Young University Rankings 2017: Golden Age universities

Our new table of the world's best universities established between 1945 and 1966 puts the University of California, San Diego at the top

April 5, 2017
San Diego
Source: iStock

The University of California, San Diego tops a new Times Higher Education table of the world’s best universities founded in the aftermath of the Second World War.

Three other institutions in the University of Californian system also make the inaugural “Golden Age” ranking – Irvine at ninth, Santa Cruz at 15th and Riverside at joint 19th.

The table lists the world’s best universities established between 1945 and 1966 – what THE describes as the “Golden Age” in global higher education, characterised by rapid university expansion and increasing investment in research.

The UK is the most-represented country in the top 100 list with 19 universities, led by the University of Warwick at eighth. The country’s success is due to the birth of “plate glass” universities following the 1963 Robbins report.

This era also saw the establishment of several Indian Institutes of Technology, resulting in the Asian giant taking seven places.

Meanwhile, Australia and Canada each have six representatives. The Antipodean nation is also the most-represented in the top 10, claiming three places: Australian National University (second), Monash University (fourth), and University of New South Wales (seventh).

Altogether 31 countries make the list.

These middle-aged universities perform strongly across all 13 metrics underpinning the ranking, but particularly on those related to teaching, research reputation and research productivity. 

They also attract high proportions of international staff, on average.

The table uses the same methodology as the THE World University Rankings.


Golden Age universities

Golden Age Rank

World University Rank 2016-17

Institution

Country

Year founded

Teaching

Research

Citations

Industry income

International outlook

Overall score

1

41

University of California, San Diego

United States

1960

61.2

66.2

98.9

67.3

47.7

73.2

2

47

Australian National University

Australia

1946

54.0

73.9

81.7

53.5

93.9

71.3

3

=72

Seoul National University

South Korea

1946

70.2

69.8

58.8

85.2

32.4

64.2

4

74

Monash University

Australia

1958

49.5

57.4

78.5

76.0

87.1

64.0

5

75

Free University of Berlin

Germany

1948

58.1

67.3

66.9

38.9

67.2

63.7

6

76

Chinese University of Hong Kong

Hong Kong

1963

52.2

60.4

74.6

44.7

84.0

63.6

7

=78

University of New South Wales

Australia

1949

43.2

58.6

81.4

49.7

91.0

63.0

8

=82

University of Warwick

United Kingdom

1965

46.8

52.6

80.9

40.8

91.4

62.0

9

=98

University of California, Irvine

United States

1965

42.5

45.0

94.1

45.5

62.3

60.3

10

102

University of Mannheim

Germany

1946

39.1

51.3

88.3

76.4

57.7

59.8

11

=121

University of Southampton

United Kingdom

1952

39.2

46.1

82.8

39.2

90.2

58.1

12

=126

University of Exeter

United Kingdom

1955

34.6

39.2

94.3

34.9

87.6

57.9

13

129

University of York

United Kingdom

1963

42.5

45.9

79.8

34.1

84.5

57.7

14

=137

Lancaster University

United Kingdom

1964

37.0

40.9

84.7

35.6

89.1

56.4

15

146

University of California, Santa Cruz

United States

1965

34.7

35.3

99.8

40.9

48.7

55.6

16

149

University of Sussex

United Kingdom

1961

32.6

37.9

88.1

33.7

88.8

55.1

=17

=153

University of Science and Technology of China

China

1958

51.8

43.4

74.7

77.6

24.2

54.7

=17

=153

University of Twente

Netherlands

1962

36.8

46.7

70.8

84.6

83.6

54.7

=19

=165

University of California, Riverside

United States

1954

32.0

33.7

93.4

40.5

62.2

53.4

=19

=165

University of East Anglia

United Kingdom

1963

30.7

31.1

92.4

32.4

84.3

53.4

21

=170

University of Gothenburg

Sweden

1954

30.3

40.5

87.9

39.9

59.6

53.1

22

=173

University of Waterloo

Canada

1957

37.8

44.9

70.8

41.0

77.5

52.9

23

177

Eindhoven University of Technology

Netherlands

1956

36.6

43.5

71.7

56.9

72.0

52.4

24

=190

Newcastle University

United Kingdom

1963

33.6

32.1

81.0

38.7

84.9

51.3

25

194

University of Konstanz

Germany

1966

39.8

44.5

64.4

73.1

62.6

51.1

26

=195

University of Calgary

Canada

1966

34.8

35.2

77.9

48.8

71.5

51.0

27

=198

Brandeis University

United States

1948

29.8

24.6

99.7

33.8

49.2

50.8

28

200

University of Illinois at Chicago

United States

1965

46.0

35.3

69.6

41.6

57.1

50.6

29

201-250

University of Bergen

Norway

1946

29.8

29.3

86.2

36.6

74.0

50.1

30

201-250

Tel Aviv University

Israel

1956

41.0

51.1

55.1

45.3

49.1

49.0

31

201-250

Stony Brook University

United States

1957

34.7

24.5

86.8

35.6

55.6

48.8

32

201-250

Simon Fraser University

Canada

1965

23.8

31.9

77.0

47.5

89.3

47.7

33

201-250

University of Trento

Italy

1962

23.6

27.7

89.3

41.3

57.3

47.5

34

201-250

University of South Florida

United States

1956

27.8

34.9

75.2

95.8

44.4

47.1

35

201-250

University of Newcastle

Australia

1965

29.3

28.5

73.5

63.7

79.8

46.9

36

201-250

University of Oulu

Finland

1958

30.3

32.6

75.1

39.9

54.2

46.4

37

251-300

Macquarie University

Australia

1964

32.5

36.5

62.3

41.3

75.0

46.0

38

251-300

University of Bath

United Kingdom

1966

31.8

31.0

65.1

37.2

85.5

45.7

39

251-300

University of Southern Denmark

Denmark

1966

21.4

23.6

81.6

69.9

76.9

45.5

40

251-300

University of Surrey

United Kingdom

1966

30.0

32.6

60.9

37.6

91.8

44.9

41

251-300

Umeå University

Sweden

1965

22.6

28.6

79.7

35.2

59.9

44.6

42

251-300

Ruhr University Bochum

Germany

1965

36.7

36.2

56.9

59.2

51.6

44.3

43

301-350

University of Victoria

Canada

1963

22.1

22.5

77.9

37.9

73.7

43.2

=44

301-350

Loughborough University

United Kingdom

1966

32.9

34.4

54.0

37.0

73.2

42.8

=44

301-350

University of Essex

United Kingdom

1964

32.3

36.0

47.7

32.8

95.2

42.8

46

301-350

Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology

Russian Federation

1946

47.7

33.1

40.8

98.7

50.0

42.7

47

301-350

York University

Canada

1959

29.9

39.7

50.7

37.4

73.5

42.6

48

301-350

University of Kent

United Kingdom

1965

22.8

22.3

68.7

32.5

89.3

41.6

49

301-350

Brunel University London

United Kingdom

1966

24.9

26.0

61.3

37.2

92.3

41.5

50

301-350

University of Navarra

Spain

1952

29.7

23.9

65.3

55.6

55.6

41.3

51-100

501-600

University of the Andes

Colombia

1948

19.9

14.9

50.0

49.4

55.5

26.9-39.6

351-400

Aston University

United Kingdom

1966

20.6

23.9

56.2

34.3

93.5

26.9-39.6

401-500

Bar-Ilan University

Israel

1955

23.5

23.0

49.0

32.8

51.5

26.9-39.6

351-400

Binghamton University, State University of New York

United States

1946

24.3

20.4

68.5

35.9

40.3

26.9-39.6

China University of Geosciences, Beijing

China

1952

30.0

19.2

48.6

54.6

17.9

26.9-39.6

501-600

China Medical University, Taiwan

Taiwan

1958

24.0

24.4

45.2

69.6

27.0

26.9-39.6

351-400

City, University of London

United Kingdom

1966

24.1

25.9

56.2

33.3

91.0

26.9-39.6

501-600

East China Normal University

China

1951

27.4

18.7

46.7

45.1

41.6

26.9-39.6

501-600

East China University of Science and Technology

China

1952

22.5

15.2

51.9

60.7

25.6

26.9-39.6

351-400

Flinders University

Australia

1966

22.3

11.3

74.9

36.5

66.1

26.9-39.6

351-400

University of Guelph

Canada

1964

26.1

33.0

48.7

46.9

55.4

26.9-39.6

401-500

Heriot-Watt University

United Kingdom

1966

22.2

24.0

49.3

42.8

92.1

26.9-39.6

501-600

Hiroshima University

Japan

1949

30.0

14.0

41.2

45.4

24.0

26.9-39.6

351-400

Hong Kong Baptist University

Hong Kong

1956

23.3

13.6

67.4

32.9

79.1

26.9-39.6

401-500

Huazhong University of Science and Technology

China

1953

31.0

24.7

43.6

68.0

19.9

26.9-39.6

351-400

Indian Institute of Technology Bombay

India

1958

39.2

31.1

52.8

46.9

19.2

26.9-39.6

401-500

Indian Institute of Technology Delhi

India

1961

37.5

23.9

47.0

71.7

15.9

26.9-39.6

401-500

Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur

India

1959

34.6

22.9

38.4

98.8

17.9

26.9-39.6

501-600

Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur

India

1951

31.0

19.4

44.5

49.5

16.0

26.9-39.6

401-500

Indian Institute of Technology Madras

India

1959

38.3

22.3

41.2

81.1

17.5

26.9-39.6

501-600

University of Ioannina

Greece

1964

14.3

14.8

64.8

35.5

40.3

26.9-39.6

501-600

Jadavpur University

India

1955

32.1

15.4

37.6

39.1

14.1

26.9-39.6

401-500

Johannes Kepler University of Linz

Austria

1966

25.3

15.5

49.9

41.2

58.0

26.9-39.6

401-500

Keele University

United Kingdom

1949

18.3

20.4

53.6

33.2

73.6

26.9-39.6

401-500

King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals

Saudi Arabia

1963

28.7

16.8

36.7

92.8

86.8

26.9-39.6

501-600

King Saud University

Saudi Arabia

1957

24.0

27.9

28.7

96.4

76.0

26.9-39.6

351-400

Kyung Hee University

South Korea

1949

28.5

35.5

48.5

79.3

51.5

26.9-39.6

University of Malaya

Malaysia

1949

29.1

22.0

46.4

46.9

70.0

26.9-39.6

401-500

Marche Polytechnic University

Italy

1959

21.2

7.2

85.8

37.5

28.1

26.9-39.6

401-500

University of Maryland, Baltimore County

United States

1966

21.3

18.7

58.8

33.4

29.6

26.9-39.6

401-500

Massey University

New Zealand

1964

22.5

19.6

43.3

39.1

92.2

26.9-39.6

601-800

Middle East Technical University

Turkey

1956

27.3

19.5

31.4

58.8

27.8

26.9-39.6

401-500

University of Nantes

France

1961

17.3

15.5

64.9

35.5

45.4

26.9-39.6

401-500

National Chiao Tung University

Taiwan

1958

33.0

40.2

35.3

89.3

33.4

26.9-39.6

501-600

National Institute of Applied Sciences of Lyon (INSA Lyon)

France

1957

27.3

11.9

43.0

66.7

76.4

26.9-39.6

501-600

National Taiwan Normal University

Taiwan

1946

28.2

31.1

17.6

78.3

44.4

26.9-39.6

401-500

University of Nice Sophia Antipolis

France

1965

21.9

8.0

58.1

32.5

79.2

26.9-39.6

401-500

Novosibirsk State University

Russian Federation

1959

43.2

28.3

33.6

36.3

36.0

26.9-39.6

501-600

Pusan National University

South Korea

1946

27.8

27.1

25.6

63.8

33.9

26.9-39.6

401-500

University of Salento

Italy

1955

25.0

11.8

65.6

37.6

25.2

26.9-39.6

501-600

Sharif University of Technology

Iran

1966

25.1

27.4

37.6

85.3

17.9

26.9-39.6

501-600

Université de Sherbrooke

Canada

1954

22.2

13.3

45.8

34.7

56.2

26.9-39.6

501-600

Sogang University

South Korea

1960

24.9

27.5

32.7

48.4

26.0

26.9-39.6

401-500

State University of Campinas

Brazil

1966

44.9

39.6

28.0

46.5

24.1

26.9-39.6

401-500

University of Strathclyde

United Kingdom

1964

24.2

31.2

36.2

46.6

75.1

26.9-39.6

601-800

Taipei Medical University

Taiwan

1960

26.4

21.1

27.3

97.9

28.4

26.9-39.6

501-600

Tampere University of Technology

Finland

1965

23.0

14.9

44.3

64.6

56.1

26.9-39.6

601-800

Tata Institute of Fundamental Research

India

1945

24.4

10.0

45.1

32.1

37.2

26.9-39.6

401-500

University of Waikato

New Zealand

1964

20.9

23.2

49.5

34.7

87.8

26.9-39.6

601-800

University of the Western Cape

South Africa

1959

17.9

14.3

40.1

32.7

58.4

26.9-39.6

601-800

Yeungnam University

South Korea

1947

33.1

11.4

35.0

38.9

28.0

26.9-39.6

Note: What we describe as ‘Golden Age’ institutions are those founded in what can be seen as the ‘Golden Age’ of higher education, from 1945 to 1966. This period following the Second World War saw an extraordinary expansion of higher education and a major increase in investment in university research. The Golden Age table was compiled applying the same method as the Times Higher Education World University Rankings (https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/methodolo...).

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