The 2021 Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) was released on Sunday by ShanghaiRanking, which has been presenting the world’s top universities annually since 2003. The ranking is based on transparent methodology and objective third-party data. It has been recognized as the most trustworthy precursor of global university—according to an ARWU press release. This year, more than 2000 institutions were scrutinized, and the best 1000 universities in the world have been picked.
Harvard University tops the ranking list for the 19th year. Stanford University and the University of Cambridge remain at the No. 2 and No. 3 seats. Other Top 10 universities are MIT (4th), Berkeley (5th), Princeton (6th), Oxford (7th), Columbia (8th), Caltech (9th), and Chicago (10th).
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem was ranked 90th. Last year, HU placed in the 101-150 category. This year, it managed to surpass several leading universities, including the University of California, Davis (100), University of Florida (97th), Boston University (95th), the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology (94), and the Weizmann Institute of Science (92nd).
The three Israeli academic institutions—HU, Technion, and Weizman—are the only Middle-Eastern higher education institutions in the top 100.
HU President Professor Asher Cohen shared, “The proof is in the pudding. Hebrew University’s ongoing commitment to excellence and innovation has placed it among the world’s leading academic institutions. This ranking is a tribute to the standard of excellence demonstrated day in and day out by Hebrew University staff, students, and professors alike.”
Cohen added, “The coronavirus pandemic demonstrated to the world the importance of strong research and scientific scholarship. With three Israeli academic institutions in the Top 100, I feel confident that Israel will make it through and that our researchers will continue to be a guiding light and a positive influence both at home and abroad.”