Just today, QS released the 2021 US university rankings. This is the second time QS has published university rankings specifically for the United States.
Ranking Criteria
This year's ranking is based on four main indicator categories:
Employability - 24.5%
Diversity & Internationalization - 25%
Learning Experience - 22%
Research Strength - 28.5%
This year, a total of 17 new sub-indicators were used to evaluate US universities and liberal arts colleges. Over 350 institutions across the nation participated in the ranking.
Ranking Overview
In this year's QS US university rankings, Harvard University ranks first nationally, Stanford second, and MIT third—consistent with last year's top three.
The top six universities in the nation are all located in Massachusetts (two) and California (four).
UCLA broke into the top five this year, primarily driven by its excellent performance in the "Learning Experience" indicator, scoring 90.5 out of 100.
NYU also stood out, breaking into the top ten (ranked 9th) thanks to its nation-leading performance in diversity and internationalization.
Below is the full Top 50 list.
Full Top 50 Ranking
This is QS's second year publishing US university rankings, and its distinct criteria make this ranking stand out from others.
Beyond teaching quality, employability and diversity/internationalization are also key indicators. For students especially concerned about future career development and international student-friendliness, QS rankings may hold greater reference value.
Finally, rankings are for reference only. They should never be the sole basis for university applications. When applying, students should consider their own circumstances and weigh various factors to make more reasonable and personalized choices.
Source: QS World University Rankings
