NUS Maintains 8th Position, NTU Advances to 12th in Global Rankings

In the latest QS World University Rankings for 2026, the National University of Singapore (NUS) has successfully retained its position as the eighth best university globally, while Nanyang Technological University (NTU) has climbed to twelfth place, marking a significant achievement in the competitive landscape of higher education. Released on June 19, 2025, the 22nd edition of the rankings evaluates 1,500 universities across 106 countries and territories, establishing a framework for assessing academic excellence worldwide.

NUS stands as the highest-ranked university in Asia, having broken into the top ten on a global scale, a milestone achieved for the first time in its history. The rankings are dominated by institutions from the United States and the United Kingdom, with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) leading the pack for the fourteenth consecutive year, followed by Imperial College London in second place, Stanford University in third, and the University of Oxford and Harvard University in fourth and fifth, respectively.

The QS rankings utilize nine indicators for their evaluations, including academic reputation, employer reputation, faculty-student ratio, citations per faculty, international faculty and student ratios, international research networks, employment outcomes, and sustainability. Among these, the most heavily weighted indicators are academic reputation (30%), citations per faculty (20%), and employer reputation (15%).

Specifically, NUS received accolades for its academic reputation, ranking 14th globally, while it improved its position in employer reputation from 32nd to 16th, and dropped three places to 64th for citations per faculty. NUS President Tan Eng Chye articulated that the university's consistent ranking underscores its unwavering commitment to excellence in education and research. “We are particularly heartened to be ranked amongst the best in Asia for academic reputation, and to have made notable advances in employer reputation and international research partnerships,” he stated.

NTU's rise to 12th position is attributed to its enhanced score in employer reputation, which improved significantly from 92nd to 67th place, as well as gains in the international student ratio. NTU President Ho Teck Hua emphasized that this advancement reflects the university’s ongoing efforts to innovate and adapt to the evolving educational landscape, citing recent initiatives such as the establishment of the College of Computing and Data Science and the Honours College, aimed at equipping students with essential skills for the future.

Moreover, Singapore Management University (SMU) experienced a remarkable surge in the rankings, climbing 74 spots to 511th, while the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) faced a significant decline, dropping 79 places to 519th. Notably, all four local universities in the rankings—NUS, NTU, SMU, and SUTD—saw their scores remain stagnant or decline in four key performance indicators: faculty-student ratio, citations per faculty, employment outcomes, and sustainability.

Ben Sowter, Senior Vice-President of QS, remarked that Singapore has solidified its status as a global hub for higher education, attributing its universities' impressive rankings to their exceptional research output and collaborative spirit. He noted that Singapore's focus on skills development and innovation plays a crucial role in enhancing graduate employability and advancing its aspiration to lead in future-ready, skills-oriented higher education.

As the landscape of higher education continues to evolve, the performance of these universities underscores the importance of adapting to the needs of the global workforce and fostering an environment of innovation and excellence. The implications of these rankings extend beyond mere prestige; they reflect a broader commitment to improving educational outcomes and preparing students for the challenges of the future.