Cambridge loses top spot to Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Tuesday 11 September 2012
From the blogs
Tackling homophobia, the last taboo in football
The shirts of Germany's top flight players will this weekend be adorned with a unanimous slogan: "Ge...
“Dance music is something which is lived”: Groove Armada go back to their roots
Andy Cato and Tom Findlay are Groove Armada, a musical duo who have delivered a consistently impress...
The British citizenship test goes to Edinburgh
After the fun we had asking people in London how they would do in a completely unscientific sampling...
Championship Preview: Cardiff manager Mackay faces Leeds test
With the international break having passed, players and fans will be looking forward to the return o...
Related articles
Cambridge has been knocked off its perch as the world's leading university – a position it had held for two years.
It has been overtaken by another Cambridge-based seat of learning – the Massachusetts Institute of Technology at Cambridge, near Boston, in the US.
The QS World University Rankings, which are widely recognised throughout higher education as the most trusted international tables, also show that Oxford no longer ranks among the top two British universities. It has been beaten by University College London, in fourth place, while Oxford is fifth.
The QS World University Rankings were first published in 2003 and, for the first six years, Harvard claimed top spot. It was third this year.
MIT, which enrolled 4,384 undergraduates and 6,510 graduates last year, frequently has 10 times as many students applying as it can offer places to. It was founded in 1861 and has always had a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.
The QS table is an annual ranking of the top 700 universities in the world and is compiled in close consultation with an international advisory board of leading academics. Four key items are taken into account: research, teaching, employability and internationalisation.
Britain has an unprecedented four of the top six places this year, with Imperial College, London, ranked No6.
The table shows the world's top 100 universities have increased their number of overseas students by 10 per cent over the last year.
The 49 UK universities ranked in the top 500 have posted an average increase of 11.7 per cent with only six institutions reporting fewer international students than last year.
-
US defends itself to world – but back home it's war
-
Topless Kate photos risk reigniting privacy row
-
Revealed: inside story of US envoy's assassination
-
CPS 'told of Hillsborough cover-up 14 years ago'
-
Royals launch legal action after topless Kate Middleton photographs in French Closer magazine
-
British, German and US embassies targeted as protests against anti-Islam film continue to spread throughout Muslim world
-
A history revealed of the royals without clothes
-
Stop! Phil Lynott's widow orders Mitt Romney not to use Thin Lizzy music
-
News in Pictures
-
Embassy attacks cast shadow over Barack Obama’s re-election hopes
- 1 Raheem Sterling's already a Wembley legend
- 2 The violation of Kate Middleton: what naked pictures of the Duchess of Cambridge tell us
- 3 French Closer pics of topless Kate Middleton are just vulgaire
- 4 Revealed: inside story of US envoy's assassination
- 5 CPS 'told of Hillsborough cover-up 14 years ago'
- 6 Royals launch legal action after topless Kate Middleton photographs in French Closer magazine
- 7 Exclusive album stream: Dinosaur Jr, I Bet On Sky
- 8 Stop! Phil Lynott's widow orders Mitt Romney not to use Thin Lizzy music
- 9 Thanks Mum, you were so right about that tattoo
- 10 Embassy attacks cast shadow over Barack Obama’s re-election hopes
Experience the Heineken Hub
Get free wi-fi and exclusive i content while you enjoy a tasty pint of Heineken at participating pubs.
Win tickets with Triumph
Get the inside scoop from our experts on London Fashion Week and win tickets to Vodafone London Fashion Weekend.
The biggest winner is the future
As the official network infrastructure supporter for The Games, Cisco is already helping London to achieve a rewarding legacy
Want to make cash from your spare room?
Let out your house, flat or spare room with Airbnb and make some money.
Win tickets to the FIT Awards
Fields In Trust is committed to protecting places for play across the UK - help inspire the next generation.
Now showing at the O2
Check out the cool stuff happening under our tent: the hottest gigs, comedy, sport, films, clubs, bars, restaurants and much more.
Enter the latest Independent competitions
Win anything from gadgets to five-star holidays on our competitions and offers page.
Business videos from commercial thought leaders
Watch the best in the business world give their insights into the world of business.
Comments