Top universities in 54 academic disciplines revealed

LONDON, March 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Global higher education analyst QS Quacquarelli Symonds has released the thirteenth edition of the QS World University Rankings by Subject, revealing the top universities in 54 academic disciplines, including three brand-new additions: Data Science, Marketing, and History of Art.

The rankings are based on an independent comparative analysis of over 15,700 individual university programs taken by students at 1,594 universities in 93 countries and territories.

This largest student-oriented subject rankings consists of five indicators: academic and employer reputation based on a global survey of 151,000 academics and 99,000 employers, research citations per paper, H-index, and international research network. The rankings were consulted over 120 million times in 2022 on TopUniversities.com and referenced 117,000 times by media globally.

Ben Sowter, QS Senior Vice President, said: "Our largest-ever subjects rankings provides a deeper understanding of how global higher education excellence is achieved. Sustained targeted investment and international collaboration are key pillars upon which progress can be made. In addition, improving relationships with industry correlates with better employment, research, and innovation outcomes."

The United States boast the highest number of top-10 programs (256), followed by the United Kingdom with 145, and Switzerland with 32. US universities lead in 32 subjects, with Harvard ranking first in fourteen and MIT in eleven.

British universities take the top spot in 15 subjects, with the University of Oxford leading in four, while Cambridge, UCL and the Royal College of Art lead in two each.

In continental Europe, ETH Zurich is the top university, achieving number-one spots in three subjects. Switzerland ranks first in four academic disciplines, while The Netherlands leads two and Italy one.

Australia ranks fourth in the world for the most ranked subjects and is among the top three most impactful research locations according to H-index.

China (Mainland) boasts the fifth-highest number of top-50 programmes. India is the second-most improved country in Asia, with its overall performance rising by 17%. Japan's systemic decline continues, with 43% of its universities falling down the table while 8% improve. 

Canada's University of Toronto boasts the most top-50 subjects in the world, with 48.

Universidad de Chile achieves Latin America's highest rank with Engineering - Mineral & Mining (8th). Brazil is the most represented country in Latin America with 291 programs and among the top-100 (55), while Mexico has the region's most top-20 subjects (3).

South Africa enjoys Africa's two highest-ranks: Mineral & Mining Engineering and Development Studies (both 12^th).

Source: QS Quacquarelli Symonds