QS World University Rankings 2026: With more than 1,500 schools from more than 100 countries, the QS World University Rankings 2026, which were announced on Thursday, reflect changes in the performance of higher education around the world. While European and Asian countries make significant strides, the United States still tops the list.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, has topped Quacquarelli Symonds' 2026 World University Rankings with an overall score of 100. With a score of 99.4, Imperial College in London came in second. With a score of 98.9, Stanford University comes in third.

QS World University Rankings 2026: Top 10 universities in the world

Rank 1: Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

Rank 2: Imperial College London

Rank 3: Stanford University

Rank 4: University of Oxford

Rank 5: Harvard University

Rank 6: University of Cambridge

Rank 7: ETH Zurich

Rank 8: National University of Singapore (NUS)

Rank 9: University College London (UCL)

Rank 10: California Institute of Technology (Caltech)