**To view the latest version of this article based on the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2016, click here, or, read on for 2014's results.
As is typical across all 30 of the subjects covered in the QS World University Rankings by Subject, the US accounts for roughly a quarter of the 200 top universities for accounting and finance*. However, the very top of the table is relatively diverse compared to other subjects, with the US taking up only four of the top 10 places.
The number one position goes to Harvard University, while Stanford University is 5th, Massachusetts Institute of Technology 6th and the University of Chicago 8=. The UK also claims four universities within the top 10: the University of Oxford (2nd), London School of Economics and Political Science (3rd), University of Cambridge (4th) and London Business School (7th). The remaining two top-10 spots go to Australia’s University of Melbourne (8=) and University of New South Wales (10th).
The National University of Singapore (NUS) is just two places outside the top 10, and fellow Asian city-state Hong Kong also boasts two entries within the top 20. Browse a little further down and the table becomes even more internationally diverse; the top 50 features top accounting and finance schools in Japan, New Zealand, China, Italy, Denmark, the Netherlands, Canada, South Korea, Switzerland, Taiwan and Sweden.
Top accounting and finance schools in the US
As mentioned above, the US accounts for around a quarter of the accounting and finance schools ranked, with 48 US entries among the top 200. The leader here is Harvard, followed by Stanford, MIT and the University of Chicago – all ranked in the world’s top 10 for these subjects. Also within the global top 50 are the University of Pennsylvania (11th), University of California, Berkeley (14th), New York University (15th), Yale University (16th), Columbia University (21st), Princeton University (24=), the University of Michigan (33rd), Duke University (34=), the University of Texas at Austin (36th), Cornell University (39th) and Northwestern University (41st).
See more of the US’s top universities for accounting and finance >
Top accounting and finance schools in the UK
The UK has 25 entries among the top 200, including four within the top 10 and six more within the top 50. Several of the UK’s strongest universities in this field are fairly specialized institutions; the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) ranks 3rd in the world while London Business School comes 7th. More comprehensive institutions also fare well, with the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge both within the global top five, and a number of other strong all-round performers making the global top 50. These include the University of Manchester (17th), University of Warwick (28=), Imperial College London (32nd), University of Nottingham (45th), Lancaster University (46th) and University of Edinburgh (48=).
See more leading accounting and finance schools in the UK >
Top accounting and finance schools in China
Outside of the US and UK, the largest number of the world’s leading accounting and finance schools is claimed by China, with 19 entries in the global top 200. Of these, the leading entries are Peking University and Tsinghua University, both within the top 50, followed by Fudan University and Shanghai Jiao Tong University, which both make the global top 100. Alongside strong comprehensive universities, several more specialized Chinese institutions also rank highly in this subject; notable examples are Shanghai University of Finance and Economics (top 150), the University of International Business and Economics (top 150) and the Central University of Finance and Economics (top 200).
See more of the top universities for accounting and finance in China >
Top accounting and finance schools in Australia
Next to claim a strong presence in the accounting and finance ranking is Australia, which has 15 universities ranked among the world’s best in this subject. Of these, seven are within the top 50, led by two top-10 entries – the University of Melbourne and University of New South Wales. The University of Sydney is just three places outside the global top 10, followed by Monash University (20th), Australian National University (22nd), the University of Queensland (26th) and University of Adelaide (47th). Overall, this is one of the strongest subject areas for Australian universities.
See more of Australia’s top accounting and finance schools >
Top accounting and finance schools in Canada
The fourth major Anglophone study destination, Canada, has a respectable 13 universities ranked among the world’s best in this subject. The highest Canadian entry is the University of Toronto (38th), and the University of British Columbia also makes the global top 50, in 42nd place. The University of Alberta comes within the top 100, while McMaster University, the University of Western Ontario, Université du Québec, University of Waterloo and York University are all within the top 150.
See more top universities for accounting and finance in Canada >
Top accounting and finance schools in Asia
As well as being a notably strong subject area for China, accounting and finance schools are also strong in South Korea and Taiwan, which each have seven universities included in the top 200. Their highest entries are Seoul National University (40th) and National Taiwan University (48=), while South Korea’s KAIST and Korea University also both make the top 100.
The highest overall Asian entry – no surprises here – is the National University of Singapore, ranked 12th. Two more Singaporean institutes also feature; Nanyang Technological University is 28= and Singapore Management University has a place in the top 100.
Hong Kong also has a very strong presence, with three entries in the top 30 – University of Hong Kong (18th), Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (19th) and the Chinese University of Hong Kong (27th) – and three more in the top 200. Japan doesn’t fare quite so well, but the University of Tokyo has a strong place in 23rd, and four more Japanese institutions feature among the 200 best.
See more of the top universities for accounting and finance in Asia >
Top accounting and finance schools in Europe
Outside of the UK, the European countries with the largest numbers of leading accounting and finance schools are Germany and the Netherlands, with six entries each. The highest-placed of these is the Netherlands’ Erasmus University Rotterdam (37th). Switzerland boasts five entries, led by ETH Zurich (43rd); Italy and Spain each have four, of which the highest are Università Commerciale Luigi Bocconi (31st) and Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (top 100). Two more European universities rank among the global top 50 for these subjects: Denmark’s Copenhagen Business School (34=) and Sweden’s Stockholm School of Economics (50th).
*In the accounting and finance ranking, only 193 universities are selected for inclusion.
Image credits: Ivica Drusany / Shutterstock.com (Imperial College London); chinahbzyg / Shutterstock.com (Peking University); Donaldytong / Wikimedia Commons (University of Melbourne)
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