Harvard University was the top-ranked university in the world in 2023 with a score of 100 according to the Shanghai Ranking Consultancy group. Out of the top 30 ranked universities, the United States had 20 different universities on the list.
An American legacy
Harvard University is by far the most prestigious university in the United States. Founded in 1636, it is the country’s oldest institution of higher learning. Harvard is a member of the Ivy League, which is a group of eight private colleges in the Northeastern United States. Ivy League colleges are known in the U.S. for being highly selective while providing top education.
The top of the top
Out of thousands of higher education institutions in the United States, Harvard is even more exceptional for producing both the most presidents and the most billionaires. Attending college is typically seen as giving attendees a leg up in society, although the high cost of attendance can sometimes negate this effect.
The 2023 Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) by Shanghai Ranking Consultancy
Several indicators are used to rank the universities. Number of alumni and academic staff winning Nobel Prizes and Fields Medals, highly cited researchers, papers published in Nature and Science, papers indexed in major indices and the per capita academic performance of the institution. The highest scoring institution is assigned a score of 100 and other institutions are calculated as a percentage of the top score.
Detailed information about the methodology can be accessed here.
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Academic Ranking of World Universities. (August 15, 2023). The 2023 Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) by Shanghai Ranking Consultancy [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved October 04, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/226665/academic-ranking-of-world-universities/
Academic Ranking of World Universities. "The 2023 Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) by Shanghai Ranking Consultancy." Chart. August 15, 2023. Statista. Accessed October 04, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/226665/academic-ranking-of-world-universities/
Academic Ranking of World Universities. (2023). The 2023 Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) by Shanghai Ranking Consultancy. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: October 04, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/226665/academic-ranking-of-world-universities/
Academic Ranking of World Universities. "The 2023 Academic Ranking of World Universities (Arwu) by Shanghai Ranking Consultancy." Statista, Statista Inc., 15 Aug 2023, https://www.statista.com/statistics/226665/academic-ranking-of-world-universities/
Academic Ranking of World Universities, The 2023 Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) by Shanghai Ranking Consultancy Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/226665/academic-ranking-of-world-universities/ (last visited October 04, 2024)
The 2023 Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) by Shanghai Ranking Consultancy [Graph], Academic Ranking of World Universities, August 15, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/226665/academic-ranking-of-world-universities/