2026 QS World University Rankings Released: Massachusetts Institute of Technology retains top spot, University of Hong Kong rises to 11th, Tsinghua University breaks into top 15.

The global higher education analysis institution QS Quacquarelli Symonds officially released the 2026 QS World University Rankings today, which includes over 1500 universities from 106 countries and regions. Massachusetts Institute of Technology has topped the list for the 14th consecutive year, reflecting the increasingly fierce competition among global universities. The top 10 universities also include Imperial College London, Stanford University, University of Oxford, Harvard University, University of Cambridge, ETH Zurich, National University of Singapore, University College London, and California Institute of Technology. About 45% of universities in mainland China have seen improvements in rankings compared to last year, continuing the overall trend of Chinese universities climbing in international rankings in recent years. Peking University is ranked 14th globally, the same as last year. Tsinghua University has moved up from 20th to 17th place. The University of Hong Kong has seen a significant rise in rankings, moving from 17th to 11th.