Institute of TechnologyHoboken, NJ · 4,222 undergrads | $41,346 |
| #696 | Rensselaer Polytechnic InstituteTroy, NY · 5,714 undergrads | $36,228 |
| #705 | University of Missouri-ColumbiaColumbia, MO · 23,929 undergrads | $20,268 |
| #712 | University of Central FloridaOrlando, FL · 59,146 undergrads | $10,411 |
| #723 | University of Nebraska-LincolnLincoln, NE · 19,178 undergrads | $17,747 |
| #729 | Temple UniversityPhiladelphia, PA · 20,970 undergrads | $28,198 |
| #731 | University of CincinnatiCincinnati, OH · 29,882 undergrads | $25,648 |
| #740 | Texas Tech UniversityLubbock, TX · 32,394 undergrads | $19,070 |
| #746 | Brandeis UniversityWaltham, MA · 3,618 undergrads | $35,736 |
| #750 | Syracuse UniversitySyracuse, NY · 15,477 undergrads | $38,793 |
| #759 | University of New MexicoAlbuquerque, NM · 17,244 undergrads | $15,489 |
| #760 | University of OregonEugene, OR · 20,497 undergrads | $22,182 |
| #771 | New Jersey Institute of TechnologyNewark, NJ · 9,019 undergrads | $16,504 |
| #795 | University of KentuckyLexington, KY · 24,763 undergrads | $18,851 |
| #798 | Wayne State UniversityDetroit, MI · 15,587 undergrads | $12,766 |
| #806 | Wake Forest UniversityWinston-Salem, NC · 5,485 undergrads | $28,719 |
| #826 | New SchoolNew York, NY · 6,563 undergrads | $58,741 |
| #843 | University of Maryland BaltimoreBaltimore, MD · 958 undergrads | Not reported |
| #844 | University of Maryland-Baltimore CountyBaltimore, MD · 10,701 undergrads | $16,467 |
| #858 | Auburn UniversityAuburn, AL · 26,816 undergrads | $24,323 |
| #882 | Oklahoma State UniversityStillwater, OK · 21,773 undergrads | $17,447 |
| #917 | Kansas State UniversityManhattan, KS · 15,142 undergrads | $19,406 |
| #924 | Michigan Technological UniversityHoughton, MI · 5,955 undergrads | $14,182 |
| #933 | University of AlabamaTuscaloosa, AL · 33,227 undergrads | $22,420 |
| #942 | University of Alaska FairbanksFairbanks, AK · 4,207 undergrads | $10,892 |
| #945 | University of North TexasDenton, TX · 34,341 undergrads | $15,649 |
| #952 | Virginia Commonwealth UniversityRichmond, VA · 20,753 undergrads | $23,433 |
| #960 | Clarkson UniversityPotsdam, NY · 2,196 undergrads | $30,305 |
| #961 | Clemson UniversityClemson, SC · 23,300 undergrads | $22,253 |
| #964 | George Mason UniversityFairfax, VA · 27,752 undergrads | $17,915 |
| #1002 | University of Massachusetts-BostonBoston, MA · 11,512 undergrads | $17,707 |
| #1018 | Baylor UniversityWaco, TX · 14,785 undergrads | $41,104 |
| #1023 | Brigham Young UniversityProvo, UT · 32,952 undergrads | $15,564 |
| #1025 | CUNY City CollegeNew York, NY · 12,505 undergrads | $3,776 |
| #1028 | Clark UniversityWorcester, MA · 2,214 undergrads | $28,714 |
| #1036 | Florida Atlantic UniversityBoca Raton, FL · 23,757 undergrads | $8,752 |
| #1037 | Fordham UniversityBronx, NY · 10,512 undergrads | $44,338 |
| #1046 | Howard UniversityWashington, DC · 10,108 undergrads | $50,539 |
| #1048 | Indiana University-IndianapolisIndianapolis, IN · 13,830 undergrads | $11,668 |
| #1053 | Kent State University at KentKent, OH · 19,320 undergrads | $20,787 |
| #1061 | Loyola University ChicagoChicago, IL · 11,737 undergrads | $36,079 |
| #1076 | Northern Arizona UniversityFlagstaff, AZ · 22,903 undergrads | $14,158 |
| #1080 | Ohio UniversityAthens, OH · 19,633 undergrads | $21,637 |
| #1092 | San Diego State UniversitySan Diego, CA · 35,377 undergrads | $15,364 |
| #1100 | Southern Methodist UniversityDallas, TX · 7,277 undergrads | $40,892 |
| #1110 | University of Texas at ArlingtonArlington, TX · 32,294 undergrads | $13,951 |
| #1145 | University of Alabama at BirminghamBirmingham, AL · 11,635 undergrads | $18,749 |
| #1147 | University of ArkansasFayetteville, AR · 28,677 undergrads | $18,209 |
| #1151 | University of DenverDenver, CO · 6,025 undergrads | $36,131 |
| #1156 | University of IdahoMoscow, ID · 7,747 undergrads | $14,831 |
| #1161 | University of LouisvilleLouisville, KY · 14,727 undergrads | $17,988 |
| #1163 | University of Missouri-Kansas CityKansas City, MO · 6,817 undergrads | $13,310 |
| #1167 | University of Nevada-RenoReno, NV · 15,599 undergrads | $15,927 |
| #1169 | University of New HampshireDurham, NH · 11,261 undergrads | $23,805 |
| #1170 | University of North Carolina at CharlotteCharlotte, NC · 24,453 undergrads | $15,435 |
| #1173 | University of Rhode IslandKingston, RI · 13,381 undergrads | $21,440 |
| #1176 | University of Texas at San AntonioSan Antonio, TX · 30,580 undergrads | $10,836 |
| #1177 | University of ToledoToledo, OH · 9,770 undergrads | $17,249 |
| #1178 | University of TulsaTulsa, OK · 2,813 undergrads | $15,000 |
| #1179 | University of VermontBurlington, VT · 11,743 undergrads | $19,343 |
| #1182 | University of WyomingLaramie, WY · 7,944 undergrads | $13,599 |
| #1193 | Utah State UniversityLogan, UT · 20,272 undergrads | $14,936 |
| #1197 | West Virginia UniversityMorgantown, WV · 17,385 undergrads | $15,634 |
| #1263 | Marquette UniversityMilwaukee, WI · 7,660 undergrads | $31,487 |
| #1272 | New Mexico State UniversityLas Cruces, NM · 11,946 undergrads | $8,889 |
| #1281 | Portland State UniversityPortland, OR · 13,182 undergrads | $9,552 |
| #1291 | Seattle UniversitySeattle, WA · 4,062 undergrads | $34,662 |
| #1372 | University of MemphisMemphis, TN · 12,701 undergrads | $12,397 |
| #1375 | University of North Carolina at GreensboroGreensboro, NC · 14,062 undergrads | $10,965 |
| #1385 | University of San DiegoSan Diego, CA · 5,671 undergrads | $30,365 |
| #1386 | University of San FranciscoSan Francisco, CA · 5,287 undergrads | $41,431 |
| #1389 | University of South AlabamaMobile, AL · 8,879 undergrads | $17,648 |
| #1391 | University of Texas at El PasoEl Paso, TX · 21,005 undergrads | $9,403 |
| #1393 | University of Wisconsin-MilwaukeeMilwaukee, WI · 16,758 undergrads | $15,014 |
| #1405 | Western Michigan UniversityKalamazoo, MI · 12,568 undergrads | $15,273 |
| #1419 | Central Michigan UniversityMount Pleasant, MI · 10,035 undergrads | $17,597 |
| #1422 | Cleveland State UniversityCleveland, OH · 8,969 undergrads | $14,764 |
| #1451 | San Francisco State UniversitySan Francisco, CA · 18,639 undergrads | $12,278 |
| #1492 | University of Hawaii at HiloHilo, HI · 2,160 undergrads | $11,856 |
| #1499 | University of the PacificStockton, CA · 3,204 undergrads | $25,447 |
Rank positions are the editorial property of Quacquarelli Symonds and are reproduced with attribution for comparison and commentary. This table is not a reproduction of the publisher's full list — see Quacquarelli Symonds for that.
Compare against the other sources
The short answer
Academic and employer reputation surveys, citations per faculty, faculty-student ratio, and international mix.
Best used for: International applicants and students planning research careers or graduate study abroad.
Published weighting
The factors and percentages the publisher states, normalised where the publisher expresses them differently.
- Academic reputation survey30%
- Employer reputation survey15%
- Citations per faculty20%
- Faculty-student ratio10%
- International faculty & student ratios10%
- International research network5%
- Employment outcomes5%
- Sustainability5%
Where it helps and where it misleads
Strengths
- The reference point for comparing U.S. schools against international peers.
- Subject-level rankings are more meaningful than the overall list.
- Employer reputation survey has real signal for globally mobile careers.
Limitations
- 45% of the score is reputation survey response, which is self-reinforcing.
- Measures research intensity, so excellent teaching-focused colleges are invisible.
- Liberal arts colleges are effectively excluded from the frame entirely.
