Best young universities in the world 2023
Explore the best universities under 50 years old using Times Higher Education’s university rankings data
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Top 10 best young universities 2023
Scroll down for the top 100 and a link to the full ranking
| Young University Rank 2023 | Young University Rank 2022 | University | Country/region |
| 1 | 2 | Nanyang Technological University, Singapore | Singapore |
| 2 | 3 | The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology | Hong Kong |
| 3 | 1 | Paris Sciences et Lettres – PSL Research University Paris | France |
| 4 | 5 | Hong Kong Polytechnic University | Hong Kong |
| 5 | 4 | Erasmus University Rotterdam | Netherlands |
| 6 | 10 | City University of Hong Kong | Hong Kong |
| 7 | 7 | University of Antwerp | Belgium |
| 8 | 6 | Institut Polytechnique de Paris | France |
| 9 | 8 | University of Technology Sydney | Australia |
| 10 | 11 | Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) | South Korea |
When choosing which university to attend, it can be easy to get distracted by the old guard: those institutions that have been around for centuries and which dominate the upper echelons of the Times Higher Education World University Rankings. Names such as Oxford, Cambridge, Harvard and Princeton spring to mind.
But many more institutions also deserve your attention. THE’s 2023 Young University Rankings reveal the best universities under 50 years old, assessing them across teaching, research, international outlook and their work with industry. In fact, the rankings were created using the same methodology as for the THE World University Rankings, but the weightings have been recalibrated to reflect the missions of younger universities. The full methodology can be found here, and you can explore the top 100 universities by scrolling down.
Top five universities in the Young University Rankings 2023
1. Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
Nanyang Technological University, Singapore is one of the highest-ranked Asian universities in the THE World University Rankings.
The university was established in 1991. Its main garden campus is in Jurong and it also has a site in Novena, Singapore’s medical district.
The university has 25,000 students from more than 100 nations. NTU also has strong ties with many institutions across the globe, including Peking University.
2. The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong
HKUST consistently ranks as one of the best universities in Hong Kong as well as being in the top 100 in the world.
As its name suggests, HKUST focuses on providing students with a high-quality education within the realms of science and technology.
The university was established in 1991 and, in 2022, it introduced a scheme called HKUST 2.0, which covers its plans for development in the future. These include the opening of a new campus in Guangzhou and ideas for how the two university campuses will work together to improve the teaching and learning at the institution.
3. Paris Sciences et Lettres – PSL Research University Paris, France
PSL moves down two places to number three in this year’s Young University Rankings.
It is a collegiate university formed in 2010 with the aim of becoming one of the world’s leading research universities. It was originally made up of five institutions but has since grown to incorporate 25 self-governing academic and research institutions.
PSL’s main sites are in the Latin Quarter of Paris. The university aims to boost research output from France and has developed strategic partnerships with Technion Israel Institute of Technology, among others.
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4. Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong
HKPU was established in 1937 and was granted official university status in 1994.
The university is made up of eight faculties and schools: applied sciences and textiles; business; construction and environment; design; engineering; health and social sciences; hotel and tourism management; and humanities.
The university partners with more than 240 institutions around the world to facilitate student exchanges.
5. Erasmus University Rotterdam, Netherlands
EUR is a public research university in the city of Rotterdam in the Netherlands.
The university is organised into two institutes, a university college and seven schools: economics; law; social and behavioural sciences; history, culture and communication; health policy and management; philosophy; and management.
The university is split across five different sites, including Campus Woudestein, Erasmus MC, Erasmus University College, the Erasmus Centre for Entrepreneurship and the International Institute of Social Studies.
The 100 best young universities 2023
Click each institution to view its full World University Rankings 2023 results
See the full Young University Rankings 2023 here
Editors note: As part of our THE statement on Ukraine published on 2 March 2022, Russian universities have been given less prominence in our rankings. Russian universities that met the criteria for this ranking are not displayed in the table above.
