US still tops subject rankings but faces new challengers

The United States leads the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025, published last week, with 3,245 ranked entries and tops 32 of 55 subjects, with Harvard University first in 19 subjects and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 12.

The United Kingdom has 1,883 entries and tops 18 subjects, with the University of Cambridge earning four top spots and the University of Oxford three.

Switzerland is home to four top-ranked entries, with ETH Zürich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology) top in three subjects.

Canada is home to two top-three global programmes, and the University of British Columbia is joint top in the world for the number of entries featured in the rankings, with 52 mentions.

The Netherlands and Italy are the only other countries home to the world’s best programmes: Sapienza University of Rome maintains its number one spot for classics and ancient history, while the University of Amsterdam’s communication and media studies and the agriculture and forestry offering at Wageningen University & Research are also first in their respective subjects.

Hong Kong SAR is the world’s most improved location: of its 231 subject entries, 68% climb, 6% drop, and 15% remain stable.

Mainland China leads in the number of new entries, and seven of the world’s 10 most improved universities are Chinese. Peking and Tsinghua universities earn two top-three spots each.

Singapore continues to have the highest proportion of national entries securing top-10 positions, with 30%.

The 15th edition of the QS World University Rankings by Subject compares over 21,000 academic offerings at more than 1,700 universities across 100 countries and territories in 55 subjects and five faculty areas.

Challenges from developing markets

QS Senior VP Ben Sowter said: “The countries that have traditionally led international university rankings, despite continuing to dominate the top places, are beginning to be challenged by developing higher education markets.

“This is evident in the strong performances of countries in Asia and the Middle East this year – a trend that is likely to only continue given the financial hardships universities in the US, UK, Australia and Canada are facing.”

QS analysis reveals developments in future-industry areas with 34 new entries in the top 100 for data science and AI, 45 changes in top-50 computer science areas and China’s first entry in the top-10 engineering and technology faculty area.

Eight new countries and territories feature, with 171 institutions appearing for the first time and 14 universities rising into top-10 related subject areas.

“With growing funding challenges in mature higher education systems, supporting the sector is critical to driving innovation and societal progress,” Sowter said.

Other countries making progress include:

• Australia, where the University of Melbourne and the University of Sydney rank among the world’s top 100 in a world-leading 52 of 55 subjects.

• Canada, where universities excel in engineering and biological sciences. The University of Toronto ranks in the top 50 in a world-leading 46 subjects.

• India, where 12 entries from nine institutions are in the top 50, spearheaded by mineral and mining engineering at the Indian School of Mines University, Dhanbad, in 20th place.

In Latin America, Brazil leads with 333 entries from 31 universities, led by Universidade de São Paulo, ranked ninth in petroleum engineering and 13th in dentistry.

In the Arab Region, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM) remains home to the best subject entry, coming fifth for petroleum engineering.

Worldwide, the institutions with the strongest presence across the 55 subjects in the rankings are led by the University of British Columbia, Canada, and Australia’s universities of Melbourne and Sydney, all ranked in 52 subjects, followed by McGill, Canada, ranked in 51 subjects, and the University of Hong Kong, University of Toronto, Canada, and University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, United States, ranked in 50 subjects.

Five broad subject areas and indicators

The QS World University Rankings by Subject are sorted into five broad subject areas: arts and humanities; engineering and technology; life sciences and medicine; natural sciences; and social sciences and management.

The rankings are determined by performance in five indicators: academic reputation, employer reputation, research citations per paper, the H-index and international research network (IRN) index.

The H-index is a way of measuring both the productivity and impact of an academic or department at a university. The index is based on the set of the academic’s most cited papers and the number of citations they have received in other publications.

The IRN index reflects the ability of institutions to diversify the geography of their international research network by establishing sustainable research partnerships with other higher education institutions.

The precise weighting of each metric varies by subject to reflect differing publication cultures across disciplines, QS says.

For example, research performance, based on the analysis of the bibliometric database Scopus-Elsevier, is deemed to be a stronger indicator of institutional strength in medicine, where the discipline is highly reliant on dissemination of research, than it is in performing arts, where the discipline is more vocational in nature.

There follows a summary of key performance developments in the regions of the world.

Africa

South Africa secured the most placements in Africa in the 15th edition of the QS World University Rankings by Subject with 176 entries at 12 universities, an increase from 153 entries last year. Egypt was second on the continent, with 15 universities achieving 162 entries, and Nigeria third, with three universities posting eight entries. Some 51 of South Africa’s entries improved their position this year.

South Africa was the only African country with entries in the top 20 globally. The mineral and mining engineering entry from the University of the Witwatersrand was in 11th position, the best ranking of any African university in any subject. The second-highest subject ranking on the continent was development studies at the University of Cape Town, ranked 15th worldwide. Read the full story in our Africa edition here.

Arab Region

Of the 753 entries in both broad faculty and narrow subjects from 86 universities in 12 countries and territories, more than a third improved their ranking, while 190 entered for the first time.

Saudi Arabia continues to dominate in the region, home to the top-ranked institution for each of the five broad subjects.

It is home to 43 entries featured in the top 100, including two in the top 10 for their respective subjects – the petroleum engineering entry at KFUPM, which dropped by three places to be ranked fifth globally, and its engineering–mineral and mining course rose by one place to be ranked seventh best in the world.

Saudi Arabia is first in the region for new entries – 61 – and 84 of its entries improved their positions compared to 33 staying the same and 39 declining.

Like Saudi Arabia, two entries at UAE institutions feature in the top 10 in their respective subjects: Khalifa University’s petroleum engineering entry is ranked seventh, and the Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management is placed at 10th for hospitality and leisure management. In total, 13 entries in the UAE feature in the top 100.

With 122 total entries this year, up from 106 last year, some 60 of the UAE’s entries improved their respective ranking this year, 26 remained the same, and 17 fell.

Egypt had 162 entries, and 51 improved their ranking, while 47 stayed the same and 21 declined.

The UAE had 13 entries in the top 100 for their respective subjects, while Lebanon had five, Qatar three, Oman two, and Kuwait one.

Oman had two in the top 50 and Jordan and Qatar one each.

Sowter said: “The Arab region is an up-and-coming higher education destination, constantly injecting innovation and new ideas and ways of learning into an exciting market.”

Two entries from Palestine feature for the first time, despite the context of prolonged conflict: Birzeit University sees its computer science entry at 651-700 and An-Najah National University appears at 701-850 for medicine. Both are located in the occupied West Bank.

Asia

China (Mainland) is the world’s third most represented higher education system in the subject rankings, with 1,230 subject entries featured, behind the US with 3,245 and the UK with 1,662.

Of its total ranked entries, 60% (735) move up their tables, only 2% (24) move down, while 9% remain stable, and 358 rank for the first time.

According to QS, it is the world’s second most improved higher education system after Hong Kong SAR and tying with South Korea), with a 58% overall improvement, and is home to three of the world’s five most improved universities.

Additionally, China has 159 entries in the five broad faculty areas. Of these, 65% (103) climb, 18% (29) drop and 12% (19) remain stable while eight rank for the first time.

Peking University and Tsinghua University each boast two entries among the world’s top three. Peking University’s linguistics, classics and ancient history both rank second globally, and Tsinghua University’s environmental sciences ranks second while it ranks third for the history of art.

China is now home to eight top-five entries, up from only one in last year’s edition.

Materials science is China’s most represented subject, with 66 universities featured, including three in the world’s top 20.

The country has seen overall improvement in all five of the QS indicators, but most prominently in academic reputation.

Sowter said: "China’s rise as a global higher education powerhouse is the result of strategic investment and policy-driven reforms.

“Programmes like the Double First-Class Initiative have strengthened research capabilities, industry collaboration, and innovation, while China’s universities are now leaders in fields like materials science and engineering, where government-backed research institutes have reinforced the country’s global technological leadership.”

Sowter continued: “Higher education is also central to China’s advancements in AI and green energy. Institutions such as Tsinghua University, Peking University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and Zhejiang University are at the forefront of AI and green research, innovation and start-ups.”

He said their alumni have founded major enterprises like DeepSeek and Alibaba, contributing to China's ambition to become a global AI superpower by 2030, as outlined in the Artificial Intelligence Development Plan.

“However, challenges remain – short-term performance pressures and a surplus of graduates for skilled jobs should be addressed.”

Propelled by a soaring global reputation among international scholars and outstanding research quality, Hong Kong stands out as the world's most improved location in this year’s subject rankings.

This remarkable progress marks a strong resurgence, reaffirming Hong Kong's position as a leading hub for academic excellence—though planned cuts to higher education funding raise concerns about the sector's ability to maintain its current momentum and global competitiveness.

Hong Kong SAR boasts 231 academic offerings across nine universities. Of these, 68% (158) have climbed their tables, while only 6% (13) have dropped, and 15% (35) have remained stable in their ranks or bands. Additionally, 25 entries make their debut in this edition.

With a 63% improvement rate in the subject tables, Hong Kong emerges as the world’s most improved location. It also has 26 entries in the five broad faculty areas, with 88% (23) rising and 12% (3) declining.

In total, Hong Kong’s higher education system secured 257 entries in this year’s rankings, averaging 28.5 entries per university – the highest proportion globally. This is followed by New Zealand (27) and Australia (24.8).

Among the world’s top higher education systems for studying Data Science & AI, Hong Kong also boasts six entries in the global top 10, including Dentistry (2nd) and Education (3rd).

Sowter said: “Looking ahead, Hong Kong’s universities are navigating financial pressures, with government plans to reduce higher education funding requiring institutions to tap into their reserves to support ongoing operations.

“At the same time, the increase in the non-local student quota for publicly funded post-secondary institutions is intended to promote internationalisation and diversify student enrolment, which may help mitigate some of the financial challenges facing the sector.”

Singapore, a city-state with a population of less than six million, has five entries among the world’s top three in their respective subjects, “reinforcing the nation’s academic excellence and global competitiveness”, QS says.

Singapore’s representation in the subject rankings increases to six institutions – up from five last year – with a total of 114 ranked entries across 49 out of 55 subjects and faculty areas.

Singapore continues to outperform on the global stage, with nearly one-third (30%) of its ranked entries securing top-10 positions in their respective subjects – an unparalleled achievement that sets the nation apart from all other countries and territories.

Nanyang Technological University (NTU) is Singapore’s most represented institution, with 48 ranked entries, followed closely by the National University of Singapore (NUS) with 46.

Singapore Management University (SMU) secured 12 entries, the Singapore University of Technology and Design five, and LASALLE College of the Arts two. NTU ranks second in materials science, and NUS comes second in the history of art.

Of South Korea’s total entries, 60% (328) improve, 2% (12) drop and 13% (69) remain stable in their ranks or bands, while 136 rank for the first time.

With an improvement rate of 58% in the subject tables, South Korea ties with China (Mainland) in being the world’s second most improved country or territory, behind only Hong Kong SAR. It is also home to two of the world’s five most improved universities.

There is also overall improvement for South Korea across four of QS’ five indicators, most prominently in academic reputation.

Seoul National University is South Korea’s strongest university, boasting six of the country’s 10 top-20 ranked entries.

Sowter said that South Korea excels in materials science and social policy and administration, reinforcing its reputation for academic excellence and research impact.

“South Korea’s strategic investment in high-tech industries, particularly materials science and engineering, has further strengthened its global leadership. With a strong focus on microchips and semiconductors, the nation’s commitment to innovation and research ensures its graduates are well-prepared for the demands of an evolving global economy,” he noted.

India sees an overall 9% positive upswing in rankings, with 533 entries featured, and boasts the fourth most entries globally in computer science and information systems: 42, up from 28 last year. Twelve Indian entries feature in the global top 50.

According to Jessica Turner, CEO at QS: “India’s higher education sector is not just growing – it’s evolving, diversifying, and asserting its place on the global stage. This year’s results reflect a dynamic ecosystem where technological innovation, research impact, and subject breadth are accelerating at pace.

“To sustain this momentum, the successful implementation of NEP [National Education Policy] 2020 will be crucial – embedding creativity, sustainability, and entrepreneurial thinking into curricula, while strengthening collaboration between government, industry, and universities.”

A total of 79 Indian universities – 10 more than last year – feature 533 times across this year’s rankings, marking a 25.7% increase compared to the previous edition.

India also celebrates 12 top-50 positions across the subject rankings and the broad faculty areas (versus 23 in 2024), earned by nine institutions. Leading the way is the Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad, which ranks 20th globally for engineering (mineral and mining), making it the country’s highest-performing subject area.

Europe

The UK continues to reinforce its status as Europe’s leading country for academic excellence and ranks second globally, with 18 entries recognised as the best in the world in their respective subjects.

The universities of Cambridge and Oxford continue to lead the way, topping the rankings in four and three subjects, respectively. The University of Leeds sees great improvement, boasting an impressive 53 entries – more than any other UK institution.

The University of Leeds also rises in 25 entries, while King’s College London and the University of Liverpool each improve their ranking in 18 entries.

UK universities have entries in every broad faculty and subject area, with a top-five global entry in 53 of 60.

Turner said: “This edition of the rankings reaffirms the UK's position as a global higher education powerhouse, with UK universities claiming the top spot in 18 subjects – more than four times the number of Switzerland, the next most successful country after the US and the UK.

“However, this success comes at a time when the UK higher education sector is navigating significant financial pressures, raising important questions about how to sustain and strengthen its global competitiveness.

“To maintain this leadership in the years ahead, targeted investment in research and innovation, alongside closer collaboration with industry to equip graduates with in-demand skills, will be essential.”

France is home to the most featured universities in continental Europe in the rankings, although more entries drop than rise. QS notes that it remains the world’s most internationally collaborative country or territory by a significant margin, with more top-10 and top-50 entries in this metric than any other country.

This includes 51 among the top 10 in their tables, the highest in the world, and 21 more than its closest competitor, the UK, with 30. Université PSL performs particularly well in this indicator, placing first in both Earth and marine sciences (51-100 overall) and geology (47th overall).

It performs exceptionally in social sciences, with four of France’s six top-10 ranked entries belonging to this field. It also emerges as a leader in natural sciences, QS says, with three universities among the top 10 in this area.

Meanwhile, the Conservatoire national supérieur de musique et de danse de Paris shines, taking France’s two highest ranks at third in performing arts and fourth in music. Sciences Po achieves fourth in politics and international studies, and INSEAD ranks fourth in business and management studies.

France’s employer reputation continues to climb, with an overall improvement of 23%, and, interestingly, the highest rank in this indicator is achieved by Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne for classics and ancient history, which places first globally in the indicator and 22nd overall.

Sowter said: “At a time of growing global isolationism, France has firmly positioned itself as the world’s most internationally collaborative higher education system, while its graduates continue to earn strong recognition from international employers for their skills and readiness for the workplace. This combination is driving standout success, particularly across the social and natural sciences.”

Germany is the European leader for the study of philosophy, classics and ancient history, and theology and religious studies.

Germany boasts two top-20 rankings, including its highest-ranked entry – Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, which claims sixth place globally and secures 37 subject entries.

Classics and ancient history remain a stronghold for Germany, with two universities securing spots among the world’s top 10.

German universities also excel in theology and religious studies, with three institutions ranked among the global top 20.

It is the most represented continental European country in the rankings, with 799 subject entries featured, the fifth most in the world. However, it has the second most featured universities, with 61, behind France’s 80.

But of Germany’s total ranked subject entries, 9% (75) climb, 45% (359) drop and 39% (314) remain stable, while 51 rank for the first time, giving Germany an overall decline of 36%.

Swiss higher education, driven by an exceptional reputation among international employers and outstanding performances in high-impact fields – especially across natural science, dentistry and hospitality education – continues to compete at the very highest level of the global academic landscape, QS says.

Despite being a small country with a population of less than nine million Switzerland has the world’s fourth highest number of top-10 ranked subject entries, with 29, and the third most first-place entries.

Home to the world’s best study destination for geophysics, geology, and Earth and marine sciences, it dominates in hospitality, with all the world’s three best entries for the subject and eight of the top 10, including the world leader, EHL Hospitality Business School.

Latin America

Brazil maintains its dominance in Latin America, with 380 entries from 31 universities. Of its total ranked entries, 8% (31) climb, 49% (189) drop, 32% (120) remain stable and 43 rank for the first time.

Brazil also has the only top-10 entry and leads Latin America in top-20 entries with two, but Mexico (17) and Chile (16) surpass its 15 in the top 50. Mexico leads in top-25 placements with seven, ahead of Brazil and Chile, each with four.

Brazil leads the number of top-100 entries with 69, followed by Mexico with 48 and Chile with 52.

Universidade de São Paulo has the most ranked entries (54) and secured the region’s highest positions, ranking ninth in petroleum engineering and 13th in dentistry.

History of art is the region’s strongest subject, with three universities in the top 25. Tecnológico de Monterrey and Universidade de São Paulo rank in the 21-50 band.

Arts and humanities is Latin America’s top-performing faculty area, with three entries in the top 25, led by Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (UC) in 21st place.

Argentina sees major improvements, with Universidad Nacional de Córdoba (arts and humanities) and Universidad Austral (social sciences and management) among South America’s most improved faculty areas.

Colombia achieves its highest-ranked entry as Universidad Nacional de Colombia’s petroleum engineering climbs five places to 32nd worldwide.

Overall, however, it was a bad year for Latin American universities, with nearly all countries experiencing a net drop in ranking positions. Among the top five higher education systems, Brazil experiences a -41% swing, Chile -38%, Mexico -34%, Columbia -17% and Argentina -24%.

Sowter told University World News: “Despite some individual success stories across Latin America, the overall results … show a net drop in ranking positions across the region.

“This comes at a time when institutions across China, Hong Kong, Korea and Singapore have seen exceptional performances.

“Entries from South America have seen declines in the academic reputation indicator, notably Chile, where 62% of its 201 entries fell in this area, and in Brazil, where 59% of the 333 entries declined.

“This suggests that institutions in other countries and territories are increasingly demonstrating their academic excellence to the global research community.

“South American universities should continue to widen their research partnerships, collaborate with international academics across the globe on innovative research projects and broaden their strategic research impact goals.”

North America

The US has experienced a slight overall decline, with more entries falling than rising in the rankings, but it is still the most represented country, with 3,245 entries, and is home to more of the world’s top-ranked academic offerings than any other country or territory.

It claims the top spot globally in 32 of the 55 subjects assessed. The US boasts the world’s leading universities across all five broad faculty areas, and it continues to lead global research impact, particularly in the H-index indicator.

Harvard University is the top-performing institution globally with 15 top subject rankings, followed by MIT with 11.

The United States excels in economics, home to the world’s top seven universities for the subject.

Sowter said: “US universities continue to set the global standard in high-impact, high-earning fields like economics and medicine, topping more than half of all subject tables. However, a slight overall decline across the rankings signals growing international competition – competition the US cannot afford to ignore.”

Among all US-ranked entries, 26% (859) improved their position, 31% (1,000) declined, and 33% (1,070) remained stable within their rank or band.

This year also introduces 316 new US entries to the rankings.

Within the five broad faculty areas, the US achieves 441 ranked entries. Of these, 12% (55) improved, 73% (320) declined, and 14% (62) were unchanged.

The academic reputation of US institutions continues to soar, with a 29% overall improvement in this indicator across subjects. Thirty US entries rank first for academic reputation. MIT is particularly dominant, with 13 first-place entries in this metric.

However, in all other metrics, US higher education has seen an overall drop.

Sowter warned that “while top US universities – such as Harvard and MIT – benefit from strong endowment returns and sustained alumni giving, challenges to US research pre-eminence remain”.

He noted that China has surpassed the US in scholarly output and total citations generated between 2019 and 2024.

“However, the US still leads in research influence by a significant margin, in terms of both citations per paper and H-index, according to[/url],” he said.

An impressive 17 entries from the US rank first in the H-index. Harvard is the global frontrunner, with eight first-place entries in this metric. The US is followed closely by China with 14.

Of Canada’s total 674 subject entries, 17% (113) climb, 43% (291) drop and 32% (218) remain stable, while 52 rank for the first time.

The University of Toronto has more subject entries in the global top 50 than any other institution, with 46 – ahead of the University of Cambridge and the University of California, Berkeley (UCB).

The University of British Columbia is among the world’s most successful universities based on the number of ranked subject entries, with 52 – an achievement it shares with the universities of Melbourne and Sydney.

McGill University, the University of Toronto and the University of British Columbia are among the five most represented universities in the top 100 across the subject and faculty tables.

Canada excels in engineering, sports-related subjects, and anatomy and physiology, with three universities in the global top 10 in each of these fields.

Sowter said: “Canada’s universities continue to excel on the global stage, demonstrating strong performance across a diverse range of disciplines.

“With standout results in engineering, anatomy and physiology, and sports-related subjects, as well as significant representation in the world’s top 100 across subjects, Canadian institutions reinforce their position as leaders in higher education and research.”

However, he warned that the sector faces challenges, particularly with the federal government's decision to reduce international student permits by 10% in 2025 to alleviate pressures on housing and services.

“This policy shift necessitates a balanced approach to sustain the significant benefits international students bring while addressing infrastructural constraints,” Sowter noted.

Oceania

The University of Melbourne and the University of Sydney each rank among the world’s top 100 in an exceptional 52 of 55 subject areas. The University of Queensland follows with 50 subjects ranked, all within the world’s top 200.

Monash University holds joint fourth place globally with 49 ranked subjects, achieving positions as high as fourth and no lower than 101st.

Meanwhile, the University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney shares fifth place for global representation, with 48 subjects ranked alongside a select group of international peers, spanning positions from second to 151st, boosted by improvements in 17 subjects and two new entries this year.

Australia’s highest-ranked individual subjects belong to the University of Queensland and UNSW Sydney, which secure second place globally in sports-related subjects and mineral and mining engineering, respectively.

Overall, Australia continues to assert its global academic standing, with 13 entries in the world’s top 10 across eight subjects – four fewer than last year, reflecting intensifying global competition. Natural sciences remains a standout area, with 15 of 18 ranked entries improving their positions this year.

The University of Technology Sydney records the region’s most significant gain, climbing 46 places to 227th globally. In contrast, 16 entries in arts and humanities have dropped in rank, mirroring a broader trend of cuts and closures in these disciplines across key international student markets, including the UK, US, Netherlands, and New Zealand.

Sowter said: “Australia’s declining performance in arts and humanities reflects a global trend of underinvestment in these disciplines. Yet, as we move towards an AI-driven world – built in part on the contributions of artists, designers, and creatives – the loss of these fields is concerning.

“Beyond their cultural and economic value, the arts and humanities are integral to the interdisciplinary futures shaping global innovation.

“The most groundbreaking advancements – whether in AI ethics, human-centred design, or sustainable development – emerge from the intersection of technology and the humanities.

“If Australian institutions continue to deprioritise these subjects, they risk not only diminishing their global standing but also weakening their ability to produce graduates who can navigate complex, interconnected challenges.

“Leading knowledge economies are recognising the importance of interdisciplinary education, and Australia cannot afford to lag behind.”

For New Zealand, Massey University’s veterinary science entry breaks into the global top 20, meaning two entries from New Zealand in the top 20. The University of Auckland is the most successful New Zealand institution this year, with 14 of its 51 entries improving. However, 110 of the 216 entries from New Zealand have dropped in this iteration.

QS says New Zealand’s universities need to do more to meet employer expectations, with 75% of entries seeing drops in employer reputation indicator scores.

Sowter said: “New Zealand has historically punched well above its weight in the international higher education landscape. However, like other popular study destinations, it is being challenged by new players on the global education market … Institutions will need to continue improving their outcomes for students and ensuring they are producing graduates and talent that industry is calling out for.”