Among the universities of the world there are special ones, which are distinguished by their worthy age, universities with high prestige, the most famous. There is a rating of the most famous universities in Russia.

The oldest universities in the world

There are universities founded several centuries ago. Among the functioning universities are well-known, opened in the eleventh - thirteenth centuries. More about the oldest of them below.

University of Bologna (Italy)

The University of Bologna is fighting for the right to be considered the oldest university in the world. The year of its foundation is one thousand eighty-eight. Initially, the University of Bologna was famous for the high level of teaching of Roman law. Now more than seventy-seven thousand students study within its walls. In Europe, this university is the oldest.

Oxford University (UK)

The oldest among the English-speaking universities is the University of Oxford. In the UK, it is the oldest. Unfortunately, documentary evidence of the exact date of its opening has not been preserved, however, it is reliably known that in the year 1966 it was already working. About forty-four thousand people study at this university today.


Al-Azhar University (Egypt)

Al-Azhar University, located in Cairo, is recognized as the oldest in the world. His story began in nine hundred and sixty-nine. It appeared almost simultaneously with Cairo itself. From the first years of its existence, special attention was paid to the teaching of religious disciplines.


University of Salamanca (Spain)

The oldest in Spain and one of the oldest in the world is the University of Salamanca. Among the educational institutions of Europe, it was this first that was awarded the right to be called a university. Salaman University was originally opened as a school in 1130. Ninety years later, the school was awarded the degree of "general school". In the year 1254, the “public school” became a university. This university was one of the first to acquire its own public library.

The most famous universities in Russia

There are more than a thousand higher educational institutions in Russia, they are located throughout the country and differ in the level of teaching and prestige. Learn more about the most famous Russian universities.

MSTU im. H.E. Bauman (Moscow)

Not only the most famous, but also the most prestigious in Russia is MSTU. H.E. Bauman. This Moscow university trains specialists in twenty-four areas, seventy-five specialties. The university trains specialists for modern instrumentation and mechanical engineering.


Moscow State University M.V. Lomonosov (Moscow)

One of the most famous universities in Russia is Moscow State University. M.V. Lomonosov. It is known far beyond the borders of the country. It was founded in the middle of the eighteenth century by M.V. Lomonosov in Moscow. Today it is the oldest university in Russia. Thanks to a long history, an excellent material and technical base, the country's largest library, research centers, and its own museum have been created.


St. Petersburg State University (St. Petersburg)

The State University in St. Petersburg occupies a worthy place among the best universities in Russia. It trains specialists at twenty-four faculties. St Petersburg University has its own museums, a publishing house and one of the richest libraries in the country.


KPFU (Kazan)

Of the permanent ones, Kazan Federal University is the second oldest in the country. The university in Kazan is equipped with the latest technology and has a rich scientific library. This university is one of the cultural heritage sites of the country.


The most prestigious universities today

Among the most famous universities in the world, you can choose the most prestigious. As you know, the more authoritative the university, the easier it is for a student to find a good job after graduation. Further about some of the most prestigious universities in the world.

California Institute of Technology (USA)

The California Institute of Technology is abbreviated as Caltech. This university is the base for NASA. In the field of exact sciences, Caltech is a leading university in America and around the world. It is believed that it is not easy to study there. The first American satellite and several space probes were created on the basis of this outstanding university.

University of Cambridge (UK)

Another leader in authority and prestige among the universities of the world is the University of Cambridge. He is also one of the oldest. This university opened its doors to students in 1299. Cambridge graduates more often than graduates of other universities become Nobel laureates.


Yale University (USA)

Yale University is in the top three in terms of prestige. It is located in the USA. It was founded in 1832. Today, eleven thousand students study there. The university is distinguished by the fact that there are no restrictions on the admission of foreigners.


The most prestigious university in the world

Everyone is hearing


Harvard University, and this is no coincidence. He is not only one of the most famous, but also the most prestigious in the world. In the United States, this university is the oldest, the year of its foundation is one thousand six hundred and thirty-six. Most of America's prominent political figures graduated from Harvard at one time. Students during their studies use the large rich library of the university, one of the largest in the world. The university has its own observatory, museums. Graduates of Harvard University often become politicians and scientists. Prestigious are not only the temples of science, but also things that are bought for money, such as cars. On the site is a site about the longest limousines.
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Ratings of educational institutions are carried out by special statistical agencies. Moreover, the data can vary greatly, depending on many factors that they took into account. As a result, it turns out that in the statistical top 100 of the best universities in the world, for example, one university is in fifth place, and according to another rating, the same educational institution occupies the 20th line.

Therefore, for a more objective picture, we will consider the lists of three world agencies at once: QS, THE (Times Higher Education) and U.S. News. They are distinguished by their impartiality, as well as their authority. That is, we are looking for some kind of arithmetic mean, if such a concept can be applied to the ranking of the best universities in the world.

It’s worth clarifying right away that domestic institutions, alas, were not included in this list. All universities, which will be discussed, are located in North America and the UK. Yes, we have decent universities, but according to the aforementioned agencies, they are not good enough. One of the most serious Russian educational institutions - Lomonosov Moscow State University - takes only 95th place in the list of the best universities in the world (2017) (QS statistics). So our universities are not only up to the top ten, but up to the first fifty, they are still very far away and will take a long time to grow.

So, let's try to figure out which is the best university in the world, why it is so famous, what is studied in it and where to find it. The data may change from year to year, but the top three and even the top five, as a rule, are unchanged and hold the bar for a very, very long time. Let's designate the first ten educational institutions.

TOP of the best universities in the world:

  1. Harvard University.
  2. Cambridge.
  3. Oxford.
  4. Stanford.
  5. Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
  6. University College London.
  7. California Institute of Technology.
  8. Yale university.
  9. Imperial College London.

And now we will analyze the most remarkable educational institutions in more detail.

Harvard University

Harvard remains the undisputed leader of the ranking, that is, the best university in the world. It was founded back in 1636 and is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The average number of students, according to the university, fluctuates within 21 thousand people.

Among the other top universities in the world, Harvard has the largest endowment fund, as well as a significant number of scholarships with far-reaching paychecks. Separately, it is worth mentioning the library at the university - it's just a storehouse for anyone who suffers from knowledge and answers to their questions.

Faculties

Today's student-to-teacher ratio is seven to one. Moreover, a good half of the lectures are given for groups of no more than 20 people, which greatly increases the chances for understanding and consolidating the material received by applicants.

The best university in the world has the following faculties:

  • business school;
  • humanitarian sciences;
  • design;
  • pedagogy;
  • management and management;
  • right;
  • healthcare;
  • dentistry;
  • religion;
  • applied Sciences;
  • cutting edge research.

And this is not a complete list. There are also academic specialties and departments for training specialists of various profiles. So at Harvard you can study any science, if there is a desire (and opportunities).

Graduates

Among the famous graduates of the best university in the world are the presidents of the United States (Roosevelt, Kennedy, Bush, Obama), world leaders of other countries, members of royal families (Prince Frederick of Denmark, Sheikh Sabah of Kuwait, Princess Owada of Japan, as well as businessmen Zuckerberg and Bill Gates .

University of Cambridge

Silver goes to one of the oldest educational institutions in Europe - the University of Cambridge. It was founded in 1209 and is located in East Anglia (about 90 km north of London). Nearby (50 km) is the major airport Stansted.

Almost 30 thousand students from all over the world study at the university. The educational institution is distinguished by its conservatism (however, like the whole of Foggy Albion), so any applicant who gets into the walls of Cambridge becomes part of the centuries-old English traditions. This applies to clothing, matriculation ceremonies, graduation ceremonies, etc.

University faculties

When entering a university, applicants always face a serious dilemma - which college to choose. The fact is that the existing Cambridge system is strikingly different from the usual American and European counterparts.

That is, here choosing a college, which is also a faculty, you determine for yourself a lifestyle and social circle. Whichever direction you take, it has its own buildings, gyms, playgrounds, and generally separate structures that have nothing to do with other specializations.

Colleges:

  • humanitarian sciences;
  • biology;
  • clinical medicine;
  • physics;
  • advanced research;
  • Social sciencies.

All of them are divided into 150 faculties and departments. It is worth noting that to study at the university you need to have not only an impeccable portfolio, but a tidy sum in a bank account.

Famous Alumni

Cambridge is famous for its alumni, including such major figures as Newton, Bacon, Rutherford and Oppenheimer. Also noteworthy are major literary figures: A. A. Milne, J. B. Prisley, Cl. Art. Lewis, L. Stern and our compatriot Vladimir Nabokov.

Cambridge has given our planet the largest number of Nobel Prize winners in many fields.

Oxford University (University of Oxford)

Bronze went to another oldest university in Europe - Oxford. The educational institution was founded in 1096 and is located in Central England (100 km northwest of London). Oxford can host up to 25,000 students from all over the world.

The university is also notable for the fact that the cult film about Harry Potter was filmed on the territory of Christ Church College, and the no less legendary Alice in Wonderland was written within its walls.

List of faculties

The main direction of the university is the humanities. But since the twentieth century, the exact sciences, law, music, medicine and art have been taught at Oxford with due success. The academic year here begins in October and consists of three semesters: autumn, winter and spring. Summer, respectively, is vacation time.

There are plenty of teachers at Oxford: one lecturer can read to audiences of five or six people, which allows full use of the tutoring system. That is, the student receives from his teacher not only basic, but also specialized knowledge in an expanded volume.

Colleges:

  • humanitarian sciences;
  • design;
  • pedagogy;
  • right;
  • healthcare;
  • applied Sciences;
  • cutting edge research.

Faculties, as in the case of Cambridge, are divided into colleges and function in a similar way to it.

Famous graduates

Among the famous graduates of the university, the following world figures can be distinguished: Margaret Thatcher, Tony Blair, Lewis Carroll and John Tolkien. We must not forget our compatriots - Anna Akhmatova, Joseph Brodsky, Ivan Turgenev and Korney Chukovsky.

Stanford University

Stanford is primarily famous for its research activities. From the first years of its existence (1891), the educational institution devoted itself to the search for truth and solving the most difficult problems, in parallel, of course, teaching applicants and attracting the best of them to its ranks. The complex is located in Silicon Valley, in California, North America.

In addition, Stanford has repeatedly found itself at the top of the rankings as the best medical university in the world, thanks to innovative discoveries in this field and a large number of exceptionally competent and experienced teachers.

Faculties of Stanford

Stanford was conceived not only as a purely educational institution, but also as a practical one. That is, when other universities focused on the cultural level, Stanford systematized the data of world employment exchanges month by month and provided citizens who were exclusively “useful” to society.

University specializations:

  • business and management;
  • the medicine;
  • earth science;
  • humanitarian sciences;
  • engineering;
  • right;
  • pedagogy;
  • society.

The specific direction of each faculty was necessarily calculated from the current needs of the labor market, so Stanford graduates were 100% likely to be provided with a job. In fact, they were already employed only by choosing a specialization and passing the entrance exams.

About graduates

We owe Stanford the invention of the modem and the TCP/IP protocols. Together with other alumni, Vintov Serf and Brand Townsend made our Internet possible today. Presidents and statesmen studied at the university: US President Herbert Hoover, Senators Kent Conrad, Dianne Feinstein and Supreme Court Justice Sandra O'Connor.

Businessmen also distinguished themselves by their quality education: Nike director Philip Knight, developer and father of the Pay Pal payment system Peter Thiel, two founders of the venerable Google search engine Lawrence Page and Sergey Brin, as well as Yahoo founder David Filo.

With the approaching time of school exams, the issue of choosing an institute or university is gaining relevance. A reference point for many applicants are university rankings. Today we bring you the top 10 universities in the world in 2016 according to Times Higher Education.

1. California Institute of Technology (USA)

First place ranking The best universities in the world» in 2016 went to the famous Caltech, which teaches leading experts in mathematics, astronomy, bioengineering, physics and biology. There are many Nobel Prize winners among alumni and faculty.

Caltech is known for the fact that specialties here are not divided into basic and additional. Students must be ready to take the required program in mathematics, biology, physics and humanities. Almost 40% of students receive financial assistance from the administration.

Cost of education:$42 000

2. Oxford University (UK)


The first British university in the ranking is known for its centuries-old traditions and cosmic level of education. The walls of Oxford are leaving the future world elite: heads of state, Nobel Prize winners, famous public figures. Oxford offers a variety of courses and majors, including the humanities, sciences and sciences.

Cost of education: from 13 000 pounds

3. Stanford University (USA)

Third place in the ranking The best universities in the world”occupies Stanford, located 60 km from San Francisco, in the heart of Silicon Valley. Stanford University graduates are the founders of Google, HP, Nvidia, Yahoo!

The richest university in the United States offers seven areas, including the humanities, natural sciences and exact sciences.

Cost of education: from $35 000

4. Cambridge University (UK)


The eternal rival of Oxford and one of the oldest universities in the Old World. Its foundation dates back to 1209. Cambridge has given the world the largest number of Nobel laureates - as many as 88 people. Newton, Bacon, Rutherford, as well as the writer Vladimir Nabokov studied here.

The University of Cambridge offers 15 directions, and for immigrants from the CIS there are national communities.

Cost of education: from 15 000 pounds

5. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (USA)


The best university in the world for innovation, robotics and artificial intelligence. MIT has never given honorary degrees, athletic scholarships. The main idea of ​​the university is to study hard here. Defending the honor of MIT on the football field, student athletes will not earn a diploma, as is customary in other universities. If you are a dedicated techie who doesn't mind strict rules, this is the best university for you.

Cost of living: from $41 000

6. Harvard University (USA)


The first university in the ranking The best universities in the world from the Ivy League. It annually lets out future politicians, scientists, physicians, businessmen. It is the graduates of this university that more often than others become billionaires (David Rockefeller,). The oldest university in the United States was founded in 1636.

Today, Harvard offers training in a dozen areas. The most prestigious are the medical and business schools of Harvard.

Cost of education: about $43 000

7. Princeton University (USA)


Another representative of the "Ivy League" in the university rankings. Princeton provides bachelor's and master's degrees in the sciences, humanities, social sciences, and engineering. Education in this educational institution is focused on research activities. There are on average more than ten candidates per seat. Among the famous graduates of the university are writer Haruki Murakami, US President Woodrow Wilson, scientist Albert Einstein.

Cost of education: about $37 000

8. Imperial College London


The only representative in the ranking of the best universities from London. It is an independent science and technology arm of the State University of London. In addition to technical and natural disciplines, Imperial College London offers to study at a prestigious business school, whose graduates are well-known businessmen and top managers.

Cost of education: from 25 000 pounds

9. Swiss Federal Institute of Technology

The best university in Switzerland is one of the most prestigious and cheapest technical schools in the world. There are 21 Nobel Prize winners associated with the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich. The duration of study in the bachelor's degree is 3 years, in the master's degree - from one and a half years.

Cost of education: 1160 Swiss francs (approximately $1200)

10. University of Chicago (USA)


One of the leading US research centers is focused on " cutting-edge ideas that can change the world". The best university in Chicago produced 87 Nobel Prize winners, 17 of whom worked in it. Every year, the administration of the University of Chicago allocates $ 85 million for gifted students, and also "leads" its graduates in their careers, opening up access to private resources when looking for work.

Cost of education: about $48 500

On Wednesday this week, the British magazine Times Higher Education published the results of THE World University Rankings, an annual global study of the best universities in the world.

The unchanging leader of the last five years, California Institute of Technology came in second in the rankings. Otherwise, the top ten higher education in the world has not changed much: positions from 3 to 9 are occupied by the same universities as last year.

On the third place - Stanford University(USA). It is followed by the University of Cambridge (UK, 4), Massachusetts Institute of Technology(USA, 5), Harvard University(USA, 6), Princeton University(USA, 7), Imperial College London (UK, 8). The Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich retained its ninth spot, managing to remain the only institution outside the US or UK in the top 10. Rounding out the top ten UC Berkeley(USA).

This year, THE World University Rankings study includes 980 universities of the world, which is 180 more than a year earlier. The study once again demonstrated the dominance of higher education institutions in the US and the UK.

So, the top 100 best universities in the world in 2016-2017:

1. Oxford University (University of Oxford), Great Britain
2. California Institute of Technology, USA
3. Stanford University, USA
4. University of Cambridge, Great Britain
5. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), USA
6. Harvard University, USA
7. Princeton University, USA
8. Imperial College London (Imperial College London), Great Britain
9. Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zürich - Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zürich), Switzerland
10-11. University of California at Berkeley (University of California, Berkeley), USA
University of Chicago, USA

12. Yale University, USA
13. University of Pennsylvania, USA
14.University of California at Los Angeles (University of California, Los Angeles, UCLA), USA
15. University College London (UCL), Great Britain
16. Columbia University, USA
17. Johns Hopkins University, USA
18. Duke University, USA
19. Cornell University, USA
20. Northwestern University (Northwestern University), USA
21. University of Michigan, USA
22. University of Toronto (University of Toronto), Canada
23. Carnegie Mellon University, USA
24.National University of Singapore (NUS), Singapore
25-26. London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), Great Britain
University of Washington (University of Washington), USA
27. University of Edinburgh, Great Britain
28. Karolinska Institute, Sweden
29. Peking University, China
30-31. Federal Polytechnic School of Lausanne (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne), Switzerland
Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich Munich, Germany
32. New York University (NYU), USA
33-34. Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech), USA
Melbourne University (University of Melbourne), Australia
35. Tsinghua University, China
36-38. University of British Columbia, Canada
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA
Kings College (King's College London), Great Britain
39. University of Tokyo (The University of Tokyo), Japan
40. Catholic University of Leuven (KU Leuven), Belgium
41. University of California at San Diego (University of California, San Diego), USA
42. McGill University, Canada
43-44. Heidelberg University, Germany
Hong Kong University (The University of Hong Kong), Hong Kong
45. University of Wisconsin-Madison (University of Wisconsin-Madison), USA
46. Technical University of Munich (Technical University of Munich), Germany
47. Australian National University, Australia
48.University of California, Santa Barbara, USA
49. Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Hong Kong University of Science and Technology), Hong Kong
50. University of Texas at Austin, USA
51-52. Brown University, USA
University of California, Davis, USA
53.University of Minnesota, USA
54. Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
55. University of Manchester, Great Britain
56. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA
57-58. Humboldt University of Berlin, Germany
Washington University in St. Louis (Washington University in St. Louis), USA
59. Delft University of Technology (Delft University of Technology), Netherlands
60-62. Queensland University (University of Queensland), Australia
University of Southern California, USA
University of Sydney, Australia
63. University of Amsterdam, Netherlands
64. Boston University, USA
65. Wageningen University and Research Center, Netherlands
66. Higher Normal School (École Normale Supérieure), France
67. University of Maryland at College Park (University of Maryland, College Park), USA
68. Pennsylvania State University, USA
60. Erasmus University Rotterdam, Netherlands
70. Purdue University, USA
71. Bristol University (University of Bristol), Great Britain
72-73. Ohio State University, USA
Seoul National University, The Republic of Korea
74. Monash University, Australia
75. Free University of Berlin (Free University of Berlin), Germany
76. Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
77. Leiden University, Netherlands
78-79. University of New South Wales (University of New South Wales), Australia
RWTH Aachen University, Germany
80-81. University of Groningen, Netherlands
University of Pittsburgh, USA
82-85. Dartmouth College (Dartmouth College), USA
Emory University, USA
Technical University of Berlin (Technical University of Berlin), Germany
University of Warwick, Great Britain
86. Utrecht University, Netherlands
87. Rice University, USA
88. University of Glasgow, Great Britain
89-90. Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), South Korea
University of Tübingen, Germany
91-92. University of Helsinki, Finland
Kyoto University, Japan
93. Uppsala University, Sweden
94. Maastricht University, Netherlands
95. Freiburg University (University of Freiburg), Germany
96-97. Durham University, Great Britain
Lund University, Sweden
98-100. Aarhus University, Denmark
Basel University (University of Basel), Switzerland
University of California, Irvine, USA

The status of a university is influenced by quite a few factors: the quality of education, the number of Nobel laureates, special programs, scientific papers, awards and many others. But there are institutions that are leading in all respects. You will learn about them now.

Harvard University

The oldest and one of the most famous universities in the United States. It was founded on September 8, 1636. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. More than forty Nobel laureates, politicians and businessmen (Theodore Roosevelt, Barack Obama, Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg) studied within its walls. Tuition fee: about $40,000 per year. It has the largest fund of donations among universities in the world (37.6 billion dollars). Web site

Stanford University

A private university in the USA, which is one of the most prestigious in the USA and in the world. Appeared relatively recently - in 1891 and is located near the city of Palo Alto, California. It was created with the aim of educating not only educated, but also graduates in demand in the labor market, so that the orientation towards the public good remains at Stanford to this day. That is why there are many innovators and inventors among university graduates who have made great changes in our world (Elon Musk (although he did not graduate), Larry Page, Sergey Brin). Web site

The most prestigious educational institution, famous not only for the quality of teaching, but also for its amazing international atmosphere, as it has a large number of students from all over the world. Founded in 1701. Located in New Haven, Connecticut. Tuition fee: about $40,500 per year. Among the graduates of the university you can recognize the leaders of various countries of the world, as well as famous public figures, scientists and entrepreneurs (George Bush, John Kerry, Meryl Streep, John Templeton) Website

Oxford University

One of the oldest universities in Europe and the real pride of the British education system. The cherished dream of thousands of students from all over the world. The exact date of the founding of the University of Oxford is unknown, but education at Oxford was conducted as early as 1096. Located in Oxford, Oxfordshire, England. Until now, Oxford keeps its traditions and premium level of education. Tuition fee: about $14,000 per year. Notable alumni include Lewis Carroll, John Tolkien, Margaret Thatcher and Tony Blair. Web site

Cambridge university

A truly legendary educational institution, it is the oldest in Europe after Oxford. The university grew out of a collection of learned people from the city of Cambridge (Cambridgeshire), which was formed, judging by the annals, in 1209. No university in the world can boast as many Nobel laureates as this one, equal to eighty-eight. Famous alumni: Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, Francis Bacon, James Maxwell, Vladimir Nabokov, Frederic Senger. Tuition fee: about $14,000 per year. Web site

A university in the USA with a brilliant academic reputation that attracts the most talented students from all over the world. Founded in 1746 in Princeton, New Jersey. Tuition fee: about $37,000 per year. The President of the United States - Woodrow Wilson, the actress - Brooke Shields, and the first lady of the United States - Michelle Obama studied there. Web site

Columbia University

A university in the state of New York that has produced many talented graduates in a wide variety of fields. Among them are forty-three Nobel laureates, three presidents, as well as world-famous writers and public figures. Founded in 1754 in New York. Tuition fee: about $45,000 per year. Prominent alumni: Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Mikhail Saakashvili, Warren Buffett, Jerome Salinger, Hunter Thompson, Barack Obama, Catherine Bigelow.


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