30. New York University (US)

New York University (NYU), a member of the distinguished Association of American Universities, is the largest private university in the US, with 17 schools and divisions. NYU offers more than 150 undergraduate majors, including individualised studies. There are also opportunities for double majors, minors, dual degrees and internships. NYU’s main campus is situated in Greenwich Village, New York City, and has two branch campuses in Abu Dhabi and Shanghai, China. It also has study abroad sites in Berlin, German; Buenos Aires, Argentina; Florence, Italy; Ghana, London, England; Madrid, Spain; Paris, France; Tel Aviv, Israel; and Prague, the Czech Republic.

More than 175 years ago, Albert Gallatin, the distinguished statesman who served as secretary of the treasury under Presidents Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, declared his intention to establish "in this immense and fast-growing city ... a system of rational and practical education fitting for all and graciously opened to all." Founded in 1831, New York University is now one of the largest private universities in the United States. Of the more than 3,000 colleges and universities in America, New York University is one of only 60 member institutions of the distinguished Association of American Universities.

From a student body of 158 during NYU's very first semester, enrollment has grown to more than 50,000 students at three degree-granting campuses in New York City, Abu Dhabi, and Shanghai, and at study away sites in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, North and South America. Today, students come from every state in the union and from 133 foreign countries. The faculty, which initially consisted of fourteen professors and lecturers (among them artist and inventor Samuel F. B. Morse), now totals over 4,500 full-time members whose research and teaching encompasses arts and media; business; law; education; health and medicine; humanities and social sciences; science, technology, engineering, and math; public administration; the ancient world; and continuing professional studies. With more than 2,500 courses offered, the University awards more than 25 different degrees. Although overall the University is large, the individuals schools and colleges are small- to moderate-sized units – each with its own traditions, programs, and faculty – and there are many communities to be found within the NYU community based on interests, activities, and shared experiences.

The center of NYU is its New York City campus in the heart of Greenwich Village. One of the most creative and energetic cities in the world, New York City has attracted generations of artists, entrepreneurs, and intellectuals. NYU, in keeping with its founder’s vision, is “in and of the city”: the University – which has no walls and no gates – is deeply intertwined with New York City, drawing inspiration from its vitality.

NYU Mission Statement

Great cities are engines of creativity, and New York University takes its name and spirit from one of the busiest, most diverse and dynamic cities of all. The University lives within New York and other great cities, from Abu Dhabi to Shanghai, Paris to Prague, Sydney to Buenos Aires—all magnets for talented, ambitious people.

Thriving beyond borders and across academic disciplines, NYU has emerged as one of the most networked and extensive worldwide platform for learning, teaching, researching, building knowledge, and inventing new ways to meet humanity’s challenges. Its students, faculty and alumni feed off the stimulating power of swirling intellectual and cultural experiences by mastering academic disciplines, expressing themselves in the arts, and excelling in demanding professions.

New York University’s mission is to be a top quality international center of scholarship, teaching and research. This involves retaining and attracting outstanding faculty who are leaders in their fields, encouraging them to create programs that draw outstanding students, and providing an intellectually rich environment. NYU seeks to take academic and cultural advantage of its location and to embrace diversity among faculty, staff and students to ensure a wide range of perspectives, including international perspectives, in the educational experience.

29. LMU Munich (Germany)

As one of Europe’s leading research universities, LMU Munich is committed to the highest international standards of excellence in research and teaching. Building on its 500-year-tradition of scholarship, LMU covers a broad spectrum of disciplines, ranging from the humanities and cultural studies through law, economics and social studies to medicine and the sciences. The know-how and creativity of LMU’s academics form the foundation of the university’s outstanding research record. This is also reflected in LMU’s designation as a “university of excellence” in the context of the Excellence Initiative, a nationwide competition to promote top-level university research.

Some of the most famous figures in modern history spent their salad days at Munich: Richard Strauss, Marie Stopes, Erich Fromm, Konrad Adenauer, Lord Acton and others. Founded in 1472, Munich's flagship university now hosts around 44,000 students pursuing degrees in 150 subjects under the guidance of approximately 700 professors and 3,600 academic staff.

Get an idea of who we are - the university in the heart of Munich. Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München is one of the leading research universities in Europe, with a more than 500-year-long tradition. The University is committed to the highest international standards of excellence in research and teaching.

LMU Munich has a classical academic profile ranging from the humanities and cultural sciences, law, economics, and social sciences to medicine and natural sciences. The University is divided into 18 faculties and enjoys one of Germany’s finest library systems. Creative thinking, problem-solving and research are central to LMU’s academic programs. With 2,300 beds, its Medical Center is, next to the Charité in Berlin, the most prestigious and largest institution of this kind in Germany.

From distinguished research grant winners to undergraduate students, all members of the LMU Munich community are engaged in generating new knowledge for the benefit of society at large. The University is particularly noted for providing excellent conditions for innovative basic research, both within individual disciplines and through inter- and transdisciplinary collaborations across various fields of knowledge.

LMU Munich has a long tradition as a top-level European research university, clearly demonstrated in its international character and its areas of academic cooperation from research to teaching and student exchange. The university was a founder member of the League of European Research Universities (LERU), Venice International University (VIU), the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and the Bavarian International Academic Centers. Within the European Union’s successful mobility and grant programs, LMU Munich takes part in ERASMUS student and lecturer exchange programs, Erasmus Mundus programs, and EU third-country projects.

LMU Munich also cooperates closely with numerous partner universities outside of EU programs. In total, LMU maintains faculty-based cooperation agreements with well over 400 partner universities worldwide which regulate areas from academic contacts and student exchanges to the design of joint degree programs. Collaborations and exchange activities at individual and chair level round off the close-knit international network. In addition, selected strategic research collaborations offer the opportunity for close contacts between institutions and for the establishment of new forms of cooperation. These are funded by the institutional strategy LMUexcellent and serve to underpin LMU Munich’s status at national and international level.

In geographic terms, LMU Munich’s strategy of internationalization observes traditional roots while pursuing current developments in the global academic world. The majority of its contacts and strategic initiatives are based in Europe, followed by North America and Asia. One outcome of this development is a new collaboration project with outstanding Chinese partner Universities, the LMU‑China Academic Network.

LMU Munich is the academic home of almost 7,000 international students from 125 countries, the largest number at any German university and the equivalent of 15 percent of LMU Munich’s student population. Three-quarters of these students come from Europe, 15 percent from Asia, and 6 percent from North and South America. Up to 1,000 students from partner universities enroll at LMU Munich as exchange students for a semester or year. In two junior year programs, around 70 students from North American partner universities spend their third year of studies in Munich, in addition to some 450 attendees of the Munich International Summer University (MISU).

Approximately 1,500 visiting fellows teach and research at LMU Munich, including 90 research fellows of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. LMU Munich’s Mobility Center and range of special services on offer plus the International Center for Science and Humanities in Munich (Internationales Begegnungszentrum der Wissenschaft München e.V., IBZ) also underline the university’s international commitment.

LMU Munich wins a significant volume of outside funding from its commitment to internationality in teaching and research. Apart from the university’s success in raising international third-party funds, many other fields offer funding opportunities which safeguard the competitive edge of its students, alumni, and academics for the future. DAAD alone contributes over four million euros per year in the form of grants to German and international students and international projects, as well as supporting grants to LMU Munich.

Munich, or München in German, is a major center for higher education, research, technology, and the media. LMU, the University in the heart of Munich, forms an integral part of the urban landscape and has campuses throughout the city. Munich is not only Germany’s primary hub for higher education and research, it also has its own inimitable appeal. Its location within easy reach of the Bavarian Alps, its urban flair, its rich palette of cultural institutions and the wide variety of leisure activities available attract visitors from all over the world.

28. Karolinska Institute (Sweeden)

Education

Karolinska Institutet offers the widest range of medical education under one roof in Sweden. Several of the programmes include clinical training or other training within the healthcare system.

The close proximity of the Karolinska University Hospital and other teaching hospitals in the Stockholm area thus plays an important role during the education.

Approximately 6,000 full-time students are taking educational and single subject courses at Bachelor and Master levels at Karolinska Institutet.

Teachers at Karolinska Institutet often carry out research in parallel with teaching. This ensures that students are involved in the latest advances within the medical field. Ambitious students, teachers and researchers together create an interesting and stimulating environment.

We also offer good opportunities for international exchange, which gives students the chance to work abroad for a period of time.

Bachelor's and Master's education

In 2015 there were 6,062 full-time students at KI.

KI also offers several Master's one-year and Master's two-year programmes and single-subject courses. Most of the programmes lead to a professional degree, and several offer degrees at a Bachelor's or Master's level.

Most of the programmes leads to a professional exam. Several of the programmes also lead

general degree. In 2015, 2,824 degrees were issued to 2,105 individuals..

Research

Research at Karolinska Institutet spans the entire medical field, from basic experimental research to patient-oriented and nursing research.

Karolinska Institutet today stands for more than 40% of all academic medical research in Sweden. 

Doctoral/third-cycle education

Karolinska Institutet carries out 12% of Swedish doctoral/third cycle education at universities or university colleges. Over 359 students take their PhD degree each year at Karolinska Institutet, after studies corresponding to four years of full-time study. Many of Karolinska Institutet´s doctoral students have taken their first-cycle education abroad.

In 2015, 2,069 individuals were active doctoral students whereof 58 percent were women. 

359 doctoral degrees were issued. KI's doctoral students have backgrounds in all academic areas, and a large proportion comes from other countries.

Doctoral studies at KI takes place in an international environment and usually within international collaborations, either informal between research groups or formal collaborations between the two universities.

Economy

Karolinska Institutet´s turnover in 2015 was SEK 6,475 million. Karolinska Institutet's total assets in foundations and funds amounted at year-end (2015) to SEK 2 323,9 million: SEK 640,9 million in funds and SEK 1,683 million in foundations.

27. King’s College London (UK)

One of the two founding colleges of the University of London, King's is the largest healthcare learning centre in Europe, incorporating three teaching hospitals. But the 23,000 students at its main riverside site in the heart of London and four satellites also benefit from its strengths in law, the humanities and social sciences.

King's College London is one of the top 20 universities in the world (2015-16 QS international world rankings). A research-led university based in the heart of London, King's has more than 26,500 students (of whom more than 10,000 are graduate students) from nearly 150 countries, and more than 6,500 employees. King's is in the second phase of a £1 billion redevelopment program which is transforming its estate.

King's has an outstanding reputation for providing world-class teaching and cutting-edge research. In the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise for British universities, 23 departments were ranked in the top quartile of British universities; over half of our academic staff work in departments that are in the top 10 per cent in the UK in their field and can thus be classed as world leading.

The college is in the top seven UK universities for research earnings and has an overall annual income of nearly £554 million. King's has a particularly distinguished reputation in the humanities, law, the sciences (including a wide range of health areas such as psychiatry, medicine, nursing and dentistry) and social sciences including international affairs.

King’s has played a major role in many of the advances that have shaped modern life, such as the discovery of the structure of DNA and research that led to the development of radio, television, mobile phones and radar. It is the largest center for the education of healthcare professionals in Europe; no university has more Medical Research Council Centres.

The college is in the midst of a five-year, £500 million fundraising campaign – World questions | King’s answers – created to address some of the most pressing challenges facing humanity as quickly as feasible. The campaign’s five priority areas are neuroscience and mental health, leadership and society, cancer, global power and children's health. 

Facilities

Information Services Centres on each campus provide students with integrated library and computing facilities. There are over 1,300 PC workstations and on the major campuses computer rooms are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. An extensive wireless internet network also covers much of the College.

King’s College London Students’ Union (KCLSU) provides quality recreational, social and welfare services for all students. KCLSU runs an exhaustive programme of events at its top quality venues and supports numerous student-led clubs and societies. Three sports grounds provide facilities for hockey, rugby, football, cricket, tennis, and netball. There are also rifle ranges, two gyms and a swimming pool.

Why study with us?

King’s offers a wide range of courses, covering a range of traditional core subjects and innovative new studies. Students are inspired and intellectually stimulated by studying with some of the world’s leading researchers and academics who are pushing the boundaries of knowledge.

With over 23,000 students, of whom more than 8,000 are postgraduates, King’s can boast a diverse and vibrant student community. Around one in five students at King’s is an international student. King’s is home to students from all over the world, with almost every country, ethnic and cultural group represented. As part of this diverse student body you will be able to mix with people from many different backgrounds and cultures.

26. National University of Singapore

Description

A message from National University of Singapore

A leading global university centred in Asia, the National University of Singapore (NUS) is Singapore's flagship university, which offers a global approach to education and research with a focus on Asian perspectives and expertise.

Its 16 faculties and schools across three campus locations in Singapore – Kent Ridge, Bukit Timah and Outram – provide a broad-based curriculum underscored by multi-disciplinary courses and cross-faculty enrichment. NUS’ transformative education includes programmes such as student exchange, entrepreneurial internships at NUS Overseas Colleges, and double degree and joint degree programmes with some of the world’s top universities, offering students opportunities and challenges to realise their potential. The learning experience is complemented by a vibrant residential life with avenues for artistic, cultural and sporting pursuits. Over 37,000 students from 100 countries further enrich the community with their diverse social and cultural perspectives.

NUS has three Research Centres of Excellence (RCE) and 23 university-level research institutes and centres. It is also a partner for Singapore’s fifth RCE. The University shares a close affiliation with 16 national-level research institutes and centres. Research activities are strategic and robust, and NUS is well-known for its research strengths in engineering, life sciences and biomedicine, social sciences and natural sciences. Major research thrusts have been made recently in several fields such as quantum technology; cancer and translational medicine; interactive and digital media; and the environment and water. The University also strives to create a supportive and innovative environment to promote creative enterprise within its community.

NUS is actively involved in international academic and research networks such as the Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU) and International Alliance of Research Universities (IARU).

A leading global university ranked as Asia’s top university by Quaquarelli Symonds University Rankings in 2015, National University of Singapore (NUS) is Singapore’s flagship higher education institution. Offering a global approach to education and research, with a focus on Asian perspectives and expertise, NUS’ 17 schools across three campuses offer a rigorous education with a broad-based curriculum. More than 70 per cent of the undergraduate students will have at least one study abroad opportunity at 300 leading universities across 50 countries. Students can also pursue internships in high-tech start-ups around the world through the six NUS Overseas Colleges for a unique entrepreneurial educational experience.

NUS’ innovative research, through the Schools, three Research Centres of Excellence and 26 university-level research institutes and centres, focuses on cutting-edge discoveries and their translational impact to the benefit of people in Asia and the world. The University is especially renowned for its research in engineering, science and technology, biomedical sciences, and the humanities and social sciences. Over 70 joint, concurrent and double degree programmes with leading universities around the world offer students a comprehensive curriculum and multiple academic pathways. NUS also has deep and long-standing partnerships with leading US universities in key educational programmes. These partnerships include the Duke-NUS Medical School with Duke University, the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music with the Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University, and Yale-NUS College with Yale University.

With a diverse student population of about 38,000 from 100 countries at the three campuses – Kent Ridge, Bukit Timah and Outram, students will enjoy a vibrant student life that promotes a collegial campus environment and strong camaraderie.

25. Northwestern University (US)

When it opened for business in 1855, Northwestern University had only two academic staff and 10 students. These were all male, but women have been admitted since 1869.

Northwestern owes its existence to the vision of its nine founders who, with no land, limited finances and little knowledge of higher education, determined to create a university for the vast Northwest Territory covering more than five of today’s states. They began planning in 1850 and, three years later, boldly went ahead and purchased a 379-acre site close to Lake Michigan and developed the campus at Evanston, named after a founder called John Evans.

From these small beginnings, Northwestern has developed into a leading private research university with a strong interdisciplinary culture and a commitment to teaching excellence. It now consists of 12 separate schools and colleges and is notable for its research strength in fields including neuroscience, nanotechnology, biotechnology and the development of new drugs. The main campus is still based at Evanston, 10 miles north of Chicago, although there is a smaller one in Chicago, so students enjoy all the stimulus and opportunities for personal and professional development provided by one of the world’s great cities. Since 2008, there has also been a third, satellite campus in Doha, Qatar.

Northwestern’s mascot is Willy the Wildcat. Its mottoes are both taken from the New Testament and read, in Latin and Greek, “Whatsoever things are true” and “The world is full of grace and truth”.

Celebrated alumni include novelist Saul Bellow and economist George Stigler, who both went on to win Nobel Prizes, as well as Friends star David Schwimmer, Gone Girl author Gillian Flynn, and George R. R. Martin, whose novels inspired the Game of Thrones television series. No fewer than four economists and one chemist who worked as faculty at Northwestern went to receive Nobel Prizes. And the diplomat and political scientist Ralph Bunce, who had been a researcher there, went on to become the first African American to win a Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to resolve the Arab-Israeli conflict.

24. University of Edinburgh (UK)

For more than 400 years, the University of Edinburgh has explored space, revolutionised surgery, published era-defining books and introduced to the world many inventions, discoveries and ideas from penicillin to Dolly the sheep, believing that anything is possible. Our experts continue in that tradition, consistently striving to uncover the unknown, transforming science fiction into fact, and unveiling new possibilities for future generations. We embrace the vision of shared ideas and interdisciplinary research, which spans across the traditional boundaries of subject areas. Our breadth of choice in undergraduate and postgraduate programmes covers most of humanities, social science, medicine, vet medicine, science and engineering. We are in the capital city of Scotland, home to the Scottish Parliament, an ancient volcanic rock and a castle.

The University of Edinburgh was founded in 1583 and currently offers over 500 first degree programmes, spread across some 100 academic disciplines. More than 20,000 undergraduate students study here and are drawn from all over the world and from a variety of backgrounds. World renowned and well respected, a degree from the University of Edinburgh will be recognised wherever you go. The University of Edinburgh's success is not limited to Scotland, or even the UK. We have a well-deserved international reputation for excellence, as demonstrated in our partnerships with other key institutions worldwide. Many of our degree programmes offer the opportunity to spend some time studying abroad and these include student exchange agreements with universities such as CalTech, McGill University, Peking University and the National University of Singapore. Perhaps this international dimension helps explain why we have the largest proportion of international students of any Scottish university. Edinburgh, Scotland's capital city is one of the greenest and architecturally most beautiful cities in Northern Europe. Students come not only for the architecture, but for a city rich in social, cultural, and sporting facilities. The University itself hosts over 260 student societies, 65 sports clubs, 5 galleries and museums and 30 libraries.

23. London School of Economics and Political Science (UK)

The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) is one of the foremost social science universities in the world. Its research and teaching span the full breadth of the social sciences, from economics, politics and law to sociology, anthropology, accounting and finance. Founded in 1895 by Beatrice and Sidney Webb, the school has an outstanding reputation for academic excellence. 16 Nobel prize winners have been LSE staff or alumni.

LSE frequently appears in the top reaches of international and national league tables, and has been ranked London’s top university for three years in a row. Set up to improve society and to "understand the causes of things”, LSE is delivering a five point plan to ensure a continued focus on excellence, inclusivity and achievement.

LSE offers a wide range of undergraduate and postgraduate courses in the social sciences. From its location in the heart of London, the school links communities across the world, from formal academic partnerships to advisory work with governments and international organizations.

22. Carnegie Mellon University (US)

Carnegie Mellon University is a top-tier global research university and has been a birthplace of innovation since its founding in 1900. Our award-winning faculty is renowned for working closely with students to solve major scientific, technological and societal challenges. Our students are recruited by some of the world’s most successful and innovative companies, from Broadway to Bangalore. Carnegie Mellon puts a strong emphasis on making things, from art to robots. Carnegie Mellon alumni, students, faculty and staff are also encouraged to advance their novel ideas from the laboratory to the marketplace. The university ranked first among US institutions in the number of start-up companies created per research dollar spent between 2008 and 2012, according to the Association of University Technology Managers. In addition to US locations in Pittsburgh and Silicon Valley, Carnegie Mellon has a campus in Doha, Qatar, and offers degree programmes in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe and Latin America. Carnegie Mellon is one of only 25 universities that were invited to be a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global University Leaders Forum. More than 98,000 Carnegie Mellon alumni around the world embody founder Andrew Carnegie’s famous words, “My heart is in the work.”

21. University of Michigan (US)

A public university founded in 1817, the University of Michigan had a rustic beginning. At its campus in Ann Arbor, west of Detroit, cows owned by the faculty once grazed, and as late as 1845, wheat was grown on site as part of a janitor’s remuneration.

By 1866, the university had become the largest in the country. Now, the University of Michiganis one of the biggest research universities in the United States. It boasts alumni including Gerald Ford, former US president; Larry Page, co-founder of Google; and actor James Earl Jones, the voice of Darth Vader. 

The university’s sporting tradition began in 1865, and its sports teams, collectively known as the Michigan Wolverines, have won more than 50 national championships in 12 sports. Why the wolverine became the university’s mascot is a mystery, as although the nickname caught on in the middle of the 19th century, the first verified sighting of the animal in Michigan state did not occur until 2004.

Michigan’s mission is to serve the people of Michigan and the world through “preeminence in creating, communicating, preserving and applying knowledge, art, and academic values, and in developing leaders and citizens who will challenge the present and enrich the future”. It offers 250 undergraduate majors, 100 doctoral and 200 master’s programmes, as well as more than 1,400 student clubs.

The university has no shortage of bizarre traditions. On campus sits “The Cube”, a huge black object so finely balanced on one corner that students can spin it around despite its great weight. One myth is that the president gives it a push each morning in order to keep the campus running smoothly.

When students first arrive at Michigan they walk through a campus fountain to make them an “official wolverine”. After graduation, they walk the other way through the water, signifying their departure to join the professional world. And don’t step on the brass “M” at the centre of the campus, or exam failure awaits.

20. Duke University (US)

Duke University, located in the US state of North Carolina, is one of the wealthiest private universities in America and a top producer of international scholars.

It was founded in 1838 as Trinity College but became known as Duke University only in 1924 after the Duke Endowment was established. The university describes itself as younger than most other prestigious research universities in the country.

The original campus was rebuilt in Georgian architecture as is now known as East Campus, after the 1930 addition of West Campus, Gothic in style and home to the impressive Duke Chapel tower.

There are 10 schools and colleges; the oldest is Trinity College of Arts & Sciences, founded in 1859, and the youngest is the Nicholas School of the Environment, established just 25 years ago.

About 95 per cent of all students graduate within four years of enrolling. In the 2015 entry class, the most popular majors were public policy, economics, biology, biomedical engineering and psychology.

Sports and performance art both thrive at Duke University, which competes in athletics and basketball, and hosts more than 60 art events a year.

In 2014, Duke Kunshan University opened in China, with the aim of integrating liberal arts education with Chinese tradition. Duke also has a partnership with the National University of Singapore to collaborate on a joint medical programme, which took its first students in 2007.

Overall, the university is one of the most competitive to get into. For the “Class of 2019” cohort, only 11.4 per cent of the applicants received a place.

Unusually, the university requires undergraduates to live on campus for the first three years. More than 75 per cent of the students also pursue volunteering opportunities, supporting the university’s mission, “knowledge in service to society”.

The most notable alumnus is Richard Nixon, the 37th president of the United States. He graduated from Duke University with a law degree in 1937. Duke alumni also head many Fortune 500 companies including Apple, Cisco Systems, JPMorgan Chase and PepsiCo.

Melinda Gates, who co-founded the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation with her husband, also attended the university.

The alumni community also includes prominent novelists such as William Styron, who won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for his novel The Confessions of Nat Turner and also wrote Sophie’s Choice, and Anne Tyler, who received the Pulitzer Prize for Breathing Lessons.

The university has an extensive private research library network, with three libraries on its West Campus, two on its East Campus, a library at the marine laboratory and separate libraries for business, divinity, law and medicine.

19. University of Toronto (US)

Description

A message from the University of Toronto

Established in 1827, the University of Toronto is a world-renowned community of 85,000 students and 13,000 faculty members, located in one of the world’s most vibrant and multicultural cities.

The student experience

The University of Toronto attracts students of the highest calibre from around the world. Small-group seminars and tutorials, combined with large lectures and online support, give students the opportunity to develop a spectrum of skills and knowledge. Students are attracted to U of T by the opportunity to work closely with renowned professors and to engage in research right from the beginning of their academic careers.

The University of Toronto also offers a vibrant extra-curricular student experience, with more than 800 clubs and student-run organizations. And just outside the lecture halls lies a world-class city renowned for its extraordinary variety of activities and its multicultural diversity.

Research and innovation

The University of Toronto has a long history of innovation and research. It’s where Banting and Best first used insulin to treat diabetes, where Marshall McLuhan proclaimed that the medium is the message, where Frederick Teasdale and his colleagues developed Pablum and where Ernest McCulloch and James Till discovered stem cells. And the spirit of discovery lives on in a new generation of researchers making breakthroughs in such fields as computer speech recognition, solar energy, quantum cryptography, transportation and medicine. Today, our research community spans three campuses and nine partner hospitals, with annual research income totaling $1.2 billion. U of T researchers publish more articles than peers at any university except Harvard. U of T consistently ranks alongside the top five U.S. universities in the world in articles cited and is one of the top three single North American institutions in number of start-up companies created. 

University of Toronto alumni

U of T’s 500,000 alumni occupy leadership roles in more than 150 countries and in every sphere of human activity. Their ranks have included Lester Pearson, Norman Bethune, Margaret Atwood, Roberta Bondar, Julie Payette, David Cronenberg, Malcolm Gladwell and Craig Kielburger – prime ministers and poets, comedians and cinematographers, Nobel Prize laureates, humanitarians, astronauts and entrepreneurs.

18. Cornell University (US)

Founded in 1865, Cornell University is a private Ivy League university with a mission to “discover, preserve, and disseminate knowledge”. A federal land grant university with a private endowment, Cornell has six locations across the world. Its main campus in Ithaca, New York State, covers 2,300 acres of the Finger Lakes region, and is so extensive that students can go hiking without even leaving the university.

It also has a graduate school of medical sciences in New York city, a base in Rome where students study art, architecture and urban planning, a centre for students to gain work experience in Washington DC, and a medical college at Education City in Doha, Qatar.

Cornell counts 45 Nobel laureates among its faculty members and alumni. Other notable alumni include Tsai Ing-wen, the president-elect of Taiwan, and Huey Lewis, frontman for the band Huey Lewis and the News.

The university boasts a number of unique student traditions, such as Dragon Day, when, in late March each year, a huge dragon is paraded across campus by first-year students of the College of Architecture, Art and Planning. Heckled by rival students from the College of Engineering, the dragon is then burned in Cornell’s Arts Quad. This ritual can be traced back to high jinx of the architecture class of 1901, and was formalised by students in the 1950s.

Another tradition that has continued since Cornell’s opening in 1868 is the Cornell Chimes – daily bell performances by “chimesmasters”. These performers are selected by rigorous, 10 week long competitions, although chimesmasters do not need to have any previous experience playing the chimes. After climbing the 161 steps to the top of the historic McGraw Tower where the bells are housed, chimesmasters play from a collection of more than 2,500 songs, from musicians ranging from Schubert to the Beatles.

17. University of Pennsylvania (US)

Given its status as one of the nine original Colonial Colleges – institutions established before the US became a sovereign nation after the American Revolution – and a founding member of the Association of American Universities, it is no surprise the University of Pennsylvania(Penn) claims to be the first fully fledged (multi-faculty) “university” in the USA.

Though Penn’s origins date back to 1740, it was until 1749 when Benjamin Franklin published his famous essay, Proposals Relating to the Education of Youth, circulated it among Philadelphia’s prominent citizens, and organized 24 trustees to form an institution of higher education based on his proposals. It was 30 years later when Penn was granted university status. Since then, Penn has expanded into a sprawling 302-acre campus with 200 buildings. It boasts many notable “first” landmarks on campus including the country’s first student union, double-decker college football stadium, and the world’s first collegiate business school – The Wharton School.

Penn’s prowess is not restricted to just infrastructure. The university has an exhaustive list of notable alumni from all walks of life. Penn has affiliations with over 25 Nobel Laureates including physicist Raymond Davis Jr and economist Lawrence Klein, and has accounted for numerous heads of state. Ninth president of the USA, William Henry Harrison, trod the boards at Penn in 1791, while Nnamdi Azikiwe – former president of Nigeria – and Kwame Nkrumah – former prime minister and president of Ghana – both gained multiple degrees from the institution. Noted modernist poets and friends Ezra Pound and William Carlos Williams are among the literary luminaries from the institution.

16. University of California, Los Angeles (US)

University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) offers opportunities for inquiry, discovery, and education – and yet is a close community that provides a sense of belonging. The campus is home to world-renowned faculty who teach in 230 undergraduate and graduate majors, with more than two dozen academic programmes ranked among the top 20 in their disciplines. The faculty provide more than 5,000 courses annually, with two-thirds of undergraduate classes having fewer than 30 students. For many freshmen, the undergraduate experience begins with a year-long Cluster Course, a team-taught exploration of a challenging interdisciplinary topic. In addition, 200 Fiat Lux Seminars are offered, taught by senior faculty in small-group settings in which freshmen have priority enrolment. Undergraduate research projects are available as early as freshman year, and more than half of UCLA students graduate with research experience in the humanities, social sciences, or STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) disciplines. UCLA also encourages students to study abroad – more than 2,400 do so each year – with more than 275 programmes in 39 countries. Community service is also a cornerstone of undergraduate education at UCLA. Students can participate through programmes at the Volunteer Center – with more than 220 student groups engaged in community service – as well as on Volunteer Day, which brings together 8,000 UCLA volunteers annually. For more activities outside the classroom, UCLA offers 1,000 student organisations providing students with ample opportunity to pursue interests and projects with fellow students. UCLA is home to leading research centres and institutes, top performing arts programmes, an elite Division I athletics programme and the preeminent hospital in the Western United States.