Harvard University has been named the world’s most prestigious university (Photo by Maddie … [+]
Harvard has been named the world’s most respected university, as China makes a long-anticipated breakthrough into the world’s top 10.
A poll of academics around the globe saw Harvard retain top spot as the university with the best reputation for research and teaching, in the Times Higher Education annual Reputation Ranking.
But the biggest story in today’s rankings is China’s breakthrough into the top 10, with Tsinghua University named the 10th most prestigious university in the world.
While the reputation of China’s universities has been steadily rising for some time, this is the first time it has actively challenged the Anglo-American hegemony at the elite end of the global higher education market.
And Tsinghua’s arrival at the top table puts the seal on China’s performance overall, with two universities inside the top 15 and a record 17 in the top 200.
Almost 11,000 academics from around the world took part in the exercise, rating universities according to how well-regarded they are, with a total of 202 universities from 29 countries featuring in the table.
The Reputation Ranking is distinct from Times Higher Education’s overall university rankings, which take into account a range of factors across research, teaching and impact.
Although the survey is invitation-only, and vulnerable to the criticism that it is based on subjective judgements, it also has the virtue of being transparent in what it measures.
Tsinghua ranked 16th overall this year, its highest-ever position, tied with Peking University.
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There were few other movers in the Reputation top 10, although Oxford leapfrogged Stanford and Cambridge into third, doubtless helped by its role in developing a Covid-19 vaccine.
This year’s top 10 in the Reputation Ranking (with last year’s position in brackets) are:
1 (1) Harvard University (U.S.)
2 (2) Massachusetts Institute of Technology (U.S.)
3 (5) Oxford University (U.K.)
4 (3) Stanford University (U.S.)
5 (4) Cambridge University (U.K.)
6 (6) University of California, Berkeley (U.S.)
7 (7) Princeton University (U.S.)
8 (8) Yale University (U.S.)
9 (9) University of California, Los Angeles (U.S.)
10 (13) Tsinghua University (China)
Source: Times Higher Education Reputation Ranking 2021
As well as Tsinghua at 10, China also saw Peking University at 15, another five universities in the top 100 and five new universities ranked altogether, making a record 17 in the top 200.
All 12 of China’s institutions that appeared in last year’s rankings either improved or maintained their position.
“Reputation is a powerful currency for universities that plays a vital role in attracting student talent, academic talent, new partnerships and even inward investment,” said Phil Baty, chief knowledge officer at Times Higher Education.
“Mainland China’s breakthrough into the top 10 and its results across the table show that its excellence in higher education is increasingly coming to the notice of the wider world.”
China has historically been a net exporter of both students and academics, but he said its growing prestige could see a shift in the balance of power as it becomes increasingly attractive as a place to work and study.
“This could not only cause issues for the likes of the U.S. and U.K. in terms of attracting talent, but also funding and prestige on the world stage,” he added.
The U.S. still dominates the rankings, with 13 in the top 20 and with 57 out of 202 listed altogether it has more than a quarter of the total, but it is becoming increasingly hard to shrug off the threat from China.
