2025 World University Rankings ranks MIT US as the second and this made it rise to the second place which is overtaking Stanford, which drops to sixth out of more than 2,000 universities from 115 nations and territories ranked in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2025.
Oxford maintains its top ranking for the tenth year in a row, supported by notable advancements in teaching and industry interaction.
China’s impact in research throughout the world is growing as it approaches the top 10.
Due to their deteriorating worldwide view and reputation, Australia’s top five institutions all fall in the rankings.
Brazil, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates are the three new nations that have joined the top 200, underscoring the growth of developing markets in higher education.
According to a recent Princeton Review study, Harvard University has lost ground to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) as the top college application option in the US.
Following a time of scandal concerning antisemitism on campus and the departure of Harvard President Claudine Gay due to plagiarism claims, CNBC reports that this signifies the end of Harvard’s long-standing status as the most attractive university.
Discrimination, prejudice, or hostility directed against people or groups because of their Jewish identity or religion is known as antisemitism.
The Princeton Review published the data, which shows that college-bound kids’ tastes had changed significantly.
Over 9,300 candidates were surveyed between January 17 and February 24, 2025, and the results showed that MIT is currently ranked first.
Despite the reordering, Robert Frank, editor-in-chief of The Princeton Review, pointed out that the best colleges are still “exceptional” and fiercely competitive and hence one of the key concerns is still financial help.
According to reports, money is still a major concern for potential students, according to the Princeton Review’s 2025 College Hopes and Worries Survey.
According to the study, 77% of families said financial help was “extremely” or “very” important, and 95% of families said it would be required to pay for a college education.
The amount of financial aid provided, whether in the form of grants, scholarships, or student loans, frequently affects the choice of school for many candidates.
According to reports, MIT provides financial help to eligible students in spite of its expensive tuition and fees, which total more than $85,000 for the current academic year.
87% of the Class of 2024 graduated debt-free, the institution reports. The goal of this financial aid is to draw in excellent students from a variety of backgrounds.
Scholarships and help based on merit
James Lewis, a co-founder of the National Society of High School Scholars, said that prestigious universities, such as MIT, are increasingly looking for students from diverse backgrounds by offering scholarships to help based on their merit.
He said that in order to draw in the top applicants, several universities provide merit-based scholarships or reduced tuition.
He counselled students not to exclude colleges on the basis of perceived expense or accessibility, saying, “If they can go after those institutions, don’t self-select out.”
According to reports, a greater awareness that certain institutions are more accessible than others has resulted from the increased emphasis on financial aid.
Lewis underlined that those who fulfil the required financial and intellectual standards may frequently get scholarships and other types of aid.
The return on investment, is a major concern about payment and career placement especially in terms of future employment prospects, is another element affecting college decision. Many students are giving their post-graduation employment possibilities more consideration as college expenses climb.
Christopher Rim, president and chief executive officer of the college consulting business Command Education, observed that students are becoming more and more concerned with their chances of landing a solid job after graduation.
According to statistics, the average starting wage for MIT graduates in 2024 was $126,438—nearly double the national average. Even while the proportion of MIT graduates who find employment right out of school has decreased recently, more are choosing graduate school, which may indicate that new alumni’s professional goals have changed.
“Students are more focused on what they are going to do after college because it is becoming more difficult to find a job,” Rim added.
The Princeton Review claims that rather than merely being exposed to new concepts, locations, and people, the majority of students regard obtaining a college degree as a way to improve their employment and income.
The survey’s findings demonstrate how higher education is evolving, with prospective students’ who are college applicants with shifting priorities being influenced more and more by factors including tuition costs, financial aid availability, and employment prospects after graduation.
The rising tendency of students giving financial assistance packages and future earning potential high priority while choosing a school is demonstrated by MIT’s ascent to the top rank.
The future of higher education may be greatly influenced by how colleges adjust to these changing financial priorities, as financial issues continue to dominate discussions around college admissions.
Our most recent WUR 3.0 approach, which is acknowledged as the most thorough assessment of university performance in the world, comprises 18 precisely calibrated variables to evaluate schools in five important areas: teaching, research environment, research quality, industry participation, and international view.
There are 2,092 rated universities in the 2025 rankings. Compared to the previous year, there are 185 new entries.
We gathered 472,694 datapoints in total from 2,860 data-submitting entities.
A well detailed methodology thorough approach, which is respected globally by educators, scholars, governments, and business professionals, is founded on:
18 million research publications with 157 million citations
replies to a poll from almost 93,000 academics worldwide
According to our data, the US and UK higher education systems’ reputations are deteriorating.
Our World institution Rankings 2025 digital report contains more analysis of the findings, including tables, figures, and interviews with institution officials.
Visit our statistics and insights website to access a variety of analytical and benchmarking tools as well as the data behind THE’s rankings.
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.Ok
