# Best universities in the world



## Etcetera

Hi all,
Times Higher Education Supplement (THES) has just made its list of Top 100 Universities in the world. Here it is!
What do you think about this Top 100? If you are/were a student of one of these universities, do you agree with the position it holds?
I, on the one hand, can't help being proud that Moscow University was included in this list, but on the other hand, last year it was #79, and this year it's only #93. And to say the truth, from what I see on my own Faculty of Philology, it's no surprise at all... 

And a more broad question: what do you think about such lists in general?


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## cerci

Hi Etcetera,
Do you know on what basis they came up with that Top 100 list?
Because as far as I can see, nearly all of the universities listed are in English-speaking countries, mainly in the USA or the UK.
Is it a list of the best universities just for English-speakers?


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## Everness

Etcetera said:


> Hi all,
> Times Higher Education Supplement (THES) has just made its list of Top 100 Universities in the world. Here it is!
> What do you think about this Top 100? If you are/were a student of one of these universities, do you agree with the position it holds?
> I, on the one hand, can't help being proud that Moscow University was included in this list, but on the other hand, last year it was #79, and this year it's only #93. And to say the truth, from what I see on my own Faculty of Philology, it's no surprise at all...
> 
> And a more broad question: what do you think about such lists in general?



These lists are a great marketing tool if the name of your university makes it to the list. If it doesn't, you can always market it as one of the 10 College Party Schools. Their moto? "Win or Lose, We Booze!"
http://www.pubclub.com/collegefootball/index.htm This would do it for some undecided souls.


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## cuchuflete

Such lists in general are fairly useless.  The criteria for ranking must be studied in detail to understand what is "better" about one than another.  I have attended five of the listed institutions, and the one with the lowest ranking of those five was by far the best as an undergraduate liberal arts school.  Others are better for graduate studies and research.  

Could you provide a link to something that describes the ranking method?

Thanks.


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## Etcetera

cerci said:


> Hi Etcetera,
> Do you know on what basis they came up with that Top 100 list?
> Because as far as I can see, nearly all of the universities listed are in English-speaking countries, mainly in the USA or the UK.
> Is it a list of the best universities just for English-speakers?


At any rate no! Otherwise, Moscow University would never be included in this list. 

Mr Cuchu, I've read about this list in an article by the Russian news agency Lenta.Ru, and they also provided a link to the original article in the Times. Have a look. 
And that's what is said about the criteria for ranking:


> The rankings were based on a survey for the _THES_ of 3,703 academics worldwide, who were asked to identify up to 30 universities best for research within their own field of expertise. This ensures that the rankings are topical and liable to change from year to year if institutions do not maintain research standards.
> The table also includes data from 736 graduate employers from around the world, as well as the ratio of faculty to student numbers and a university’s success in attracting foreign students and internationally renowned academics.


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## invictaspirit

Will some expect some anglo-saxon chicanery here?

The UK and USA seem massively over-represented. One would expect Harvard, Oxford, Cambridge, MIT and Yale to be in the Top 10. They are clearly elite institutions of the very highest quality.

But I'm shocked that Italy, Germany and Spain are so poorly represented. Are we seriously saying Germany has just 3 excellent universities (less than the Netherlands) while the UK has about 20? And Italy and Spain have zero?

I'm not knocking US and UK universities: both countries have dozens of excellent ones.  (I only had a quick glance and could not see Exeter, Durham, Aberdeen or York...all really fantastic universities in Britain). 

But still...I feel contintal Europe is under-represented.


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## Etcetera

One more thing that makes me feel a bit uneasy. 
I can't speak for Oxford and Cambridge, of course, but I can speak for Moscow University. The quality of education received there on different faculties is different. The University is famous for its faculties of exact sciences, many graduates of these faculties work abroad, mostly in America. The situation with the humanities isn't that satisfactory.


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## snila

As I am from a non English speaking country, I thought that I would not find any of the universities of Mexico. In addition, usually we are not included in such list of research activities, neither a list of best research universities in the world. So I am so glad to see UNAM as we know our National University is been included.  I studied there and consider that science, humanities and social sciences are good schools. Nevertheless I would like to see other good Mexican universities like Politécnico Nacional and its graduate school (CINVESTAV) or el COLMEX (Colegio de México).  

Mainly public universities have access to federal funds for research in México, so this might have been a reason because there are not good private schools included in the list.    Anyway, good for Mexico, UNAM and graduated people of UNAM like me


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## Hakro

It would be nice to know how many of those 3703 academics "worldwide" were English speakers.
I can't say that this list is a lie but I can't believe it's a "final truth", either.


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## Miguelillo 87

Well let em tell you UNAM it's in the number 71, and it's the best school in all Latin aMERICA. aND I HAVE TO SAY (APPALING,IT'S BECAUSE i'M FORM HIS COMPETENCI THE iIPN tHE SECON BETTER SCHOOL!!) It's true, It's a very good school and a lot of presidents,researchers,cientifics,Astronomers,Lawyers; the best of the best of our country has been studied there


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## Dr. Quizá

It's the rank of the most seen Universities in Hollywood movies, isn't it?


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## Thomas F. O'Gara

My opinion of the list is not very high.  Even setting aside the incredible preponderance of American schools on the list, I would dispute why about half of the American schools that were included as opposed to other American schools I can think of.  And how could some of these schools jump so high so fast?  The University of Pittsburgh actually went from 193 to 88 in one year!


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## ElaineG

> I have attended five of the listed institutions,


 
I've only attended 3. Time to go back to school (Mom, send a _big check_, thanks!).

Seriously though, these lists are next to useless, because as others have said, everything depends on what you are looking for, educationally, socially, culturally. 

I didn't see the University of Iowa on that list, but if you want to study creative writing in the U.S., you'd be a fool to do it at Harvard, Yale, or Princeton if Iowa will have you. Similarly, please don't go to H/Y/P if you are interested in cattle breeding, no one will know what you are talking about, but Kansas State (not on the list), where my dad taught many years ago, cannot be beat in that particular field of study.

When I decided to do a Master's Degree in literature in the UK, I turned down Cambridge (2) and Oxford (3) to go to Edinburgh (33). I liked the professor I wanted to work with at Edinburgh, but more importantly, I wanted a small, intimate, highly personalized program. I found that -- and wonderful Scots hospitality -- at Edinburgh. Someone else with a different agenda would have easily chosen Oxbridge and had it be right for them.

Whatever college or university you choose for whatever purpose, it's important to do your homework into what you are getting (particularly if it's going to cost you $150K plus, like a U.S. private university degree) and not be blinded by prestige or silly rankings.


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## cucu

Wish there was a Turkish university in the list. But this is impossible at the moment. Although Turkey has great universities, its economical sources isn't enough to make scientific searches which are very important to assess. For this reason, our geniuses are going to UK, Scotland, Canada or USA to work more efficiently and earn much money. Also in some universities of Turkey, your political identification is very important which sometimes cause you to be discipline or be dismissed from school. 

May be one day we'll manage to enter this list...

Thanks Etcetera...


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## übermönch

Dr. Quizá said:


> It's the rank of the most seen Universities in Hollywood movies, isn't it?


My thoughts exactly. I can't speak for all of them, but Heidelberg is no way better than Munich. It (HB) *is *famous, slick, expensive and very "German" (and thus popular among foreign students, esp. Chinese and American), but it is also famous for not being really that good as a university - Munich on the other hand is the Mecca for best students all over Germanophone area.


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## panderetita1986

Unfortunately it seems that -as per this research - some parts of the world like Latin America do not have any good universities except for México if I am not wrong. I think it is really difficult to find a criteria to "measure" very diverse universities from very diverse countries and to make a ranking. 

I am a Buenos Aires University student and I still feel that this institution should be recognized in some way. It is one of the best universities in Latin America, and it used to be better in the past, but our Government spends very little money in education. So the consequence is that our University is still public (no fees), approximately 300.000 people study here, but more than a half of the teachers work FOR FREE, having ad honorem positions for years until they can get some pennies for taking the bus at least. Many schools of UBA are in terrible manteinance conditions and the students get used to studying in those buildings, but when "outsiders"  see those schools for the first time they can be quite shocked.

And despite the lack of funds, people sitting on the floor, constant strikes, teachers working for free and others leaving to private universities or to overseas institutions (like the ones in the famous list).... we still survive,  we still have a very good level, and people from other countries come to UBA for postgraduate studies. Obviously our university was/is very damaged by the indiference of several administrations, but we are still standing and fighting for what we think is a key factor in any society: education. But I do not think these "rankings" take this struggles into account when making charts!

Sorry for being so heavy, this came from my deepest heart, it is something that really hurts me and I wanted to share it with you. I hope I did not bore you. Thank you.


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## Etcetera

ElaineG said:


> I didn't see the University of Iowa on that list, but if you want to study creative writing in the U.S., you'd be a fool to do it at Harvard, Yale, or Princeton if Iowa will have you. Similarly, please don't go to H/Y/P if you are interested in cattle breeding, no one will know what you are talking about, but Kansas State (not on the list), where my dad taught many years ago, cannot be beat in that particular field of study.


I agree with you, Elaine! I think there could be no university which would be absolutely the best. No university can be equally good in everything - just like people.
Several years ago I was told that I'd chosen the best place in Russia to study the Germanic languages (that is, MSU's Faculty of Philology), but had I wanted to study any Romance language, I'd better enter St. Petersburg University. 
To say the truth, I still would prefer to study in St. Petersburg University, but it's another story.


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## Alxmrphi

Maybe we should take into account the geographical aspect of English speakers, everywhere, the most widely spoken language there is? Of course things like this are going to be more in English speaking countries!

There are plenty of non-English based universities on that list.
I always thought Oxford was better than Harvard, I have known that for ages, I remember seeing skits of it on Frasier, and other TV programmes.


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## Etcetera

Alex_Murphy said:


> I always thought Oxford was better than Harvard, I have known that for ages, I remember seeing skits of it on Frasier, and other TV programmes.


I'm of the same opinion!  
But note that the positions of universities on the list may change, this ranking only shows the situation in the recent year.


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## ireney

So, ok, I am an expert on physics (indulge me, I always sucked major time in physics, let me be an expert please?). I'll say that the University of Banananaland is the best on this subject. Another one will say it's the best on biology etc. Do you have any idea how many academics etc you actually need to make such a list "work"? Many more than the  3,703  I think.

The foreign students thingy should be not used at all if you ask me (let's say that Greece had an absolutely wonderful Uni; how many foreign students would study Greek just to come here you think?)

Lastly, what is it with some people's need for lists?


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## florecia

What do they base on to consider a university as "best"


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## cuchuflete

florecia said:


> What do they base on to consider a university as "best"



Please read post #5.


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## Thomas F. O'Gara

By way of comparison, for the US universities on the list, you can find the most commonly accepted ranking in the USA here:
http://collegeapps.about.com/gi/dyn...du/college/rankings/brief/t1natudoc_brief.php

The schools on the list are in considerably different order than on the original list.


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## ElaineG

The U.S. News & World Report listing that you link to is a listing of the best _colleges_ in the United States for undergraduates, the particular list -- i.e., what is being ranked at Yale is Yale College, at Harvard, Harvard College, etc. not the myriad graduate and professional schools that are part of the respective universities.

The particular list you linked to is for those colleges that are located at "national universities".

The original survey was much more focused on research, which has little (if anything) to do with undergraduate education.


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## Riccardino

While I am pleased to see my University on this list at number 26, it seems heavily biased toward English-speaking institutions. Even considering just English-speaking institutions, it seems that reputation goes a long way on the list, and not anything of real substance.


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## cuchuflete

Riccardino said:


> ... it seems that reputation goes a long way on the list, and not anything of real substance.



Should we take this to mean that reputation has no relationship to substance?  Where does the reputation come from?


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## Thomas F. O'Gara

ElainG:

I stand corrected.  Thanks!


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