Best Universities play an important role as leaders in teaching and learning, in research and technology.

Michelle Obama once said ‘’Public education is our greatest pathway to opportunity in America. So we need to invest in and strengthen our public universities today, and for generations to come’’.

Universities are the main drive for growth and economic development.

Which university will you rank as among the best in the world?

Before you give an answer; take a look at these well rank universities:

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1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is based in the city of Cambridge, Massachusetts and is an independent, coeducational, private research university.

It was established in 1861 with the aims to ‘further provide knowledge and prepare students in science, technology and other fields of study that will best benefit the nation and the world today’.

MIT‘s motto is Mens et Manus, which translates as “Mind and Hand”.

The university lays claim to 85 Nobel Laureates, 58 National Medal of Science winners, 29 National Medal of Technology and Innovation winners and 45 MacArthur Fellows.

Among its impressive alumni is Kofi Annan, former secretary-general of the United Nations.

Scientific discoveries and technological advances accredited to MIT include the first chemical synthesis of penicillin, the development of radar, the discovery of quarks, and the invention of magnetic core memory, which enabled the development of digital computers.

MIT estimates that all its living alumni have between them launched more than 30,000 active companies, created 4.6 million jobs and generated roughly $1.9 trillion in annual revenue.

Visit MIT at http://web.mit.edu/

 

2. Stanford University

Stanford University is located in the heart of Silicon Valley and it was founded in 1885 by Jane and Leland Stanford.

The aim was “to promote the public welfare by exercising an influence in behalf of humanity and civilization.” Since opening in 1891, Stanford’s faculty and students have worked to improve the health and wellbeing of people around the world through the discovery and application of knowledge.

Breakthroughs at Stanford include the first successful heart-lung transplant, the debut of the computer mouse, and the development of digital music.

Stanford counts 19 Nobel laureates within its community today and numerous famous alumni associated with the university from the worlds of art, social sciences, business, politics, humanities, media, sports and technology.

The 31st president of the US, Herbert Hoover, was part of the first class at Stanford, and received a degree in geology in 1895.

The first American woman to go into space, Sally Ride, received an undergraduate degree in physics from Stanford in 1973. Just 10 years later, she made her ascent into space.

Stanford’s official seal contains the German words, “Die Luft der Freiheit weht”, which translates as “the wind of freedom blows”.

Visit Stanford University at https://www.stanford.edu/

 

3. Harvard University
Harvard University is the oldest university in the United State and is regarded as one of the most prestigious in the world.

It was named after its first benefactor, John Harvard, who left his library and half his estate to the institution when he died in 1638.

The private Ivy League institution has connections to more than 45 Nobel laureates, over 30 heads of state and 48 Pulitzer prize winners. It has more than 323,000 living alumni, including over 271,000 in the US and nearly 52,000 in 201 other countries.

Thirteen US presidents have honorary degrees from the institution.

Harvard’s official colour is crimson, following a vote in 1910, after two student rowers provided crimson scarves to their teammates so that spectators could differentiate the university’s team during a regatta in 1858.

Visit Stanford University at https://www.harvard.edu/

 

4. University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is located in and around Oxford’s medieval city centre and comprises 44 colleges and halls, and over 100 libraries, making it the largest library system in the UK.

While its exact founding date is unknown, there is evidence that teaching took place as far back as 1096.

Oxford’s first international student, named Emo of Friesland, was enrolled in 1190, while the modern day university prides itself on having an ‘international character’ with connections to almost every country in the world and 40% of its faculty drawn from overseas.

As a modern, research-driven university, Oxford has numerous strengths but cites particular prowess in the sciences, having recently ranked number one in the world for medicine and among the top ten universities globally for life sciences, physical sciences, social sciences, and the arts and humanities.

Visit University of Oxford at http://www.ox.ac.uk/

 

5. California Institute of Technology (Caltech)
The California Institute of Technology also known as Caltech is a world-renowned science and engineering research and education institution, where extraordinary faculty and students seek answers to complex questions, discover new knowledge, lead innovation, and transform the future.

Caltech has six academic divisions with a strong emphasis in science and technology teaching and research. The university has a competitive admissions process ensuring that only a small number of the most gifted students are admitted.

Caltech has a high research output and alongside many high-quality facilities, both on campus and globally. This includes the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the Caltech Seismological Laboratory and the International Observatory Network.

Caltech students are also well-known for playing pranks, with one of the most famous pranks including changing the “Hollywood” sign to read Caltech, by covering up parts of the letters.

Visit California Institute of Technology (Caltech) at https://www.caltech.edu/

 

6. ETH Zurich – Swiss Federal Institute of Technology
Established in 1855 as the Federal Polytechnic School, a century and a half later ETH Zurich is now considered among some of the world’s most prestigious universities in science and technology.

The institute has produced over 20 Nobel Prize Laureates, including the father of modern physics and the inventor of the general theory of relativity Albert Einstein.

The university, commonly known as Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich or Poly for short, has based its success on Swiss traditions of cherishing fundamental principles of freedom, individual responsibility, entrepreneurial spirit and open-minded approach to education.

It remains a European research pioneer, which tries to offer practical solutions, which address worldwide challenges.

Students, who follow an intensive course of academic study, have the chance to attend regular exhibitions and concerts, but also to benefit from the numerous academic events held on campus, acting as a meeting point for some of the best scientists in Europe.

Since the 1880s, university students have had the opportunity to hit the dance floor at the classic ball event Polyball, enjoying the performance of a live orchestra and famous national singers.

Visit Swiss Federal Institute of Technology at https://ethz.ch/de.html

 

7. University of Cambridge
Founded in 1209, the University of Cambridge is a collegiate public research institution. Its 800-year history makes it the fourth-oldest surviving university in the world and the second-oldest university in the English-speaking world.

Cambridge serves more than 18,000 students from all cultures and corners of the world.

Nearly 4,000 of its students are international and hail from over 120 different countries. In addition, the university’s International Summer Schools offer 150 courses to students from more than 50 countries.

The campus is located in the centre of the city of Cambridge, with its numerous listed buildings and many of the older colleges situated on or near the river Cam.

The university is home to over 100 libraries, which, between them, hold more than 15 million books in total. In the main Cambridge University library alone, which is a legal depository, there are eight million holdings. The university also owns nine arts, scientific and cultural museums that are open to the public throughout the year, as well as a botanical garden.

Cambridge University Press is a non-school institution and operates as the university’s publishing business.

The university’s endowment is valued at nearly £6 billion.

Visit University of Cambridge at https://www.cam.ac.uk/

 

8. University College London – UCL
University College London was founded in 1826 to bring higher education to those who were typically excluded from it.

In 1878, it became the first university in England to admit women on equal terms as men.

Located in the heart of London, UCL is a constituent college of the University of London and a member of the Russell Group, with approximately 850 professors and over 6,000 academic and research staff.

UCL alumni include film director Derek Jarman, the writer Lynne Truss, Baroness Patricia Scotland, who became the UK’s first female Attorney General, and Marie Stopes, who founded Britain’s first family planning clinic.

The university’s Latin motto translates as ‘Let all come who by merit deserve the most reward.’

Visit University College London – UCL at https://www.ucl.ac.uk/

 

9. Imperial College London
Imperial College London, a science-based institution based in the centre of the capital, is regarded as one of the UK’s leading institutions.

The institution has its roots in the vision of Prince Albert to make London’s South Kensington a centre for education, with colleges going alongside the nearby Natural History Museum, Victoria and Albert Museum and Science Museum.

The college’s motto is Scientia imperii decus et tutamen, which translates as “Scientific knowledge, the crowning glory and the safeguard of the empire”.

Imperial’s most notable landmark is the Queen’s Tower, a remainder of the Imperial Institute, built to mark Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee in 1887.

Visit Imperial College London at https://www.imperial.ac.uk/

 

10. University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is an urban research university that has driven new ways of thinking since 1890.

Their commitment to free and open inquiry draws inspired scholars to the global campuses, where ideas are born that challenge and change the world.

University of Chicago empowers individuals to challenge conventional thinking in pursuit of original ideas.

The university also generate new insights for the benefit of present and future generations.

UChicago researchers have led such breakthroughs as discovering the link between cancer and genetics, establishing revolutionary theories of economics, and developing tools to produce reliably excellent urban schooling.

Visit University of Chicago at https://www.uchicago.edu/

 

11. National University of Singapore (NUS)
As Singapore’s flagship university and among Asia’s best, the National University of Singapore (NUS) offers a global approach to education, research and entrepreneurship, with a focus on Asian perspectives and expertise.

The University’s multidisciplinary and real-world approach to education, research and entrepreneurship enables us to work closely with industry, governments and academia to address crucial and complex issues relevant to Asia and the world.

The University’s latest research focus is to use data science, operations research and cybersecurity to support Singapore’s Smart Nation initiative.

We also strive to create a supportive and innovative environment to promote creative enterprise within our community.

Visit NUS at http://www.nus.edu.sg/

 

12. Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU)
Nanyang Technological University is a research-intensive public university in Singapore.

Named by Times Higher Education as the world’s fastest-rising young university, Nanyang Technological University (NTU Singapore) is one of the youngest in the global league of universities.

The NTU Smart Campus is already a living test bed for various sustainable and energy-efficient technologies. NTU strives to serve as a model for other communities in Singapore and around the globe by demonstrating how advanced tech-enabled solutions can help improve everyday life in a sustainable manner.

NTU is also home to world-class institutes. The National Institute of Education trains all teachers in Singapore, which is known for having one of the most successful education systems in the world.

Other key institutes are the Nanyang Environment & Water Research Institute, and the Energy Research Institute @ NTU.

Visit NTU at https://www.ntu.edu.sg/Pages/home.aspx

 

13. Princeton University
Princeton University is a private Ivy League research university in Princeton, New Jersey.

Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the nine colonial colleges chartered before the American Revolution.

The institution moved to Newark in 1747, then to the current site nine years later, and renamed itself Princeton University in 1896.

Princeton provides undergraduate and graduate instruction in the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, and engineering.

Princeton has the largest endowment per student in the United States.

Two U.S. Presidents, twelve U.S. Supreme Court Justices and numerous living billionaires and foreign heads of state are all counted among Princeton’s alumni body.

Visit Princeton University at https://www.princeton.edu/

 

14. Cornell University
Founded in 1865, Cornell University is a private Ivy League university with a mission to “discover, preserve, and disseminate knowledge”.

A federal land grant university with a private endowment, Cornell has six locations across the world.

Its main campus in Ithaca, New York State, covers 2,300 acres of the Finger Lakes region, and is so extensive that students can go hiking without even leaving the university.

Cornell counts 45 Nobel laureates among its faculty members and alumni.

Other notable alumni include Tsai Ing-wen, the president-elect of Taiwan, and Huey Lewis, frontman for the band Huey Lewis and the News.

Visit Cornell University at https://www.cornell.edu/

 

15. University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is one of the nine original Colonial Colleges which was established before the US became a sovereign nation after the American Revolution

It is also a founding member of the Association of American Universities that is why it claims to be the first fully fledged university in the USA.

The university has an exhaustive list of notable alumni from all walks of life.

The ninth president of the USA, William Henry Harrison, trod the boards at Penn in 1791, while Nnamdi Azikiwe – former president of Nigeria – and Kwame Nkrumah – former prime minister and president of Ghana – both gained multiple degrees from the institution.

Visit University of Pennsylvania at https://www.upenn.edu/

 

16. Tsinghua University
The campus of Tsinghua University is situated on the site of the former imperial gardens of the Qing Dynasty, and surrounded by a number of historical sites in northwest Beijing.

Established in 1911, Tsinghua University is a unique comprehensive university bridging China and the world, connecting ancient and modern, and encompassing the arts and sciences.

As one of China’s most prestigious and influential universities, Tsinghua is committed to cultivating global citizens who will thrive in today’s world and become tomorrow’s leaders.

Through the pursuit of education and research at the highest level of excellence, Tsinghua is developing innovative solutions that will help solve pressing problems in China and the world.

Visit Tsinghua University at https://www.tsinghua.edu.cn/publish/thu2018/index.html

 

17. Yale University
Yale University is a private Ivy League research university which is the third-oldest higher education institution in the US.

Yale traces its history back to 1701, when it was founded as the Collegiate School in Saybrook, Connecticut, which moved to New Haven 15 years later.

In 1718 it was renamed Yale College, in honour of Welsh benefactor Elihu Yale, and it was the first university in the US to award a PhD, in 1861.

Around one in five students is international, and more than half of all undergraduates receive scholarships or grants from the university.

Visit Yale University at https://www.yale.edu/

 

18. Columbia University
Founded in 1754 as King’s College by Royal Charter of King George II of England, Columbia is the oldest university in the state of New York and one of the oldest in the US.

Its main landmark is the Low Memorial Library, which was built in the Roman Classical style and still houses the university’s central administration offices.

Columbia has also educated Founding Father of the US Alexander Hamilton, US presidents Theodore and Franklin Roosevelt and actors Jake Gyllenhaal, Katie Holmes and Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

In 2014-15, the university’s total endowment value passed the $9.6 billion mark.

Lee Bollinger became Columbia University’s 19th president in 2002, making him the longest-serving leader of an Ivy League institution.

Visit Columbia University at https://www.columbia.edu/

 

19. EPFL – Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne
The École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) is a research institute and university in Lausanne, Switzerland, that specializes in natural sciences and engineering.

It is one of the two Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology, and it has three main missions: education, research and technology transfer at the highest international level.

EPFL is widely regarded as a world leading university.

EPFL is located in the French-speaking part of Switzerland; the sister institution in the German-speaking part of Switzerland is the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETH Zurich).

In connection with research and teaching activities, EPFL operates a nuclear reactor CROCUS, a Tokamak Fusion reactor, a Blue Gene/Q Supercomputer and P3 bio-hazard facilities.

Visit École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne at https://www.epfl.ch/en/

 

20. University of Edinburgh
Founded in 1583, the University of Edinburgh (UoE) is the sixth oldest university in the English-speaking world and one of Britain and Ireland’s seven ancient universities.

UoE is an internationally-focussed university and welcomes students from all corners of the globe, with the majority coming from China and the United States.

Its students can also take advance of the Go Abroad Fund, which provides grants for 250 or students to have a short-term international experience each year. Additionally, students are also encouraged to either study or work abroad as part of their course.

A total of 20 Nobel laureates are affiliated with the University of Edinburgh.

These include winners of Prizes in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, Peace, Literature and the Memorial Prize in Economic Science.

Alumni include Charles Darwin, David Hume, Alexander Graham Bell and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, among many others.

Situated in the heart of the historic capital of Scotland, the city of Edinburgh is home to the Scottish Parliament, an ancient volcanic rock and an iconic castle.

Visit University of Edinburgh at https://www.ed.ac.uk/

 

 

Conclusion
An educated populace is vital in today’s world, with the convergent impacts of globalization, the increasing importance of knowledge as a main driver of growth.

While universities have long been vital and powerful drivers of global innovation and economic development, they must now be willing to break.

Universities play an important role as leaders in teaching and learning, in education, research and technology.

The contributions from students attending universities will work to change the world, starting with their work today.