Harvard Tops THE World Reputation Rankings 2025 for 14th Consecutive Year; Indian Institutes Slip in Rankings

The Times Higher Education (THE) World Reputation Rankings 2025 evaluates universities based on their global academic prestige. This year, the ranking includes 300 institutions from 38 countries and territories, making it the most comprehensive edition yet.

Top Universities

Harvard University retains its position as the top-ranked institution for the 14th consecutive year. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the University of Oxford share the second spot. The University of Cambridge and Stanford University follow closely in fourth place.

Notable Changes

• Indian Institute of Science (IISc) has slipped to the 201-300 band from its previous ranking of 101-125.
• IIT Delhi and IIT Madras have also dropped to the 201-300 band.
• Shiksha ‘O’ Anusandhan, a private deemed-to-be university in Odisha, is the new entrant in the 201-300 band.

Methodology

The 2025 edition uses a revamped methodology that includes six key measures:

1. Research Vote Count
2. Teaching Vote Count
3. Research Pairwise Comparison
4. Teaching Pairwise Comparison
5. Research Voter Diversity
6. Teaching Voter Diversity

Regional Highlights

• United States dominates the top end of the rankings with six institutions in the top 10.
• United Kingdom sees its best performance since 2015 with the University of Oxford ranking second.
• China is represented by Tsinghua University in the eighth position.
• Japan has The University of Tokyo in the tenth spot.

New Entrants and Debut Countries

• Chile, Malaysia, Poland, and Portugal make their debut in the rankings.
• Sub-Saharan Africa is recognized for academic reputation for the first time since 2022.

Conclusion

The World Reputation Rankings 2025 provides a robust assessment of institutions by reputation, reflecting the growing importance of academic prestige in the global academic community. Harvard University continues to lead, reaffirming its status as the most prestigious college in the US1.