Check Out the New List of the World's Best Universities

U.S. News has just published our second annual World's Best Universities rankings. These rankings are based on data from the Times Higher Education-QS World University Rankings, which were produced in association with QS Quacquarelli Symonds. One of the world's leading networks for careers and education, QS Quacquarelli Symonds has been publishing world rankings since 2004.

The World's Best Universities rankings include the following lists:

• Top 200 Worldwide
• Top 30 Asian and Middle Eastern Universities
• Top 20 Australian and New Zealand Universities
• Top 20 Canadian Universities
• Top 30 British and European Universities
• Top 50 Life Sciences and Biomedicine
• Top 50 Arts and Humanities
• Top 50 Natural and Physical Sciences
• Top 50 Engineering and IT
• Top 50 Social Sciences

In addition to the rankings, we have in-depth explanations of why U.S. News is doing these rankings and how the rankings are done.

About the Rankings: More students are eager to explore the higher education options that exist beyond their own borders.

Methodology: We evaluate six criteria to determine which universities are the best globally.

Citations per Faculty Member: Here's how we account for research strength and faculty productivity in these rankings.

Student-to-Faculty Ratio: This ratio is the chief indicator of teaching quality in the World's Best Universities.

Academic Peer Review: This indicator has the most weight in the rankings.

International Students and International Faculty Factors: How a university's international community is used in the World's Best Universities rankings.

Employer Review: How were the companies that complete these surveys chosen?

Statistical Scores and Weightings: How are weights and statistical scores determined for the World's Best Universities rankings?

Subject Area Rankings: Based on a peer survey, we assign ratings in five subject areas.

How are the World's Best Universities rankings different from U.S. News's America's Best Colleges and America's Best Graduate Schools rankings?

First, none of the data from the America's Best Colleges and America's Best Graduate Schools rankings are used in the World's Best Universities rankings. QS Quacquarelli Symonds does all the data collection and calculations for the World's Best Universities rankings.

Second, the methodology used to compute the World's Best Universities is different in many key areas. The World's Best Universities rankings use six criteria: academic peer review, employer review, student/faculty ratio, citations per faculty member, the proportion of international faculty, and the proportion of international students. The U.S. News America's Best Colleges rankings do use peer assessment; it's weighted 25 percent in the rankings, compared to a total 50 percent weight in the World's Best Universities rankings Top 200 rankings. The America's Best Colleges rankings do not use citation analysis of faculty research. The World's Best Universities rankings do not use student data such as SAT/ACT scores, graduation and retention rates, size of undergraduate classes, alumni giving rates, and financial resources—all of which are key parts of the America's Best Colleges rankings.

• Searching for a college? Get our complete rankings of America's Best Colleges.