THE World University Reputation Rankings 2025: Harvard leads, MIT & Oxford tie for 2nd, check list of top 10 here
Harvard University's campus in Cambridge, Mass. (The New York Times Photo)
World University Reputation Rankings 2025: The Times Higher Education (THE) has released the World University Reputation Rankings 2025, with Harvard University once again securing the top position. This marks the 14th consecutive year that Harvard has led the rankings. Following closely, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the University of Oxford share second place, making Oxford the highest-ranked UK institution in reputation rankings since 2015.
The reputation rankings assess universities based on their perceived academic excellence, as determined by leading scholars worldwide. The ranking provides insights into how institutions are viewed globally in terms of research and teaching excellence.
| 1 | Harvard University | United States | 99.9 |
| =2 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | United States | 99.7 |
| =2 | University of Oxford | United Kingdom | 99.7 |
| =4 | Stanford University | United States | 99.6 |
| =4 | University of Cambridge | United Kingdom | 99.6 |
| 6 | University of California, Berkeley | United States | 98.7 |
| 7 | Princeton University | United States | 95.1 |
| 8 | Tsinghua University | China | 92.2 |
| 9 | Yale University | United States | 91.8 |
| 10 | The University of Tokyo | Japan | 90.7 |
Notably, Harvard is not only the overall leader but also shares the top position in a new voter diversity measure alongside Oxford and Cambridge, further solidifying its global influence. Oxford’s rise to joint-second is significant, as it aligns with its sustained dominance in the overall THE World University Rankings, where it has held the number one spot for the last nine years. Meanwhile, Tsinghua University maintains its eighth position, continuing to be the highest-ranked institution from China and Asia.
Several other universities, including LMU Munich, KU Leuven, Sorbonne University, the University of Melbourne, the University of Hong Kong, and the University of Manchester, have entered the top 50 most influential university brands. Additionally, this year’s rankings showcase a broader global representation, with ten new countries making an appearance since last year. Notably, Chile, Malaysia, Poland, and Portugal have debuted in the rankings for the first time, marking an expansion globally.
The methodology for the World University Reputation Rankings 2025 has been refined to provide a more comprehensive assessment of institutional prestige. This year’s rankings incorporate a broader set of evaluation criteria to better capture the global academic landscape.
The ranking is determined based on three key pillars: vote counts, pairwise comparison, and voter diversity. Vote counts measure the number of votes an institution receives for its research and teaching. The pairwise comparison approach ensures that scholars consider a wider range of institutions when making their assessments. Finally, voter diversity plays a crucial role by rewarding universities that receive recognition from a broad spectrum of geographical regions and academic disciplines.
