World university rankings: The 20 top universities in the world
Take a guess at number one
We know what the Russell Group universities in the UK are, but what are the top universities in the world? The list is decided by a world university ranking which takes 13 important factors into consideration to help make a balanced comparison. These include teaching, research, industry income and citations, which in turn help to rate and rank the top unis. This year's top 20 features four British universities among many recognisable American establishments and ETH Zurich in Switzerland.
World university rankings: University of Michigan
The University Of Michigan has 41,831 students in full time education - 17% of which are international. The university has one member of staff per 8.3 students.
World university rankings: Cornell University
There are 21,904 students at Cornell University, 9.8 students per member of staff, and International students make up 25% of them.
World university rankings: Duke University
Full time students at Duke University equals 15,037. 18% of them are international, and there are 4.4 students per member of staff.
World university rankings: University of California, Los Angeles
39,464 students are in full time education at the University of California, with 15% of those coming from overseas. There are 9.2 students per member of staff.
World university rankings: Columbia University
26,586 full time students study at Columbia; 37% of them are international, and there are 6.0 students per one member of staff.
World university rankings: University of California, Berkeley
17% of Berkeley's 36,468 students are international, and there is one member of staff per 13.2 students.
World university rankings: UCL
University College London accepts 31,696 students in full time education . 51% of which are international. There is one member of staff per 10.6 students.
World university rankings: University of Pennsylvania
EQUAL with John Hopkins University.
20,443 full time students study at John Hopkins university, 20% of which are international. There are 6.4 students per single member of staff.
World university rankings: John Hopkins University
EQUAL with University of Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania has 16,146 full time students - 25% of which are international. They have 4.6 students per single member of staff.
World university rankings: ETH Zurich
18,171 students study at ETH Zurich. 39% of them are international, and there are 12.3 students per single member of staff.
World university rankings: University Of Chicago
25% of the University of Chicago's students are international. The university accepts 13,562 students at any one time, and offers one member of staff per 6.1 students.
World university rankings: Imperial College London
56% of Imperial College London's 16,425 students are international students, and the university offers one member of staff per 11.7 students.
World university rankings: Yale University
Yale have 12,318 full time students at any one time - 20% of which are international. They also have one member of staff per 5.2 students.
World university rankings: Princeton University
Princeton only accept 7,996 students at any one time - 24% of them are from overseas, and there is one member of staff per 8.2 students.
World university rankings: Harvard University
26% of Harvard's 20,595 students are from international, which the university having one member of staff for every 9.1 students.
World university rankings: California Institute of Technology
Caltec only accept 2,2556 students at any one time - 29% of which are foreign. They have 6.5 students per teacher.
World university rankings: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
MIT take on 11,231 at any one time - 34% of which are from overseas. The university have 8.7 students to every member of staff.
World university rankings: Stanford University
23% of Stanford's 15,878 students come from oversees, while they have one member of staff to every 7.4 students.
World university rankings: University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge has 18,749 students, 10.9 students to every member of staff, and 37% of those studying come from overseas.
World university rankings: University of Oxford
Oxford University has 20,298 full time students, one member of staff per 11 students and 40% foreign students.
Dusty Baxter-Wright is an award-winning journalist and the Entertainment and Lifestyle Director at Cosmopolitan, having previously worked at Sugarscape. She was named one of PPA’s 30 Under 30 for her work covering pop culture, careers, interiors and travel, and oversees the site’s Entertainment and Lifestyle strategy across print, digital and video. As a journalist for the best part of a decade, she has interviewed everyone from Louis Theroux and Channing Tatum to Margot Robbie and Ncuti Gatwa, while she has also spoken on Times Radio and BBC Radio. You can find her on Twitter and Instagram here.
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