Global rankings show East Asia closing gap with US and UK in key university subjects

New data from a major global rankings report points to a shift at the top of higher education, with US and UK universities still leading most subject tables while East Asian institutions strengthen their presence across science, technology, and economics.

New data from the Times Higher Education World University Rankings by Subject 2026 highlights an increasingly competitive global higher education landscape. While universities in the United States and United Kingdom continue to dominate most subject rankings, institutions in East Asia are gaining ground at the very top of the tables, particularly in science-led and strategically significant disciplines.

The rankings assess universities across eleven subject areas using the same core methodology as the overall World University Rankings. Each subject table draws on eighteen performance indicators covering teaching, research environment, research quality, knowledge transfer, and international outlook, with weightings adjusted to reflect disciplinary differences.

US and UK universities retain control of most subject top tens

Universities in the United States secured first place in eight of the eleven subject rankings in the 2026 edition, underlining continued dominance across a broad academic spectrum. The UK topped three subject tables, an increase on last year, driven by gains in psychology and continued leadership in computer science and medical and health disciplines.

At the very top of the rankings, dominance remains highly concentrated. Only three universities appear in the top ten across all eleven subject rankings: Harvard University, Stanford University, and the University of Cambridge.

That concentration is visible across Arts and Humanities, where US and UK institutions fill the entire top ten. Massachusetts Institute of Technology retains first place, followed by Stanford University and the University of Cambridge. The remainder of the top ten is shared between the University of Oxford, Harvard University, Princeton University, UCL, Yale University, and the University of Chicago.

Arts and Humanities – top ten

1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

2. Stanford University

3. University of Cambridge

4. University of Oxford

5. Harvard University

6. University of California, Berkeley

7. Princeton University

8. UCL

9. Yale University

10. University of Chicago

A similar pattern appears in Business and Economics, where US universities remain dominant at the top, but East Asia is now firmly embedded in the upper tier. MIT holds first place, followed by Stanford University, while Tsinghua University rises to third. Oxford, UC Berkeley, Cambridge, and Peking University also feature in the top ten, alongside Harvard and the University of Chicago.

Business and Economics – top ten

1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

2. Stanford University

3. Tsinghua University

4. University of Oxford

5. University of California, Berkeley

6. University of Cambridge

7. Peking University

8. Harvard University

9. University of Chicago

10. National University of Singapore / University of Pennsylvania (joint)

The presence of three Asian universities in the Business and Economics top ten marks one of the clearest signs that East Asian strength is no longer confined to technical disciplines.

East Asia strengthens presence in science and technology

East Asia’s most notable progress appears in science and technology subjects, where Chinese and Singaporean universities continue to move closer to the top of the tables.

In Computer Science, the top ten is led by the University of Oxford, followed by the University of Cambridge. ETH Zurich places third, making Computer Science the only subject without a US institution in the top three. Peking University enters the top ten in tenth place, becoming the first Chinese university to do so in this subject.

Computer Science – top ten

1. University of Oxford

2. University of Cambridge

3. ETH Zurich

4. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

5. Princeton University

6. Stanford University

7. Carnegie Mellon University

8. Harvard University

9. Imperial College London

10. Peking University

In Physical Sciences, California Institute of Technology leads the table, with Harvard University and Stanford University in joint second place. Tsinghua University enters the top ten in tenth place, marking another first for a Chinese institution. ETH Zurich remains the only mainland European university in the top tier.

Physical Sciences – top ten

1. California Institute of Technology

2. Harvard University (joint)

3. Stanford University (joint)

4. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

5. Princeton University (joint)

6. University of Cambridge (joint)

7. University of California, Berkeley

8. University of Oxford

9. ETH Zurich

10. Tsinghua University

Engineering shows a similar pattern. Harvard University retains first place, followed by the University of Oxford. MIT and Stanford share third, while Peking University rises to eighth and the National University of Singapore remains in the top ten.

Engineering – top ten

1. Harvard University

2. University of Oxford

3. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (joint)

4. Stanford University (joint)

5. University of Cambridge

6. University of California, Berkeley

7. California Institute of Technology

8. Peking University

9. Princeton University

10. National University of Singapore

UK gains ground in psychology, health, and computing

The UK secures three number-one subject rankings in 2026, one more than last year. The University of Cambridge tops the Psychology table for the first time since 2022, overtaking Stanford University.

Psychology – top ten

1. University of Cambridge

2. Stanford University

3. University of California, Berkeley

4. Princeton University

5. Harvard University

6. UCL

7. Yale University

8. University of Pennsylvania

9. King’s College London

10. University of Chicago

In Medical and Health, the University of Oxford retains first place, followed by Cambridge and Harvard. Imperial College London and UCL also feature in the top ten, giving the UK four institutions in the upper tier.

Medical and Health – top ten

1. University of Oxford

2. University of Cambridge

3. Harvard University

4. Imperial College London

5. Johns Hopkins University (joint)

6. Stanford University (joint)

7. Yale University

8. UCL

9. University of Toronto

10. University of California, Berkeley

Across all subjects, the UK holds twenty-nine top-ten positions. The University of Cambridge appears in the top ten for all eleven subjects, while the University of Oxford appears in ten.

Europe holds limited but stable top-tier positions

Mainland Europe continues to have a narrow presence at the very top of the subject rankings. Switzerland is the only mainland European country with universities in the top ten, led by ETH Zurich’s third-place position in Computer Science and ninth place in Physical Sciences.

Elsewhere, European institutions maintain steady representation across the top fifty and top one hundred bands, but few break into the top ten. Compared with the pace of change seen in East Asia, the data points to stability rather than acceleration.

Methodology highlights subject-level divergence

The subject rankings apply the same eighteen-indicator framework as the overall Times Higher Education World University Rankings, recalibrated by discipline. Eligibility thresholds vary by subject, based on publication output and academic staffing levels, allowing comparisons that reflect disciplinary norms rather than institutional size alone.

The 2026 results reinforce how subject-level performance can diverge significantly from overall institutional reputation, particularly in fields aligned with national research priorities, industrial strategy, and long-term workforce demand.

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