Within the intense competition of almost 25,000 global universities, finding what matches your interests can be tough. Several annual university rankings are a good solution to at least navigate among the abundance of educational institutions.
Universities With the Lowest Rankings
However, practically those lists may still leave you uncertain about what university to choose. Even though there is a filtered list of the best colleges, they may still be inaccessible for a portion of young people because of the high tuition fees, high grades for admission, etc.
An option to combine the university’s quality and accessibility is to look at the last rows of the best-ranked universities.
The key point here is that if the university is on the best list, it is already a good one. Inclusion in the top rankings indicates that the university corresponds to the main qualitative and quantitative standards to be considered good. Lower scores just mean they have a place to improve in the industry competition.
It might be easier to find an optimal choice in the lowest-ranked university lists. While there are exceptions, usually the lower are the university’s rankings, the more affordable and easier admitting it is.
If you are unsure which rankings to start with, scroll down to the already combined list of 30 lowest-ranked (yet good) universities.
The below list is based on the published 2020 world university rankings by the three leading ranking platforms: US news report ranking, Times Higher Education Ranking, and QS University Ranking.
The following three sections present the ten lowest-ranked universities of each publication, along with a summary of their specialization areas.
Want to study at one of the world’s top 100 universities? The QS World University Rankings offers an annually updated list of the top 1,400+ universities worldwide. We will be revealing which of these made the top 100.
In the 2023 edition of the QS World University Rankings, just under half of the top 100 universities in the world are located in the US (which has 27 representatives) or the UK (17).
Note that there are around 1000 universities listed in each of the publications. If you do not find your proper match in the listing below, explore the full list by the provided links to find one.
10 lowest ranked by US news
Main indicators for evaluation: Global research reputation, Regional Research Reputation, Number of 10% most cited publications, etc.
Read more about the ranking methodology.
| University | Specialization areas | Location |
| Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine | Arts and HumanitiesBusiness and Social SciencesLanguage and CulturalMedicine and HealthEngineeringScience & Technology | Shanghai, China |
| Universidade Federal de Alagoas | Nursing and PharmacyArtsSocial SciencesPhysicsMathematicsChemistry and BiotechnologyArchitecture and UrbanismGeography, Development and Environment | Maceiรณ, Brazil |
| Huaqiao University | ScienceEngineeringEconomicsManagementLawLiberal ArtsPhilosophyHistory | Xiamen, China |
| Jichi Medical University | MedicineNursing | Shimotsuke, Japan |
| Kyoto Institute of Technology | Applied BiologyBiomolecular EngineeringMacromolecular Science and EngineeringChemistry and Materials TechnologyElectronicsInformation ScienceDesign Engineering and ManagementIntegrated Science and Technology | Kyoto, Japan |
| East Tennessee State University | Arts and ScienceBusiness and TechnologyClinical and Rehabilitative Health SciencesNursingPharmacyPublic HealthContinuing Studies | Johnson City, United States |
| Henan Polytechnic University | ScienceTechnologyManagementArtsLowEconomicsEducation | Jiaozuo, China |
| Beijing University of Chinese Medicine | Traditional Chinese MedicineChinese Materia MedicineLife SciencesAcupunctureManagementNursingHumanitiesChinese Culture StudiesPhysical Teaching | Beijing, China |
| Grigore T Popa University of Medicine & Pharmacy | NursingDental TechniqueAudiologyBalneotherapyMedical CosmeticsPharmaceutical Technique | Iasi, Romania |
| Umm Al-Qura University | Arabic LanguageBusinessEducation (in Makkah)Applied SciencesSocial SciencesEngineering and Islamic ArchitectureDentistryMedicine | Makkah, Saudi Arabia |
Lowest Ranked University In The World
Knowing what to avoid is another way to navigate for the best. Thatโs why you might also find it useful to look through the list of unranked universities.
The reasons universities may fall out of the ranking system vary from not providing enough evaluation data to not corresponding to the pre-defined ranking standards. Either way, this signals that the university is not very competent or up-to-date in its approaches.
Consequently, is not included in top rankings is perhaps the best definition for the โworst universities.โ The following list consists of 20 universities that are not ranked by US news data in 2020.
- American College of Thessaloniki
- American University in Cairo
- American University of Paris
- Brock University
- Chamberlain University
- Florida A&M University — Florida State University
- Inter American University of Puerto Rico–Guayama
- McGill University
- Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education–Monterrey
- Pennsylvania State University–Harrisburg
- Ryerson University
- Tilburg University
- University of Calgary
- University of Ottawa
- University of Toronto
- Washington State University–Tri-Cities
- Washington State University — Vancouver
- Western University
- West Virginia University Institute of Technology
- York University
Also Read: worst university in the UK, most prestigious universities ranking, which is the number 1 university in the world
10 lowest ranked in Times Higher Education ranking
Main indicators for evaluation: Teaching, Research, Citations, International Outlook, Industry Income.
| University | Specialization areas | Location |
| Zhejiang University of Technology | Chemical Engineering and Materials ScienceMechanical EngineeringInformation EngineeringBusiness and AdministrationScienceLawForeign languages | Zhejiang, China |
| University of Zanjan | EngineeringArchitecturePaintingSciencesIslamic HistoryAgronomy and Plant BreedingSoil SciencesEconomic SciencesAccountancyPhilosophy | Zanjan, Iran |
| University of Zagreb | Natural SciencesEngineeringBiomedical SciencesBiotechnologySocial SciencesHumanitiesThe Arts | Zagreb, Croatia |
| Zagazig University | AgricultureCommerceVeterinary MedicineEducationHuman medicineOncologyPhysical Education GirlsPhysical Education BoysAsian StudiesComputing and Information | Zagazig, Egypt |
| Yuan Ze University | EngineeringInformaticsManagementHumanitiesSocial Sciences | Taoyuan City, Taiwan |
| Yokohama National University | EducationHuman SciencesEconomicsBusiness AdministrationEngineering ScienceUrban Innovation | Kanagawa, Japan |
| Yฤฑldฤฑz Technical University | Electric and ElectronicsLiterature and National culture StudiesArts & SciencesDesignEducationCivil EngineeringChemical and Metallurgical EngineeringNaval Architecture and Maritime | Istanbul, Turkey |
| Yeditepe University | Applied SciencesArchitectureArts and ScienceMathematicsCommerceDentistryLawPharmacy | Istanbul, Turkey |
| Yazd University | EngineeringHumanities and Social SciencesScienceNatural Resources and Desert StudiesArt and Architecture | Safavieh, Iran |
| Yarmouk University | ArtsScienceEconomics and Administrative SciencesEngineering TechnologyEducationPhysical EducationFine ArtsMass CommunicationArcheology and AnthropologyTourism and Hotel Management | Irbid, Jordan |
Modern competition is fierce both in the education industry and the employment market. Meanwhile, the difference gap between universities is small, offering a wide choice for any quality, budget, location, and interest.
The list of university rankings platforms goes beyond the above-mentioned three. Each ranking has its own methodology, so read the evaluation methods first to find the rankings closer to your priorities. Coming from the opposite end, you can first shortlist universities most appealing to you, and find out whether they are included in the rankings after.
Of course, there are no absolute truths in the question of what brings people to success. You might still get great employment and a career being a graduate of an unranked university.
top 10 universities in the world
As in previous years, universities from the United States dominated the ranking, claiming eight of the top ten spots โ which remain largely unchanged from the previous year with the exception of the University of Washington, Seattle, and Cambridge University each rising one spot. California Institute of Technology fell two spots.
However, the ranking also shines a light on top universities across the globe. The University of Cape Town was named the best institution in Africa, Tsinghua University in Beijing, China was named the best institution in Asia, The University of Melbourne has named the best institution in Australia, and The Universidade de Sรฃo Paulo was named the best institution in Latin America.
Here are the top 10 best overall global universities of 2022, according to U.S. News:
1. Harvard University
Harvard UniversityDenisTangneyJr | iStock | Getty Images
Location: Cambridge, Massachusetts โ United States
Highlight: Top-ranked university in many categories including biology & biochemistry and economics & business.
2. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts(Photo: Bloomberg / Getty Images)
Location: Cambridge, Massachusetts โ United States
Highlight: MIT has ranked the best university for mathematics in the world.
3. Stanford University
A general view of the campus of Stanford University including Hoover Tower and buildings of the Main Quadrangle.David Madison/Getty Images
Location: Stanford, California โ United States
Highlight: U.S. News identified Stanford as having the best chemistry program in the world.
4. University of California, Berkeley
A general view of the University of California Berkeley campus including Sather Tower. The Haas School of Business is visible in the foreground and the San Francisco Bay in the background. David Madison/Getty Images
Location: Berkeley, California โ United States
Highlight: This year, UC Berkeley was recognized for having the second-best chemistry program.
5. University of Oxford
The U.K. is home to three of the worldโs top 10 universities, according to Times Higher Education, including Oxford University. Joe Daniel Price | Getty Images
Location: Oxford, England โ United Kingdom
Highlight: Oxford was found to have the best arts & humanities program, worldwide.
6. Columbia University
Columbia UniversityEducation Images | Getty Images
Location: New York City, New York โ United States
Highlight: Columbia University was recognized by U.S. News for being among the best places to study cardiovascular systems.
7. University of Washington, Seattle
University of WashingtonNikko Hellstern | Getty Images
Location: Seattle, Washington โ United States
Highlight: The University of Washington, Seattle was found to have one of the worldโs best clinical medicine programs.
8. University of Cambridge
Students walk through Cambridge University in Cambridge, East of England, on March 14, 2018.TOLGA AKMEN | AFP | Getty Images
Location: Cambridge, England โ United Kingdom
Highlight: Cambridgeโs faculty has included some of historyโs most famous mathematicians. This year, the university earned fifth place for its mathematics program.
9. California Institute of Technology (tie)
California Institute of TechnologyDanita Delimont | Getty Images
Location: Pasadena, California โ United States
Highlight: Home to NASAโs Jet Propulsion Laboratory, CalTech was identified as the top-ranked university in space science.
9. Johns Hopkins University (tie)
Johns Hopkins UniversityJHU Sheridan Libraries/Gado/Getty Images
Location: Baltimore, Maryland โ United States
Highlight: Known for its medical research, Johns Hopkins was found to have the second-best infectious disease program, as well as the second-best surgical program, in the world.
what college has the lowest acceptance rate in the world
RUR World University Rankings evaluate the performance of the worldโs leading higher education institutions by 20 indicators grouped into 4 key areas of university activity: Teaching, Research, International Diversity, Financial Sustainability. You can view the rankings for the period of 2010-2021 by selecting the year on the timeline and by choosing the ranking type in the menu below.
| 1 | Harvard University | 100.000 | USA |  | Diamond League |
| 2 | California Institute of Technology (Caltech) | 99.636 | USA | | Diamond League |
| 3 | Stanford University | 97.050 | USA | | Diamond League |
| 4 | Imperial College London | 96.742 | UK |  | Diamond League |
| 5 | Karolinska Institute | 96.609 | Sweden |  | Diamond League |
| 6 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) | 96.370 | USA | | Diamond League |
| 7 | University of Oxford | 96.167 | UK | | Diamond League |
| 8 | ETH Zurich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology) | 94.629 | Switzerland |  | Diamond League |
| 9 | University of Cambridge | 94.383 | UK | | Diamond League |
| 10 | Columbia University | 94.132 | USA | | Diamond League |
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