loading_gif
Ubergrad Logo

Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2020 - Trends and Results

The Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2020 is one of the most cited university rankings in the world, and they have released their latest edition of world university rankings. Almost 1400 universities from across 92 countries around the world were considered for this comprehensive ranking list. 

The universities are measured based on 13 performance indicators which are grouped into 5 major areas. They are 

  • Teaching (the learning environment) - 30%
  • Research (volume, income, and reputation) - 30%
  • Citations (research influence) - 30%
  • International outlook (staff, students, and research) - 7.5%
  • Industry income (knowledge transfer) - 2.5%

Like always countries like the US, UK, and Australia have dominated the ranking table. The US and UK are the only countries to have its universities ranked among the top 10 with 7 universities belonging to the US and the remaining 3 to the UK. While the UK’s universities took the number 1, 3, and 10 spots, with the University of Oxford taking the crown, the remaining are covered by US universities. Below are the top 10 universities and their scores.

RankUniversityOverallTeachingResearchCitationsIndustry IncomeInternational outlook
1University of Oxford
(United Kingdom)
95.4
90.599.698.465.596.4
2California Institute of Technology
(United States)
94.592.197.297.988.082.5
3University of Cambridge
(United Kingdom)
94.491.498.795.859.395.0
4Stanford University
(United States)
94.392.896.499.966.279.5
5Massachusetts Institute of Technology
(United States)
93.690.592.499.586.989.0
6Princeton University
(United States)
93.290.396.398.858.681.1
7Harvard university
(United States)
93.089.298.699.147.376.3
8Yale University
(United States)
91.792.094.897.352.468.7
9University of Chicago
(United States)
90.289.191.496.752.776.0
10Imperial College London
(United Kingdom)
89.884.587.697.069.997.1

Top countries with the most number of universities under 200

RankCountryNo. of Universities (2020)No. of Universities (2019)
1United States6060
2United Kingdom2829
3Germany2323
4Australia/Netherlands11/119/12
5Canada/Switzerland/China7/7/79/7/7

Countries like the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, and Canada have always dominated the ranking table with the most number of universities under 200. However, while countries like the US, UK, and Germany have showcased the same or lesser number of universities than last year, Australia has added 2 more universities under the 200 ranking. 

While the number of universities under 200 kept declining since 2016 for both the US and UK, Australia’s universities kept improving. It is the only country from the above table to depict strong performance whilst improving in all the metrics. 

On the other hand, Germany while having the same number of universities from last year, has improved in the long-term over the course of the last 4 years. These numbers are only set to increase in the coming years. Canadian universities also have shown quite an improvement with all its 7 universities jumping up in their ranks from last year. However, 2 of its universities have dropped down out of the top 200. 

Now that you have checked out Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2020, do check out our analysis on QS World University Rankings 2020 as well.


For all those SMART Ubergrads who would let the experts do what they do the best!

Ubergrad.com is a D-I-Y (Do-It-Yourself) study abroad platform that is democratizing the way students APPLY and ENROLL at top universities overseas for graduate studies. You don't need to go to any person/agency for help. You can do it all by yourself from the comfort of your home !!

  • PREPARE - You can prepare and ace the mandatory tests like GRE, IELTS, etc. using our AI-enabled personalized adaptive learning platform and mock tests, at your own pace and comfort.
  • CHECK - Using our proprietary advanced Data Science-backed Machine Learning algorithms (U-SURE & U-SURE PRO), you can get best-fit courses and universities based on your profile parameters - CGPA, Bachelor's degree, Test scores, etc (up to 42 parameters).
  • SEARCH - You can then research these universities and get all the required information/data like required test scores, GPA, tuition fees, global and national rankings, WES evaluation, scholarships, etc., all in one place.
  • SELECT - Using our advanced filters like Tuition Fees, GRE Waiver, Duolingo acceptance, etc., you can shortlist and finalize the universities you want to apply to.
  • APPLY & ENROLL - You can apply to the universities finalized by using our step-by-step self-help resources (guides, videos, blogs, etc.) along with unique samples for SOPs, LORs, Transcripts, University Sample Applications, Admit Letters, Financial Documents, I20/COA/CAS, etc. You will also be getting WhatsApp/Email alerts to track the progress all along the process when you use our proprietary 'Application Tracking' feature.
  • VISA - Now that you have your I-20/CAS/COA, you can find step-by-step resources (guides, videos, blogs, etc.) along with samples for Visa Documents (DS-160 filling), etc as well as mock-visa drills to complete the most critical step of the entire process.
  • TRAVEL - You can find options/resources to book your flight tickets, buy forex/forex cards, international SIM cards, pay tuition fees, etc., all on our website.

In case, you need help at any stage of the process – from ‘shortlisting’ universities to finally ‘enrolling’ at your chosen university abroad, Ubergrad's Expert Counsellors are always available and are just a phone call away (Book a call by clicking on "Talk to Ubergrad Counsellor" button).