This year’s edition of the QS Top 50 Under 50 will be published at 21:00 GMT on 20 September, here on TopUniversities.com. Continuing last year’s extension, it will once again accompanied by the Next 50 Under 50 – spotlighting even more of the world’s leading young universities.
First published in 2012, the QS Top 50 Under 50 celebrates universities which have established a strong position in the international ranking tables, in an impressively short space of time. Accumulating the levels of reputation and research impact to secure a place in the world rankings is no easy feat; institutions achieving this merit both applause and analysis.
What’s likely to change?
The Top 50 Under 50 and Next 50 Under 50 are based on the highest-ranked universities under 50 years old in the latest edition of the QS World University Rankings®. Each year, a number of institutions drop out of the list simply because they have passed the 50-year marker, making space for new entries. Of institutions evaluated for the latest QS World University Rankings, a total of 162 now fall within the age limit for the Top 50 Under 50 and Next 50 Under 50.
Of course, change also occurs when institutions significantly climb or fall in the QS World University Rankings. This year’s edition saw continued upwards momentum for countries including China, South Korea and the US, while institutions elsewhere in the world – including across much of Europe – lost ground. These changes are likely to be reflected in the Top 50 and Next 50 lists.
Why does it matter?
The institutions featured in the Top 50 and Next 50 Under 50 prove that it is possible to reach the top levels of the international rankings without centuries of accumulated reputation. As well as providing case studies of the fast-track path to success, the list also offers insights into the wider global picture – reflecting, to some degree, the wider dynamism of national higher education systems.
This is most evident in the large number of young Asian universities featured in the Top 50 Under 50, reflecting the rapid rise of institutions in countries such as Hong Kong, Singapore and South Korea. But in fact the list is perhaps surprisingly diverse, featuring young universities in many of the world’s oldest hubs for higher education, as well as relative newcomers to the international tables. Last year’s Top 50 Under 50 spanned 23 countries, with an additional 19 nations represented in the Next 50 Under 50.
Following the recent addition of a new comparison tool, users will now also be able to access instant comparisons of featured institutions, including information such as rankings history, average tuition fees, and demographics on campus.
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