What are the 2026 QS World University Rankings and how students can use them
How does QS rank the best universities in the world, and why is that important to you as a student?
Produced by higher education publisher Quacquarelli Symonds, the QS World University Rankings is one of the most widely recognised and reputable university ranking systems.
If you’re a student researching to study abroad, it serves as a reliable source for consideration, with a consistent ranking methodology on key metrics including academic reputation, employer reputation, faculty/student ratio, citations per faculty, international faculty ratio and international student ratio. New metrics were introduced in recent years—international research network, employment outcomes and sustainability.
To jump straight to using these rankings to your advantage, just ask an education advisor who can guide you for free in your study abroad journey.
QS ranking metrics explained (2027)
QS rankings measure universities through various performance lenses and indicators, and review the weightage every year. All metrics contribute a percentage towards an institution’s final score.
You’re looking at results from analysing millions of academic papers, and the expert opinions of hundreds of thousands of academics and employers. Learning about the indicators will give you an idea of the different strengths of each university evaluated.
Academic reputation (30%)
Carrying the heaviest weightage, the academic reputation metric is based on a survey of faculty members, researchers, and professionals in academia from around the world, who nominate institutions based on academic excellence, research quality, impact and innovation.
Employer reputation (15%)
This metric evaluates the reputation of a university among employers, an indicator of employability of students. A survey sent to thousands of employers around the world collates their ratings of the best universities for producing relevant graduates.
Faculty/student ratio (10%)
QS looks at the ratio of faculty to students as an indicator of the learning and teaching environment in an institution. The more academic staff resource available to students, such as teaching and curriculum development, the better the experience expected.
Citations per faculty (20%)
To determine this metric, QS evaluates the number of academic citations in papers an institute produces, factoring in the size of the university, across a five-year period.
QS also performs a normalisation to keep the influence of research broadly equal for the different academic fields, considering that certain fields publish more papers than others.
International student ratio and international faculty ratio (5% each)
These metrics show how effective the institute is in attracting faculty members and students from all over the world. With a sizeable number of international faculty and students, an institution would offer a multicultural environment and benefits from diversity, networking and cultural exchanges.
International Research Network (5%)
An indicator of the quality of an institution’s research partnerships and collaborations on the international stage.
Employment outcomes (5%)
Having a successful career will likely be one of your top priorities, and this indicator of employability is one to note. It measures the employment rate of an institution’s graduates, and its record in producing alumni that make an impact on society.
Sustainability (5%)
Recognising the importance of social and climate issues to students, QS became among the first of the major world rankings to include sustainability as a key metric. It evaluates environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors, including environmental projects and research impact across the United nations’ sustainable development goals, or SDGs.
Below, we’ve compiled the top universities in each destination—Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Ireland, the UK and the USA. If you’re keen to find out about studying abroad in any of these countries, have a chat with one of our friendly counsellors!
QS top 10 universities in Australia 2027 (호주)
Rank | University | Global rank |
1 | The University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney UNSW 시드니 | 19 |
2 | University of Melbourne 멜버른대학교 | =22 |
3 | The University of Sydney 시드니대학교 | 28 |
4 | Australian National University (ANU) 호주국립대학교 | 29 |
5 | Monash University 모나쉬대학교 | 31 |
6 | The University of Queensland 퀸즐랜드대학교 | =40 |
7 | The University of Western Australia 서호주대학교 | =77 |
8 | Adelaide University 애들레이드대학교 | 79 |
9 | University of Technology Sydney 시드니공과대학교 | =87 |
10 | RMIT University RMIT대학교 | =119 |
QS top universities in New Zealand 2027 (뉴질랜드)
Rank | University | Global rank |
1 | University of Auckland 오클랜드대학교 | 67 |
2 | University of Otago 오타고대학교 | 198 |
3 | Massey University 매시대학교 | 215 |
4 | Victoria University of Wellington 웰링턴빅토리아대학교 | =241 |
5 | University of Canterbury | Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha 캔터베리대학교 | 257 |
6 | University of Waikato 와이카토대학교 | =293 |
7 | Lincoln University 링컨대학교 | =419 |
8 | Auckland University of Technology (AUT) 오클랜드공과대학교 | 431 |
QS top 10 universities in Canada 2027 (캐나다)
Rank | University | Global rank |
1 | McGill University 맥길대학교 | 30 |
2 | University of Toronto 토론토대학교 | 32 |
3 | University of British Columbia 브리티시컬럼비아대학교 | 45 |
4 | University of Alberta 알버타대학교 | 96 |
5 | University of Waterloo 워털루대학교 | =113 |
6 | Western University 웨스턴대학교 | =142 |
7 | Université de Montréal 몬트리올대학교 | =162 |
8 | McMaster University 맥마스터대학교 | =174 |
9 | Queen’s University at Kingston 킹스턴 퀸스대학교 | =179 |
10 | University of Ottawa 오타와대학교 | =228 |
QS top 10 universities in the UK 2027 (영국)
Rank | University | Global rank |
1 | Imperial College London 임페리얼칼리지 런던 | =2 |
2 | University of Oxford 옥스포드대학교 | 4 |
3 | University of Cambridge 캠브리지대학교 | 6 |
4 | UCL (University College London) 유니버시티칼리지 런던 | =8 |
5 | The University of Edinburgh 에딘버러대학교 | 35 |
6 | King’s College London 킹스 칼리지 런던 | 37 |
7 | The University of Manchester 맨체스터대학교 | =40 |
8 | University of Bristol 브리스톨대학교 | 57 |
9 | The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) 런던 정경대학 | 62 |
10 | The University of Warwick 워릭대학교 | =68 |
QS top universities in Ireland 2027 (아일랜드)
Rank | University | Global rank |
1 | Trinity College Dublin 트리니티 칼리지 더블린 | 75 |
2 | University College Dublin 더블린대학교 | =100 |
3 | University College Cork 코크대학 | 220 |
4 | University of Galway 골웨이대학 | 275 |
5 | University of Limerick 리머릭대학교 | =388 |
6 | Dublin City University 더블린시티대학교 | 408 |
7 | Maynooth University 메이누스대학교 | 721-730 |
8 | Technological University Dublin 더블린공과대학교 | 791-800 |
QS top 10 universities in the USA 2027 (미국)
Rank | University | Global rank |
1 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology 매사추세츠공과대학교 | 1 |
2 | Stanford University 스탠퍼드대학교 | =2 |
3 | Harvard University 하버드대학교 | 5 |
4 | California Institute of Technology 캘리포니아공과대학교 | 7 |
5 | University of Pennsylvania 펜실베니아대학교 | 15 |
6 | Cornell University 코넬대학교 | =16 |
7 | Yale University 예일 대학교 | =16 |
8 | Johns Hopkins University 존스 홉킨스대학교 | =20 |
9 | University of California, Berkeley 캘리포니아대학교 버클리 | =20 |
10 | University of Chicago 시카고대학교 | 24 |
How to use rankings to decide where to study
The QS World University Rankings are one of the most trusted tools for comparing top universities globally, and provide valuable insights into an institution’s academic reputation, faculty quality, employer recognition and global outlook, which are areas to look into when choosing where to study.
However, rankings are just one part of it. Other crucial factors should be part of your decision-making process, such as tuition fees, career opportunities, university location and your personal goals.
Let an education counsellor from IDP, a global leader in international education services, guide you for free to find the best university for you. If you’re ready to chase your dreams at a top university, tap the button below.