Top Universities in the World

There are many universities in the world, and quite a few excellent ones. The top ones, however, differentiate themselves in a myriad of ways. In this article, we want to take a look at what makes these universities great, and highlight some of the things that got them there.

First, these institutions must have a top-flight faculty as well as researchers to attract the best students. Students want to learn from the best in their fields of study.

Second, the student body themselves must be able to push each other to great accomplishments, not just in school, but also after they graduate. A personal network can be just as important for success in life as school achievements, and a top university should be providing both to a student.

Third, universities must have the best research facilities to attract the researchers and faculty that students want to study under. It may seem that a university needs to have one of these attributes to have the others, and this statement pretty much rings true. It must be noted however that these traits of a world-class university are grown within the institution, in that they need to achieve goals incrementally, making improvements every year.

The following is a list of these top universities. It should be noted that many schools could easily lay a claim to these spots, and the process was difficult to whittle the list down. In no particular order:

Harvard University

Harvard is a private Ivy League Institution and research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and is perhaps the most well-known university in the world. Studying at Harvard is an honour for those accepted. Those students who matriculate have access to some of the finest scholars in the world. The university is home to 11 separate colleges and offers 46 undergraduate degrees, 134 graduate degrees, and 32 professional degrees.

One of Harvard’s biggest draws is its aid program. While Harvard, like any of the other Ivy League universities, is quite expensive, it should be noted that families with an income less than $60,000 pay nothing for their children to attend, and families who make more than that but less than $120,000 pay very little.

Once a student graduates from Harvard, they join a very illustrious group of alumni. Eight United States presidents have attended Harvard and more than thirty heads of other states. 359 Rhodes Scholars and 242 Marshall Scholars are considered among the ranks of Harvard’s alumni as well. The prestige a degree from Harvard confers is also in line with their acceptance rate, which is one of the lowest in the world.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Also located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, MIT as it is known, is a private research university. MIT takes a different approach than some of the other schools on this list aside from Cal Tech. This approach is centred around laboratory instruction in applied science and engineering.

The group associated with MIT is no less illustrious than Harvard, or really any of the other institutions on this list. The 93 Nobel laureates, 26 Turing Award winners and 8 Fields Medalists have either attended MIT or been faculty members or researchers.

One of the draws of attending MIT is the work and research done on artificial intelligence, robots, and drones.

University of Oxford

Oxford is a research university located in Oxford, England. It is the oldest university in the English speaking world, and one of the most well respected. 27 United Kingdom Prime Ministers call themselves alumni of this university, and many more heads of major corporations.

One of Oxford’s greatest claims is its library system. For bibliophiles, this place can seem like heaven. Oxford has over 11 million volumes of books, and over 190 km of shelving to store it all.

Unlike the US institutions on this list, Oxford has 38 distinct ‘colleges’ on its campus that control who is admitted. They also have their own customs and traditions, including black and white tie dinners and functions.

Stanford University

Founded in 1885 in Stanford, California, this private research university is located in the middle of Silicon Valley, making it along with Cal Tech the youngest institutions on this list. It is a bastion of entrepreneurship, with many faculty or alumni starting some of the most well-known computer companies in the world.

It sometimes may prove difficult to figure out where Stanford ends and Silicon Valley begins. This has proven to be one of the greatest attractions of Stanford to students and faculty alike, as people jump from one to another. Cisco, Coursera, Google, Hewlett -Packard, Silicon Graphics, Sun Microsystems, and Yahoo all had founders that either attended Stanford as students or taught as faculty.

California Institute of Technology

Located in Pasadena, California just outside of Los Angeles, and founded in 1891, Cal Tech as it is known is a private research university. It, alongside MIT, is primarily devoted to the instruction of science, both pure and applied.

One of the largest draws for Cal Tech is the opportunity to be a literal rocket scientist. NASA, the space exploration organization for the United States, has its Jet Propulsion Laboratory located at Cal Tech. This lab does more than research, as it builds and operates planetary robotic spacecraft as well as conducts Earth-orbit and astronomy missions for NASA and the United States.

The University of Cambridge

Located in Cambridge, England, and founded in 1209, Cambridge is the second oldest university in the English speaking world, right behind Oxford. In fact, Cambridge was founded when a small group of academics from Oxford had a squabble with local townsfolk and decamped to Cambridge to found a new college.

Cambridge has more than one connection to a school on this list aside from Oxford; they partnered with MIT to form the Cambridge-MIT Institute to further cooperation between the universities. Cambridge also is linked to the tech startup culture of the UK, and works with ‘Silicon Fen’, much like Stanford and Silicon Valley.

Many greats have called Cambridge home at some point in their lives, including 188 Nobel Laureates, and 14 Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom

World Best Universities’s Scholarships

Harvard University MBA funding for International Students in USA

Harvard University MBA funding application is available to candidates of any nationality, but candidates of Lebanese descent will be given priority. The sponsorship will be awarded in the field of business.

Award: US$95,000
Deadline: May 31, 2019
Apply

St Cross Worldwide Scholarships at the University of Oxford in the UK

At University of Oxford, St Cross College is glad to offer St Cross Worldwide Scholarships. These educational awards are available for highly achievement international students to study a one-year MSc/MSt programme. The program aims to support students in their studies in the UK.

Award: £10,000
Deadline: June 7, 2019
Apply

MIT Media Lab Disobedience Award

MIT Media Lab Disobedience Award is available for students who must have taken a personal risk in order to affect positive change for greater society. Recipient must be living at the time of nomination.

Award: $250,000
Deadline: July 31, 2019
Apply

Churchill funding for US Citizen at Stanford University in USA

If you are passionate enough to do anything in your life, then you should take part in the Churchill program organized by the Winston Churchill Foundation of the United States.

Award: $45,000-$50,000
Deadline: October 14, 2019
Apply

Grants & Scholarships at California Institute of Technology

California Institute of Technology is delighted to offer multiple Grants & Scholarships. All scholarships and grants at Caltech are available for undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate students.

Award: Varies according to the program
Deadline: Varies according to the program
Apply

PhD Studentship in Music for EU and Non-EU Students at University of Cambridge in UK

Would you like to get a PhD degree in the field of Music? If yes, then this PhD Studentship in Music will helpful for you which offered by the University of Cambridge. This is an excellent chance for your future.

Award: £22,467
Deadline: June 28, 2019
Apply

Conclusion

In conclusion, I want to stress that many schools could lay claim to these spots. There are hundreds of well-regarded universities in the world and many more are climbing the rankings. The top few, however, set themselves above the rest, by attracting the best in the world, and set them up for further success.