World’s Best Universities, The Exclusive List

US News & World Report has long ranked the best American colleges and universities. Their annual list is prized by prospective students, current students, alumnae, and school officials who understand the great weight that their rankings have on college decision making. Appearing on the list is one thing, but placing at or near the top can spell the difference between attracting top notch students and support or finding themselves in an “also ran” position.

For the first time ever, the periodical has developed a list of what they say are the World’s Top Universities and Colleges, a list of two hundred schools around the world. Unlike the American list, which uses a difference methodology to come up with the top schools, the Top 200 global list places an emphasis on other factors such as the proportion of international faculty and the proportion of international students.

“With more prospective college students looking abroad to explore higher education options, we felt it was important to present to our readers a ranking that included institutions worldwide,” said U.S. News & World Report Editor Brian Kelly. “By showcasing the World’s Best Colleges and Universities on our education portal, we’ve succeeded in providing another comprehensive, one-stop resource for students and their families.”

“Furthermore, today more universities than ever are competing for the brightest students, the most recognized research faculty, and coveted research dollars,” said Bob Morse, Director of Data Research for U.S. News. “Through the World’s Best Colleges and Universities rankings, U.S. News helps to put these global education trends into context.”

The World’s Best Colleges and Universities rankings are based on the 2008 Times Higher Education – QS World University Rankings, developed by QS Quacquarelli Symonds, one of the world’s leading resources for careers and education.

The top school this year is Harvard University, one of six hundred universities evaluated. Nearly sixty of the schools are from the United States, with strong representation from Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and elsewhere.

U.S. News used what they called six distinct indicators of excellence to determine the rankings for 2008: Academic Peer Review, Employer Review, Student-to-Faculty Ratio, Proportion of International Faculty, Proportion of International Students, and Citations per Faculty Member.

To learn which schools made the list, check out www.usnews.com/worldcolleges for more information.

Source: U.S. News Media Group

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