Oxford Tops 2026 Global University Rankings, MIT Second

The University of Oxford has secured the top position in the 2026 global university rankings, achieving a score of 97.9, narrowly surpassing the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), which scored 97.8 and placed second. Princeton University and Stanford University both earned a score of 97.0, resulting in a joint third position.

The University of Cambridge ranked fifth with a score of 96.9, while Harvard University followed in sixth with 96.7. The California Institute of Technology (Caltech) secured seventh place with a score of 96.5.

The University of California, Berkeley, and another unnamed institution shared the ninth position, each recording a score of 94.3. The rankings reflect the United Kingdom's strong presence in elite higher education, with three universities in the top ten.

Oxford's first-place finish marks its eleventh consecutive year at the top, according to the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings, making it the longest run at number one in the history of these rankings.