QS World University Rankings 2026

On June 19, 2025, Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), a leading global higher education analyst, released the 2026 QS World University Rankings, with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) securing the top position for the 14th consecutive year. Hong Kong universities achieved remarkable success, with five institutions ranking among the global top 100 and the University of Hong Kong (HKU) climbing to a historic 11th place, making it Asia’s second-highest-ranked university.

The 2026 rankings evaluated 1,500 universities across 106 countries and regions, using nine key indicators: academic reputation (30%), employer reputation (15%), faculty-student ratio (10%), citations per faculty (20%), international faculty ratio (5%), international student ratio (5%), international research network (5%), employment outcomes (5%), and sustainability (5%). The United States led with 192 institutions listed, followed by the United Kingdom (90) and mainland China (72). The global top 10 featured four U.S. universities, four from the UK, one from Switzerland (ETH Zurich), and one from Asia (National University of Singapore, NUS).

MIT retained its global lead, followed by Imperial College London (2nd) and Stanford University (3rd), which entered the top three for the first time. The University of Oxford dropped to 4th, while Harvard University, facing scrutiny from the Trump administration, fell to 5th. In Asia, NUS maintained its 8th global ranking, solidifying its position as the region’s top institution, with Nanyang Technological University (NTU) at 12th.

Mainland China saw five universities in the global top 50, led by Peking University (14th, unchanged) and Tsinghua University (17th, up three spots). Fudan University rose nine places to 30th, while Shanghai Jiao Tong University (47th) and Zhejiang University (49th) each dropped two spots. Japan’s University of Tokyo (36th) and South Korea’s Seoul National University (38th) and Yonsei University (50th) also featured in the top 50.

Hong Kong’s higher education sector excelled, with nine universities listed, five of which ranked in the global top 100, surpassing the combined total of Japan and South Korea (three) but trailing mainland China by two. HKU led the city’s institutions, rising six places to 11th globally, its highest ranking since QS began in 2012, overtaking NTU (12th), Peking University (14th), and Tsinghua University (17th) to become Asia’s second-best university after NUS. HKU’s principal, Professor Xiang Zhang, attributed the achievement to the university’s commitment to excellence and its role in positioning Hong Kong as a global hub for study, innovation, and research.

The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) achieved its best-ever ranking, climbing four places to 32nd globally, with Principal Professor Rocky S. Tuan highlighting the university’s academic and research strengths. The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) rose three spots to 44th, emphasizing its focus on academic excellence, innovative research, and internationalization, with a diverse faculty and student body from over 40 countries. The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) also advanced three places to 54th, while City University of Hong Kong (CityU) slipped one spot to 63rd but stood out for its citations per faculty, ranking second globally behind Harvard.

Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) surged eight places to 244th, and Lingnan University improved slightly to the 701–710 band. Notably, The Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK) and Hong Kong Metropolitan University (HKMU) debuted at 530th and the 781–790 band, respectively. EdUHK’s President, Professor John Lee Chi-Kin, described the ranking as a testament to the university’s academic research, impactful outcomes, and international outlook.

QS noted that Hong Kong’s universities achieved a 71% improvement rate, the highest in Asia and second globally, driven by strong performance in citations per faculty, where CityU ranked second worldwide. However, the city saw declines in four indicators, notably international research networks. Despite this, QS praised Hong Kong’s “Study in Hong Kong” initiative, which is expected to bolster its appeal as a premier academic destination amid government funding challenges.

The 2026 QS World University Rankings underscore the growing competitiveness of Asian universities, with Hong Kong emerging as a regional powerhouse. As global leaders like MIT and Imperial College maintain their dominance, Hong Kong’s institutions are leveraging academic reputation, research impact, and employability to attract global talent. With three universities (HKU, CUHK, and HKUST) in the global top 50, Hong Kong is poised to further solidify its status as an academic hub, despite challenges in international collaboration.

As the global higher education landscape evolves, Hong Kong’s universities are well-positioned to drive innovation and excellence, contributing to the city’s vision of becoming a leading destination for education and research.