With the school year coming to a close, students across the globe will soon be enjoying a long summer off, but many will already be getting prepared for their last year of schooling – and setting their sights on the universities they will be applying for. Those wanting to apply to the best schools out there will no doubt look to the newly released list produced by QS World University Rankings, rating the best universities in the world for 2021.
 
Topping the Quacquarelli Symonds list is Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), with Stanford University and Harvard University coming in second and third. Other institutions featured in the top 10 include the University of Oxford, the University of Cambridge and Imperial College London, along with California Institute of Technology (Caltech).
 
Though just missing out on a top 10 position, the National University of Singapore (NUS) holds the eleventh position – the highest ranking Asian university on the list. Ranking as 22nd on the list, The Univeristy of Hong Kong has climbed three places since the 2020 list was released, with four more Hong Kong schools sitting in the top 100.

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology is in joint 27th position with the UK's University of Manchester – its best placing to date. City University follows in 48th place, with The Hong Kong Polytechnic University sitting in 75th – a huge jump from its previous ranking of 91st.
 
The indicators used in the ranking system include academic reputation, employer reputation, student to faculty ratio, international student and faculty ratios and citations per faculty to give each school its overall score.

See also: College Life: Expert Tips On How To Get Into The Best University