Young University Rankings 2017: top 50 Generation Y universities

Asian universities make up 20 of the top 50 institutions established in the late 1980s and 1990s, while the UK and Australia dominate

April 5, 2017
Generation Y
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Browse the full Young University Rankings 2017 results


Three Asian universities top a Times Higher Education table of the best universities founded in the late 1980s and 1990s.

The list of the best “Generation Y” universities (established between 1986 and 1999), a subset of the 2017 THE Young University Rankings, is topped by Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Nanyang Technological University and Pohang University of Science and Technology.

Overall, 20 Asian universities make the top 50 list, including universities in India, Taiwan, Pakistan, Thailand and Turkey.

But, the UK and Australia dominate the Generation Y table, with 17 and 16 representatives respectively, which is unsurprising given that these two nations are the most-represented countries in the Young University Rankings.

Both countries underwent higher education expansion during the late 1980s and 1990s when technical colleges and colleges of advanced education in Australia were absorbed into existing universities and polytechnics in the UK were given university status.

Generation Y universities generally perform poorly when it comes to their teaching and research environments, compared with other age groups in the young ranking; they are particularly held back in terms of academic reputation, with a lower median score for teaching and research prestige than the group of institutions founded from 2000 to the present.

But Generation Y institutions excel when it comes to internationalisation, with the highest average proportion of international students when compared with the “Generation X” and “Millennial” groups, as well the cohort of institutions founded in the immediate aftermath of the Second World War.


 Top 50 Generation Y universities

Generation Y Rank

2017 Young University Rank

2016 Young University Rank

World University Rank 2016-17

Institution

Country

Year founded

Teaching

Research

Citations

Industry income

International outlook

Overall score

1

2

3

49

Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

Hong Kong

1991

56.0

76.9

91.2

62.0

82.8

75.0

2

3

2

54

Nanyang Technological University

Singapore

1991

54.4

70.5

90.7

93.5

95.7

74.2

3

4

5

=104

Pohang University of Science and Technology

South Korea

1986

65.8

64.3

79.2

99.6

34.2

67.8

4

=9

10

=190

Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna

Italy

1987

58.3

48.9

74.1

86.6

44.9

59.9

5

15

21

201-250

University of Technology, Sydney

Australia

1988

33.6

56.3

73.8

44.2

92.3

57.1

6

17

15

175

Pompeu Fabra University

Spain

1990

34.5

42.4

93.1

40.5

65.1

56.9

7

20

27

=192

Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Hong Kong

1994

39.2

52.4

69.9

47.9

79.7

55.6

8

24

=28

201-250

Queensland University of Technology

Australia

1989

34.4

51.8

67.4

58.9

77.9

53.4

9

26

33

301-350

Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology

South Korea

1993

51.1

57.8

51.9

44.9

35.2

52.0

10

32

57

251-300

University of South Australia

Australia

1991

38.6

43.3

58.4

82.9

90.1

50.9

11

34

=31

251-300

Charles Darwin University

Australia

1989

24.5

28.4

91.7

44.3

77.2

50.3

12

=36

36

251-300

Koç University

Turkey

1993

31.7

42.7

70.3

81.9

54.4

49.5

13

39

301-350

Central European University

Hungary

1991

50.5

37.2

48.8

32.2

97.0

49.0

14

42

251-300

Free University of Bozen-Bolzano

Italy

1997

30.3

12.1

96.1

32.3

79.9

48.3

15

44

=52

301-350

Sabancı University

Turkey

1996

31.9

48.4

61.6

77.7

46.7

48.0

16

49

68

351-400

Maynooth University

Republic of Ireland

1997

33.4

35.8

61.0

37.5

77.6

45.8

17

=52

=55

351-400

University of Cyprus

Cyprus

1989

25.0

37.1

66.6

34.7

75.0

45.1

18

55

51

351-400

University of Milan-Bicocca

Italy

1998

32.3

32.3

70.8

43.9

42.2

44.9

19

=56

351-400

Victoria University

Australia

1990

29.0

32.1

66.9

37.2

70.8

44.6

20

61

74

351-400

Swinburne University of Technology

Australia

1992

29.5

35.1

60.3

35.5

74.5

44.0

21

65

=59

351-400

Plymouth University

United Kingdom

1992

24.9

27.7

71.9

32.5

66.6

43.1

=22

=74

79

401-500

Dublin City University

Republic of Ireland

1989

34.6

38.0

42.7

46.7

78.6

41.7

=22

=74

VelTech University

India

1997

22.1

10.1

100.0

35.4

15.5

41.7

=24

=76

=63

351-400

Örebro University

Sweden

1999

23.5

8.6

91.7

33.7

43.6

41.3

=24

=76

=83

401-500

University of Rovira i Virgili

Spain

1991

28.1

23.1

72.1

35.2

45.5

41.3

26

=79

=86

401-500

Western Sydney University

Australia

1989

22.3

34.4

57.9

35.6

77.5

41.1

27

=81

72

401-500

University of Rome III

Italy

1992

29.2

27.5

67.5

37.6

37.2

41.0

28

84

=92

401-500

Curtin University

Australia

1987

25.6

31.3

52.1

39.5

93.8

40.7

29

87

98

401-500

RMIT University

Australia

1992

27.3

27.4

53.6

40.0

85.6

39.9

30

91

101-150

401-500

University of Canberra

Australia

1990

25.6

35.6

50.8

35.0

60.1

39.0

31

96

401-500

Higher School of Economics

Russian Federation

1992

34.6

33.0

46.6

40.3

32.2

37.7

=32

=98

401-500

Atılım University

Turkey

1996

25.3

12.1

75.3

47.9

33.3

37.5

=32

=98

99

401-500

University of Portsmouth

United Kingdom

1992

21.3

18.5

61.8

32.6

82.4

37.5

=34

101-150

601-800

Australian Catholic University

Australia

1991

18.9

25.3

44.2

35.4

40.3

28.5-37.0

=34

101-150

501-600

Bond University

Australia

1989

24.5

31.0

37.1

36.3

89.5

28.5-37.0

=34

101-150

101-150

601-800

Bournemouth University

United Kingdom

1992

21.7

21.6

32.4

32.4

72.7

28.5-37.0

=34

101-150

101-150

601-800

Chang Gung University

Taiwan

1987

26.8

36.1

30.3

36.4

17.1

28.5-37.0

=34

101-150

101-150

601-800

De Montfort University

United Kingdom

1992

21.3

18.1

37.7

32.8

62.1

28.5-37.0

=34

101-150

101-150

501-600

Edith Cowan University

Australia

1991

23.3

28.1

45.7

36.5

68.5

28.5-37.0

=34

101-150

601-800

Glasgow Caledonian University

United Kingdom

1993

23.5

15.7

38.8

33.2

59.3

28.5-37.0

=34

101-150

101-150

501-600

University of Hertfordshire

United Kingdom

1992

20.8

16.6

56.2

33.0

77.5

28.5-37.0

=34

101-150

101-150

601-800

Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati

India

1994

34.3

23.3

42.1

35.4

14.6

28.5-37.0

=34

101-150

101-150

501-600

Liverpool John Moores University

United Kingdom

1992

20.8

19.0

56.7

32.7

65.0

28.5-37.0

=34

101-150

101-150

501-600

Middlesex University

United Kingdom

1992

24.0

19.5

39.5

32.2

84.9

28.5-37.0

=34

101-150

101-150

501-600

Otto von Guericke University of Magdeburg

Germany

1993

29.8

19.8

40.3

41.1

49.3

28.5-37.0

=34

101-150

101-150

401-500

Oxford Brookes University

United Kingdom

1992

29.1

28.6

37.8

32.3

71.5

28.5-37.0

=34

101-150

94

501-600

Southern Cross University

Australia

1994

22.5

34.7

47.1

38.6

52.6

28.5-37.0

=34

101-150

501-600

University of the Sunshine Coast

Australia

1996

20.1

26.5

47.1

33.5

60.0

28.5-37.0

=34

101-150

601-800

Tezpur University

India

1994

29.7

21.3

39.8

32.2

12.3

28.5-37.0

=50

151-200

601-800

University of A Coruña

Spain

1989

23.3

16.1

23.7

35.5

27.3

21.9-28.4

=50

151-200

601-800

American University of Sharjah

United Arab Emirates

1997

21.2

18.1

13.6

33.2

95.3

21.9-28.4

=50

151-200

601-800

University of Bedfordshire

United Kingdom

1993

19.8

14.6

22.6

32.8

73.1

21.9-28.4

=50

151-200

101-150

601-800

Carlos III University of Madrid

Spain

1989

29.6

19.1

29.6

37.2

53.1

21.9-28.4

=50

151-200

601-800

COMSATS Institute of Information Technology

Pakistan

1998

22.0

10.4

45.2

32.1

43.5

21.9-28.4

=50

151-200

601-800

Coventry University

United Kingdom

1992

21.8

13.4

27.7

32.6

76.1

21.9-28.4

=50

151-200

601-800

Dublin Institute of Technology

Republic of Ireland

1992

19.8

15.1

27.7

32.1

72.6

21.9-28.4

=50

151-200

601-800

University of East London

United Kingdom

1992

24.4

18.5

11.7

32.2

76.7

21.9-28.4

=50

151-200

601-800

University of Huddersfield

United Kingdom

1992

23.6

18.0

24.5

32.9

63.6

21.9-28.4

=50

151-200

601-800

University of Jaén

Spain

1993

18.0

16.2

50.1

34.2

25.9

21.9-28.4

=50

151-200

601-800

Jordan University of Science and Technology

Jordan

1986

13.4

11.1

50.2

33.2

62.4

21.9-28.4

=50

151-200

601-800

King Juan Carlos University

Spain

1996

19.5

14.0

35.3

35.0

39.2

21.9-28.4

=50

151-200

101-150

601-800

Kingston University

United Kingdom

1992

21.2

19.6

27.5

32.7

79.7

21.9-28.4

=50

151-200

101-150

601-800

National University of Sciences and Technology

Pakistan

1991

26.3

11.9

36.2

32.6

35.2

21.9-28.4

=50

151-200

601-800

National Chung Cheng University

Taiwan

1989

25.4

31.9

17.5

39.7

18.5

21.9-28.4

=50

151-200

601-800

Nottingham Trent University

United Kingdom

1992

20.5

15.3

32.2

32.3

55.3

21.9-28.4

=50

151-200

601-800

University of Southern Queensland

Australia

1992

28.3

21.1

20.7

32.7

67.7

21.9-28.4

=50

151-200

601-800

Sultan Qaboos University

Oman

1986

30.8

14.0

17.0

40.9

70.3

21.9-28.4

=50

151-200

601-800

Suranaree University of Technology

Thailand

1990

27.4

16.1

22.4

33.6

31.5

21.9-28.4

=50

151-200

601-800

Universiti Teknologi Petronas

Malaysia

1997

33.3

25.2

10.3

65.5

64.4

21.9-28.4

=50

151-200

101-150

601-800

University of Vigo

Spain

1989

20.4

16.6

33.2

37.0

36.5

21.9-28.4

=50

151-200

101-150

601-800

University of the West of England

United Kingdom

1992

20.5

19.5

38.3

32.9

53.3

21.9-28.4

=50

151-200

601-800

University of Westminster

United Kingdom

1992

19.6

19.0

22.2

32.4

81.0

21.9-28.4

=50

151-200

101-150

601-800

Yuan Ze University

Taiwan

1989

22.4

20.6

25.3

45.7

20.9

21.9-28.4

Note: ‘Generation Y’ institutions are those founded between 1986 and 1999.

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