Asia leads QS ranking of top 50 universities under 50

Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University, or NTU, overtook Hong Kong University of Science and Technology into first place in the new QS ranking of the world’s top 50 universities under 50 years old. There were 25 countries with at least one university in the ranking, and with 10 places, Australia had the most excellent young universities.

The next country with the most top 50 young universities was Spain with five, followed by Hong Kong and the United Kingdom with four each and Germany with three, QS said in a news release.

“All the Top 5 universities in this ranking are from Asia, a reflection of the rise of young Asian universities in the international academic arena. NTU Singapore is also part of the global trend of STEM [science, technology, engineering and mathematics] universities that have scored well in this year’s QS Rankings.”

With three of its universities in the top 10, Hong Kong has shown – as it did last year – that the tiny island has higher education of exceptional quality.

The QS Top 50 Under 50 is extracted from the QS World University Rankings® 2014-15, with the aim of shining the spotlight on young institutions that have “rapidly made a mark on the world stage, establishing strong global reputations and research clout within a relatively short space of time”, said QS.

Top 10 of top 50 under 50

In the global ranking, NTU Singapore was placed 39 and Hong Kong University of Science and Technology was number 40. Both institutions were established in 1991 and so are young even for the Top 50 Under 50 ranking.

In third place is KAIST – Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology – which opened in 1971 and was ranked 51 in the global QS ranking.

Two institutions that switch places are South Korea’s Pohang University of Science and Technology at number four this year (86 in the global ranking) and City University of Hong Kong at five (108 in global ranking).

Keeping sixth place is Maastricht University in the Netherlands (118), followed by the University of California, Irvine (153), Hong Kong Polytechnic University (162), Canada’s University of Calgary (171) and, rounding up the top 10 is Universitat Autónoma de Barcelona (173).

The ascent of Nanyang

Ben Sowter, head of research at QS, said: “Nanyang Technological University’s ascending trajectory, which the QS World University Rankings have been capturing year on year for the past decade, is nothing short of impressive. Even more so considering that this world-class institution has been established less than 25 years ago.”

NTU Singapore climbed 35 places up the global QS ranking to reach 39 this year, “leapfrogging the likes of New York University, Technical University of Munich and Peking University in the last four years”, said the university in a statement.

There was a strong showing by universities focusing on STEM – science, technology, engineering and mathematics – fields in the 2014-15 global QS ranking.

“NTU Singapore recognised early on that science and technology are vital to innovation and economic progress that will define the 21st century,” said President Bertil Andersson.

“Today, NTU Singapore is a growing powerhouse in these fields and is a magnet for some of the world’s best professors and young talents."

The university scored highly among employers in the QS reputation survey this year, as well as in the global academic survey. The university said its citations per academic improved by 51 positions from last year, while its student-to-faculty ratio rose 16 places to 69 internationally.

Andersson added: “We are proud to plant the Singapore flag at the top of QS’ global list of Top 50 young universities this year.”