Young University Rankings 2021

The Times Higher Education Young University Rankings list the world’s best universities that are 50 years old or younger.

The table is based on the same 13 performance indicators as the flagship THE World University Rankings, but the weightings have been adjusted to give less weight to reputation.

The universities are judged across all their core missions – teaching, research, knowledge transfer and international outlook – to provide the most comprehensive and balanced comparisons available.

The 2021 ranking includes 475 universities, up from 414 in 2020.


View the Young University Rankings 2021 methodology


Nanyang Technological University, Singapore is the world’s best young university for the first time this year, while Paris Sciences et Lettres – PSL Research University Paris ranks second, up from third last year.

South Korea has three institutions in the top 10, more than any other nation, while institutions in Asia more broadly outnumber those in the rest of the world in this elite group for the first time.

Paris-Saclay University is the highest new entry in the ranking, in 22nd place following a merger.

The UK is once again the most-represented country, with 37 institutions, while India has 34 and Spain has 33.

Overall, 68 territories feature in the table, up from 66 last year.


Read our analysis of the Young University Rankings 2021 results

Download a free copy of the Young University Rankings 2021 digital supplement


To raise your university’s global profile with Times Higher Education, contact branding@timeshighereducation.com

To unlock the data behind THE’s rankings, and access a range of analytical and benchmarking tools, contact data@timeshighereducation.com

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