Want to know about top research universities worldwide? Or which top-ranked universities are best for Ph.D. study? For your help, we have compiled a list of research universities that will assist you to find one of the best affordable institutes for your studies.
We’ve also looked beyond rankings and picked out a few other ways to evaluate universities for postgraduate research. The ranking for the top research universities determined based on THE (Times Higher Education).
Discover the top-ranked research universities in the world, offering the best masters and Ph.D. degree programs for your excellent education. Or, if you prefer, you can just jump straight to a list of the top-ranked universities for Ph.D. study in 2018. Good luck!!
University of Oxford, UK
Are you looking for an exceptional education in an environment which values individuals for who they are? Oxford might be the place for you. Oxford is a world-leading center of learning, teaching and research and the oldest university in the English-speaking world. It is the oldest university in the English-speaking world. The University offers a wide range of degree courses to suit your areas of interest. Over 300 graduates taught and research degrees are available in a diverse array of disciplines. Oxford’s Department for Continuing Education runs over 1000 courses per year, offered on a part-time basis.
Oxford is ranked first in the world in the THE World University Rankings and is consistently ranked as one of the world’s best universities by three other university ranking tables. Oxford’s Department for Continuing Education runs over 1000 courses per year, offered on a part-time basis. Programs include Oxford awards and degrees at the undergraduate and postgraduate level, online short courses, weekly classes, day and weekend events, continuing professional development and summer schools.
Founded In: 1096
Ranking: 1st
Acceptance Rate: 17.5%
Tuition & Fees Approximately: $11,700
Admission Office Contact: +44 1865 270000, Fax: +44 1865 270708
Website: http://www.ox.ac.uk
University of Cambridge, UK
Cambridge University is the second-oldest university in the English-speaking world and the world’s fourth-oldest surviving university. Cambridge has 29 undergraduate Colleges. The Colleges provide undergraduates with accommodation but are much more than halls of residence. Courses at Cambridge encompass a huge number of subjects and study options, allowing you to specialize in your interests. Research students may have the opportunity to gain supervising and demonstrating experience by undertaking to teach on behalf of Colleges and departments.
Cambridge is formed from a variety of institutions which include 31 constituent Colleges and over 100 academic departments organized into six schools. Graduate study at Cambridge can be a life-changing experience. With more than 18,000 students from all walks of life and all corners of the world, over 11,000 staff, 31 Colleges and 150 Departments, Faculties, Schools and other institutions, no two days are ever the same at the University of Cambridge.
Founded In: 1209
Ranking: 2nd
Acceptance Rate: 21%
Tuition & Fees Approximately: UK/EU students £9,250 and £16,230- £23,885 per year non-EU students
Admission Office Contact: (01223) 337733.
Website: https://www.cam.ac.uk
California Institute of Technology, USA
Caltech is a world-renowned science and engineering Institute that marshals some of the world’s brightest minds and most innovative tools to address fundamental scientific questions and pressing societal challenges. The Institute has one of the nation’s lowest student-to-faculty ratios, with 300 professorial faculty members offering a rigorous curriculum and access to varied learning opportunities and hands-on research to approximately 1,000 undergraduates and 1,250 graduate students.
Caltech is a small four-year, highly residential research university with a slight majority in graduate programs. It academic divisions are Biology & Biological Engineering, Chemistry & Chemical Engineering, Engineering & Applied Science, Geological & Planetary Sciences, Humanities & Social Sciences, and Physics, Mathematics & Astronomy. The Institute offers graduate degree programs for the Master of Science, Engineer’s Degree, Doctor of Philosophy, BS/MS and MD/ Ph.D., with the majority of students in the Ph.D. program.
Founded In: 1891
Ranking: 3rd Tie
Acceptance Rate: 8%
Tuition & Fees Approximately: $49,908
Admission Office Contact: (626) 395-6811
Website: http://www.caltech.edu
Stanford University, USA
Stanford University is a private research university in Stanford, California. The university is organized around three traditional schools consisting of 40 academic departments at the undergraduate and graduate level and four professional schools that focus on graduate programs in Law, Medicine, Education, and Business. The full-time, four-year undergraduate program has arts and sciences focus with high graduate student coexistence.
Stanford is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. It is known for its academic strength, wealth, proximity to Silicon Valley, and ranking as one of the world’s top-ten universities. If you are going to apply at Stanford, you have a chance to explore more than 65 major fields of undergraduate study Stanford’s undergraduate program is one of the top three most selective in the United States by acceptance rate.
Founded In: 1891
Ranking: 3rd Tie
Acceptance Rate: 4.8%
Tuition & Fees Approximately: $42,690
Admission Office Contact: 650-723-2300
Website: https://www.stanford.edu
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA
Established on April 10, 1861, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a large, highly residential, research university with a majority of enrollments in graduate and professional programs. MIT offers 44 undergraduate degrees across its five schools. The Institute is traditionally known for its research and education in the physical sciences and engineering, but more recently in biology, economics, linguistics, and management as well. MIT offers a comprehensive doctoral program with degrees in the humanities, social sciences, and STEM fields as well as professional degrees.
MIT is often ranked among the world’s top universities. All undergraduates are required to complete a core curriculum called the General Institute Requirements (GIRs). The Institute offers graduate programs leading to academic degrees such as the Master of Science (which is abbreviated as SM at MIT), various Engineer’s Degrees, Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), and Doctor of Science (ScD) and interdisciplinary graduate programs such as the MD-PhD (with Harvard Medical School).
Founded In: April 10, 1861
Ranking: 5th
Acceptance Rate: 7.9%
Tuition & Fees Approximately: $64,612 annually
Admission Office Contact: 617-253-1000
Website: http://web.mit.edu
Harvard University, USA
Harvard University is a large and highly residential research university. Established in 1636, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the United States. It has been accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges since 1929. The university offers 46 undergraduate concentrations (majors), 134 graduate degrees, and 32 professional degrees. Harvard offers a comprehensive doctoral graduate program, and there is a high level of coexistence between graduate and undergraduate degrees.
The total 2018-2019 cost of attending Harvard College without financial aid is $46,340 for tuition and $67,580 for tuition, room, board, and fees combined. The nominal cost of attendance is high, but the university’s large endowment allows it to offer generous financial aid packages.
Founded In: 1636
Ranking: 6th
Acceptance Rate: 5.4%
Tuition & Fees Approximately: $67,580
Admission Office Contact: (617) 495-1585
Website: https://www.harvard.edu
Princeton University, USA
Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States. Founded in 1746, it is a private Ivy League research university provides students with a range of academic resources and a support network of faculty and staff to support their success. A Princeton education will prepare you for success in whatever career path you choose. Throughout your time at Princeton, you will have access to numerous resources to help you design your visions for meaningful career paths and prepare for the future.
Princeton provides undergraduate and graduates instruction in the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, and engineering. It offers professional degrees through the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, the School of Engineering and Applied Science, the School of Architecture and the Bendheim Center for Finance. The estimated cost of attendance for 2018-19 is $70,010 and includes- Tuition: $49,330, Room charge: $9,450, and Board rate: $6,840.
Founded In: 1746
Ranking: 7th
Acceptance Rate: 6.5%
Tuition & Fees Approximately: $70,010
Admission Office Contact: (609) 258-3000
Website: https://www.princeton.edu
Imperial College London, UK
Imperial is a global top ten university with a world-class reputation in science, engineering, business, and medicine. It is the only UK University to focus entirely on science, engineering, medicine, and business. Their international reputation for excellence in teaching and research sees us consistently rated in the top 10 universities worldwide. Imperial is the most international university in the United Kingdom, with 50% of students from the UK, 16% of students from the EU, and 34% of students from outside the UK or EU.
Imperial College London aims to achieve enduring excellence in research and education in science, engineering, medicine, and business, for the benefit of society. It is organized through faculties of science, engineering, medicine, and business. With an international reputation for teaching and research excellence, and consistently rated amongst the world’s best universities, Imperial is committed to developing the next generation of researchers, scientists, and academics through collaboration across disciplines.
Founded In: 1907
Ranking: 8th
Acceptance Rate: 14.3%
Tuition & Fees Approximately: £9,250 per year
Admission Office Contact: +44 (0)20 7589 5111
Website: https://www.imperial.ac.uk
University of Chicago, USA
The University of Chicago is a private, non-profit research university in Chicago, Illinois. Since its inception in 1890, UChicago has remained committed to educating extraordinary people regardless of race, gender, religion, or financial ability. UChicago is home to some of the most venerated academic programs in the world. The university has offer 65 majors and 47 minors in the undergraduate College. Students can explore their current degree and academic programs across the undergraduate College, five graduate divisions, six professional schools, and the Graham School of Continuing Liberal and Professional Studies.
One of the world’s great intellectual destinations, the University of Chicago empowers scholars and students to ask tough questions, cross disciplinary boundaries, and challenge conventional thinking to enrich human life around the globe. It is having established the fields of ecology and sociology, the first graduate international affairs program in the United States, and the first executive MBA program. University of Chicago scholars has played a major role in the development of many academic disciplines, including sociology, law, economics, literary criticism, religion and the behavioralism school of political science.
Founded In: 1890
Ranking: 9th
Acceptance Rate: 7.9%
Tuition & Fees Approximately: $52,491
Admission Office Contact:
Website: https://www.uchicago.edu
ETH Zurich – Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, Switzerland
ETH Zurich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich) is one of the world’s leading universities in science and technology and is known for its cutting-edge research and innovation. It has 16 departments that conduct academic interdisciplinary research in subjects ranging from architecture and technology to chemistry and physics. Since its founding in 1855 ETH Zurich has stood for world-class academic excellence, for research which benefits of industry and society, and for the education of highly qualified subject specialists.
Education at ETH Zurich is more about theory than its practical application, and most degree programs contain mathematical training. For undergraduates, the main teaching language is German, while most master’s programs and doctoral studies are in English. ETH Zurich offers an internationally attractive range of study programs. At ETH Zurich, students discover an ideal environment for independent thinking, researchers a climate which inspires top performance.
Founded In: 1855
Ranking: 10th Tie
Acceptance Rate: N/A
Tuition & Fees Approximately: CHF 1,298 (~US$1,310)
Admission Office Contact: +41 44 632 11 11, Fax: +41 44 632 10 10
Website: https://www.ethz.ch/en.html