Harvard, Oxford, Cambridge, Sorbonne - the names of the most famous universities in the world speak for themselves. Their diplomas mean, a priori, high quality education, prestige, guaranteed employment in highly paid positions, the opportunity to engage in science or make a brilliant career, and other prospects opening up to graduates.
Every country has famous universities that attract applicants from different parts of the world. The largest number are located in the US, followed by the UK. But this does not mean that the training of future specialists in France, Germany, Japan, Singapore, and Canada is worse.
Harvard is the oldest American university. He has long been firmly among the three most famous educational institutions peace.
Harvard was founded on September 8, 1636 in the city of Cambridge, where it still operates successfully today. Initially, it operated as a college, on the basis of which a higher education institution was later founded. John Harvard, whose name it bears, was the initiator of its discovery and the main sponsor.
Over the years, Harvard has graduated tens of thousands of specialists in various fields. Among the graduates are Barack Obama, Theodore Roosevelt, Mark Zuckerberg. Almost forty future Nobel laureates and eight future American presidents studied within its walls.
Preparation includes all popular areas. For the convenience of students, campuses and libraries have been built on the campus. There are museums and a botanical garden on site. The cost of education at Harvard reaches $40 thousand per year.
Yale
Yale is another famous university among the top three in America and the world. It has been operating in New Haven since 1701 and is renowned for its international approach to learning. Yale has students from 100 countries. A year of training costs $40.5 thousand.
The educational institution is named after the merchant Eli Yale, who sponsored the school, which over time grew into a prestigious university. His pride is a huge library, the third largest on the planet.
At one time, George W. Bush, John Kerry and others graduated from Yale University famous politicians and businessmen.
Princeton is famous in America and far beyond its borders for its brilliant academic preparation and impeccable reputation. It is located in the city of the same name in 1746 and trains highly specialized scientists, artists and other fields.
Princeton University's educational programs are based on developing abilities and unlocking the creative and scientific potential of students. Each student studies a program in his or her specialization plus an additional one that goes beyond professional training. This approach is justified by the prospects - graduates will be able to work in several directions in the future.
American President Woodrow Wilson and US First Lady Michelle Obama graduated from Princeton. Albert Einstein once taught here in room 302.
Oxford is one of the most popular universities in Europe, the pride of the English educational system. The famous university is located in Oxfordshire.
The exact date of its opening has not been established, but it is known for certain that students were being trained already in 1096.
The educational system practiced at Oxford allows us to prepare and graduate highly professional specialists different areas activities. Throughout educational process mentors help students assigned to them. The teaching staff strives to diversify the leisure time of students.
There are dozens of interest sections, libraries, and museums on the territory. A year of training costs approximately $15 thousand.
Among the famous graduates are Margaret Thatcher, Tony Blair, Lewis Carroll.
Cambridge is a legendary representative of higher education, which opened in 1209. It went down in the history of education as the institute that trained and graduated the largest number of future Nobel laureates. The prestigious prize was awarded to 88 Cambridge University students. And this is not the limit.
Training is carried out in 28 areas. The cost of one-year training is about $14 thousand. Talented students can apply for scholarships and grants that fully or partially compensate financial costs.
Cambridge graduates include Vladimir Nabokov, Charles Darwin, Isaac Newton, and Stephen Hawkins.
Stanford University is relatively young when compared to Harvard. The Stanford couple founded the university in Silicon Valley in 1891 in memory of their deceased son.
Today, the private institute is deservedly considered prestigious. It was conceived with a specific goal - training in-demand and competitive specialists who will benefit society. The stated goal continues to this day.
Stanford graduates are the founders of brands Google, Nike, Hewlett-Packard and others. The programs include scientific and practical research. IN study groups– no more than 6 people per 1 teacher. True, the cost is high - 40.5 thousand dollars per year.
The famous Sorbonne is not only the oldest institute, but also one of the iconic landmarks of the French capital.
Students can study within its walls for free, since the university is state-owned. It won’t work without costs - you’ll have to pay for membership fees, health insurance, language training (for foreigners).
The duration of training depends on the student: there are quick training programs designed for 2-3 years, and long-term ones for 5-7 years. The main emphasis is on practical lessons, independent research work.
Honore de Balzac, Osip Mandelstam, Lev Gumilyov, Marina Tsvetaeva, Charles Mantoux - they all graduated from the Sorbonne.
The educational institution opened in New York in 1754. Its prestige is evidenced by the fact that the institute is part of the Ivy League.
For reference, the Ivy League is an association that unites 8 American universities with high quality education. League members are America's leading research centers.
Education at a private university in Columbia is expensive - $45,000 per year. Students additionally pay for food, accommodation, health insurance, other expense items. The total costs are almost double.
At one time, Franklin Roosevelt, Jerome Salinger, and Mikheil Saakashvili studied here.
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology was founded in the state of the same name in 1861 and for several decades has been considered a leader in the following areas:
- exact sciences;
- natural sciences;
- engineering;
- modern technologies.
The average cost of one-year training is $55,000, of which 70% is the tuition fee itself, and the remaining 30% is accommodation, meals, and related expenses.
Among the graduates of the Institute of Technology are 80 Nobel Prize laureates, hundreds of outstanding engineers and scientists.
The capital's Moscow State University is not included in the list of the most popular universities in the world, but the famous university is a leader in the quality of education in Russia. It has been operating since 1755 and was originally called the Imperial Moscow University.
The educational institution received its current name in 1940. Students are trained at 41 faculties. The cost of training varies, depending on the chosen direction, and amounts to 217-350 thousand rubles per year. Training in budget places is free.
The institute holds its own Olympics for schoolchildren. The winners are admitted to the university without competition, provided that they successfully pass the Unified State Exam.
Summer is ahead, which means yesterday’s schoolchildren will go to storm the walls of universities. In pursuit of good education and in-demand specialty, everyone will choose their own option. And what institutions are considered the most prestigious universities not only in our country, but throughout the world?
Meet ten educational institutions whose diploma opens the door to high society.
Harvard University (USA)
According to the Academic Ranking of World Universities, the famous Harvard takes honorable first place. This is not surprising, because it was founded back in 1636 and is the oldest university in the United States.
In addition to twelve faculties, the university has its own museums and a huge library.
The faculties of medicine, law and economics are especially popular, and applicants from the USA and hundreds of other countries around the world strive to get here.
Stanford University (USA)
In second place is Stanford, located in California. Founded in the late 19th century, it provides the best business education in the world. Graduates of this university became the founders of such companies as Nvidia, Hewlett-Packard, Yahoo, Google, Electronic Arts, Sun Microsystems and others.
Every year, this university is home to 15,000 students who dream of getting into the famous “Silicon Valley” - a group of organizations that select employees at Stanford.
University of Cambridge (UK)
Founded in 1209, this university is one of the oldest in the world. Among its graduates are 87 Nobel laureates- No other educational institution can boast of such a result.
Cambridge consists of 31 colleges and more than a hundred courses, only three of which admit women.
The university is also unusual in that its president is a real prince (Philip, Prince of Edinburgh).
Oxford University (UK)
Cambridge's main rival, the equally famous Oxford, was founded in 1117 and became the oldest university in Europe. Only a hundred years ago they began to admit women, and they switched to co-education in the 70s of the 20th century.
A huge library, dozens of sports sections and three hundred clubs make the life of Oxford students incredibly interesting. By the way, it was this university that 2 kings, 25 prime ministers graduated from, and Lewis Carroll and John Tolkien taught here.
Caltech
This private university was founded at the end of the 19th century, and only the exact sciences are taught here, focusing on Special attention engineering. Students studying here become NASA specialists, and during their studies they can use their own rocket laboratory.
Among the dozens of university traditions, there are some very interesting ones, for example, on Halloween, a pumpkin frozen in liquid nitrogen is thrown from the library tower, and every freshman must overcome a “truancy day” and get to lectures, avoiding traps set by senior students and teaching staff.
Imperial College London (UK)
Inventor of penicillin, who became a cult figure in modern medicine, was a graduate of Imperial College. However, he was not the only one who glorified the walls of his native educational institution - a dozen more Nobel laureates have a local diploma.
Natural sciences, engineering and medicine are the main profile of this university, and its diploma makes the aspiring doctor a desirable specialist in most European clinics.
University College London (UK)
The first university in England that accepted students regardless of gender, age and social status, based only on their knowledge and enthusiasm. Still has greatest number women professors and is an excellent option for foreigners, since it still does not betray its selection principles.
University of Chicago (USA)
The university, founded by Rockefeller in 1890, has become the main economic and socio-political university in the United States. Even Barack Obama and his wife managed to work here, he as a teacher constitutional law, she is an assistant dean.
By the way, among the graduates of the University of Chicago there are almost as many Nobel laureates as there are in Cambridge - 79 people.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (USA)
Computer technology and innovation, modern technology and artificial intelligence - these are the issues that students and graduates of the Massachusetts Institute deal with. Leading IT specialists are trained here, who are recruited by Nokia, Apple and others from their senior years.
Columbia University
The university, founded in New York in 1754, became a place of training political elite. At the faculties of political science, journalism and international relations Life is constantly in full swing, and any world events find a response within the walls of the university, sometimes leading to strikes.
Many American ministers and presidents studied here, for example, the current leader of the United States. During the existence of the university, 54 of its graduates received the Nobel Prize.
Unfortunately, there are few Russian universities in the Academic Ranking of World Universities, and they are at the very bottom. Thus, Moscow State University ranks only seventieth place.
But you should be pleased with the fact that in the top ten best universities foreign citizens are also accepted around the world, so you have a chance too.
Education is the best security for old age: this aphorism of Aristotle is more than relevant in our time. Therefore, those who really want to fully unleash their creative potential and gain maximum knowledge should try to enroll in higher education institutions, where the level of academic education is maximum. Such universities can easily include educational centers in the USA and Great Britain: we present to your attention a list of the best universities in the world according to well-known and influential rating agencies.
TOP 10: Rating of the best universities in the world according to European rating agencies
| Name | A country | Rank: | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| QS | Times Higher Education | U.S. News | Shanghai rating | ||
| 🇺🇸 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 4 | |
| 🇺🇸 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 1 | |
| 🇺🇸 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | |
| 🇺🇸 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 9 | |
| 🇺🇸 | 27 | 15 | 4 | 5 | |
| 🇬🇧 | 5 | 2 | 7 | 3 | |
| 🇬🇧 | 6 | 1 | 6 | 7 | |
| 🇺🇸 | 9 | 9 | 13 | 10 | |
| 🇺🇸 | 13 | 7 | 8 | 6 | |
| 🇺🇸 | 16 | 12 | 14 | 8 | |
According to a number of scientific publishers, the university prepares the best engineers and IT specialists in the United States. The departments of robotics and artificial intelligence are considered leading; by the way, these scientific areas also began to be studied for the first time in this educational center.
- The key buildings of the university are connected to each other by one circular passage, the so-called “endless corridor”. Its length is 251 meters and twice a year, in November and January, it is fully illuminated sunlight: these days are considered holidays in the educational institution;
- It was within the walls of this university, in the famous LII (Laboratory of Informatics and Artificial Intelligence), that the World Wide Web Consortium was created. It develops and creates uniform global standards for software, working in the environment of the global information network;
- The term "hacker" was coined by teachers at this university. They called “hackers” students who were able to find quick and effective ways problem solving.
The most prestigious teaching university in the United States humanities. More than 20 thousand students receive education there every year. Harvard students included several presidents, a whole galaxy of political leaders from other countries, and many modern billionaires: for example, Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg.
💡 A selection of interesting facts:
- It is the oldest university in America: it was founded in 1636;
- Harvard is home to the second largest library in the United States. It is located in a 10-story building, four of which are underground;
- Since 1970, any commercial video and photography has been prohibited on university premises. This rule applies to student residence halls, dining halls, and classrooms;
- Due to the tradition that a student at an institution must pass through the main gate only twice (on entry and upon graduation), Johnston Gate is almost always closed. By the way, breaking tradition, that is, going through this gate more than twice, is considered a bad omen.
It is located in the famous Silicon Valley and is considered the best private university for training IT industry specialists. The university's students included presidents of the United States and Peru, senators, a whole galaxy of successful businessmen and brilliant scientists.
💡 A selection of interesting facts:
- Founders search engines Google (Sergey Brin, Larry Page) and Yahoo (Jerry Yang, David Filo) were students of Stanford University;
- If you combine the financial strength of companies founded by Stanford University graduates, the resulting economy would be among the top ten strongest economies in the world;
- The university campus consists of 77 residence halls and is called "The Farm" because it is located on the territory of a former ranch.
One of several US universities considered the main forge of highly qualified engineering personnel. On the territory of the institute there is a jet propulsion laboratory, where most of the automatic systems For spaceships NASA.
💡 A selection of interesting facts:
- The university celebrates a specific holiday - “Absenteeism Day”. On this day, classes are canceled, and fourth-year students come up with various traps and devices that prevent first-year students from entering the training premises;
- The University of California and Massachusetts Institute of Technology are long-time rivals, and students from rival universities are not averse to picking on each other. One of the most successful drawings was carried out by students at the California Institute of Technology in 2005. During a ceremony in Massachusetts, the name of the university on the façade of the main building was changed with a poster. The word "Massachusetts" was covered with a banner that read, "One more." Thus, new students entered “Another Technological University”.
This is the only public educational institution on the list, and the California education center is regularly included in the list of 10 best universities. It is considered one of the best universities for training IT specialists in the world.
💡 A selection of interesting facts:
- Within the walls of this educational institution, an “invisible” bottle was invented: researchers demonstrated how acoustic effects can visually hide objects;
- This is the first university to post free lectures on video hosting: on the official YouTube channel you can find a variety of training courses from the most recognized teachers in the USA;
- The world's largest collection of items related to the life and work of Mark Twain is located in the library of this particular university.
According to legend, the university was founded by fugitive students from Oxford University who had disagreements with the residents of the city of Oxford. An eternal rival of Oxford University, with a history rich in tradition. Gives its graduates the chance to receive an excellent humanities or technical education.
💡 A selection of interesting facts:
- Arriving in the town of Cambridge and asking the question “where is the university?”, you will act rather rashly, since each of the faculties (there are 31 of them) are located in different parts of the city. To put it bluntly, Cambridge is a city and a university rolled into one;
- Newton and Darwin studied at Cambridge, and here they made their famous scientific discoveries;
- Each faculty has its own colors for educational accessories and some wardrobe items: for example, for scarves;
- At Cambridge, even the worst students were celebrated with “awards”. Until 1909, the student who did the worst in a math exam was given a huge wooden spoon: it was a meter long and its handle was shaped like an oar.
The oldest English university, scientists do not even know the exact opening date; according to rough estimates, the educational institution began its activities in the 11th century. It is considered, on a par with Cambridge, to be the most prestigious university in the UK. Many representatives of the royal dynasty and world-famous scientists studied there. Famous writers John Tolkien and Lewis Carroll were also Oxford graduates.
💡 A selection of interesting facts:
- In the Clarendon Laboratory, located on the territory of Oxford, there is a unique bell: it has been ringing continuously for more than 180 years. The experiment carried out with his participation is considered the longest in terms of time;
- Until the beginning of the 20th century, only men studied at Oxford: women began to be accepted as students starting in 1920, and single-sex education was generally abolished only in the 70s of the last century;
- 25 British Prime Ministers were Oxford students;
- You cannot apply for admission to Oxford and Cambridge at the same time: this is carefully monitored. If you choose Oxford, you will only be able to enter Cambridge next year.
Compared to other representatives of the ranking, the University of Chicago was opened relatively recently - at the end of the 19th century. But over its century-long history, it has already become famous big amount graduates who became Nobel laureates: in terms of their number, it ranks fourth.
💡 A selection of interesting facts:
- It is extremely difficult to become a student at this educational institution: the average chance of admission is only 7%;
- The university library is famous for several reasons. Firstly, because of its unusual appearance: The building is made in the form of an egg-shaped sphere of glass. Secondly, because of its size: its storage contains about three and a half million books! Another interesting fact: It was on the territory of the library that the filming of the film “Divergent” took place;
- The educational institution is famous for its Nobel laureates in the field of physics. By the way, the world's first successful experiment in splitting the atom was carried out at the University of Chicago.
It is included in the list of the top 3 American universities belonging to the so-called “Ivy League”. There are no schools of business or law, but it produces the best architects and internationally recognized general engineers.
💡 A selection of interesting facts:
- The hospital from the TV series House is the Frist Center building, which is located on the territory of Princeton University. Albert Einstein once taught in the same building;
- Princeton University can be considered the founder of the sport of American football, because it was the students of this educational institution who first played it in 1869;
- Every student at Princeton University takes an oath upon admission to uphold the Honor Code. Under the terms of the code, the student undertakes to behave honestly during exams, not to cheat, and to report any violation of this rule. It is not surprising that for most exams, teachers are simply not in the classrooms where the tests are taken.
On a note
The Ivy League includes eight of the oldest private universities in the United States. The association received this name because this plant can be found on all old university buildings. Every The educational center It is distinguished by the high quality of teaching knowledge, and the diplomas issued by them are recognized in almost all countries of the world.
Another representative of the Ivy League with a unique history and cultural traditions. People want to go to Yale to study the humanities and social sciences. Five American presidents graduated from this particular educational institution.
💡 A selection of interesting facts:
- It is the first university in the world to receive its own symbol. He became a bulldog named Handsome Dan. After the death of a pet, its place is taken by the next dog with the same name. The biography of the dogs is carefully recorded and published. Today, the official symbol of Yale University is the bulldog Handsome Dan XVIII: information about him and his predecessors can be found on Wikipedia, and the current symbol even has its own page on Instagram;
- The oldest humor publication in the world remains the magazine published by Yale University;
- Frisbee was invented by Yale students: the prototype of the “flying” saucers was empty sweet packaging from the Frisbee Pie Company.
The best universities in the world: what chance do foreign applicants have of enrolling in them?
The first thing we want to note is that any applicant has the opportunity to enter the best universities in the world. And it doesn’t matter where you come from: Russia, Ukraine or, for example, Zimbabwe. But you need to be a truly creative, extraordinary person and go through a very strict selection process (based on applications submitted, in most universities on our list, 9 out of 10 candidates are eliminated). You can increase your chances of admission by using the services of companies that provide assistance (for a fee) in collecting documents and data for admission to foreign universities.
The ratings will be very useful for those students, schoolchildren, Russians and foreigners who are faced with a choice of which country to study in, or for those who want to get a job abroad in the field of research, teaching and business. The first academic ranking was published by Shanghai University in 2003, and a year later the Times newspaper compiled its version of the best universities in the world. Today there are various ratings - from student to specialized, national and international. Forming a rating involves taking into account a large number of parameters, which may vary slightly:
- For example, the prestigious QS World University Rankings are compiled based on 6 main characteristics: teaching (the number of Nobel Prize-winning teachers), research (the level of significance of the research for science), graduate prospects and employer ratings, the number of foreign teachers and students. An important condition for a university is the presence of postgraduate programs and undergraduate programs in at least two broad subject areas. Universities in the USA and Great Britain are considered permanent leaders in the QS rankings
- Another respected ranking is published by the US news agency U.S.News, which is an authoritative compiler of rankings of world universities
- The already mentioned Shanghai Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU), compiled by an Asian agency, will be especially useful for those who want to build a career in the scientific field abroad
- The purpose of the Best Global Universities ranking is to collect all the necessary information about the research and academic reputation of universities.
The Times Higher Education magazine is known for its annual ranking of universities around the world. The World University Rankings 2018 includes 1000 universities from all over the world.
THE (Times Higher Education)
- quality of teaching: the ratio of the number of staff and students, doctors and bachelors is determined
- level research activities: what place does the university take in advanced research and what income does it receive from it?
- degree of dissemination of knowledge and innovation: the role in the dissemination of knowledge is determined through citation
- financial indicators of universities (in order to determine the effectiveness of universities and their material base)
- international perspectives: degree of interaction with foreign institutions, number of foreign students and teachers, participation in research programs abroad.
The best universities of 2018 according to The Times Higher Education ranking
15. University of California, Los Angeles
20. Northwestern University
21. University of Michigan
22. National University of Singapore
23. University of Toronto
28. New York University
29. Peking University
People say that great knowledge means great wealth. But in order to get these same “riches” you need to put in a lot of effort, diligence and will. They will not be superfluous cash investments. We have prepared for you a list that includes the best universities in the world: the most prestigious and expensive. And to get there, keep in mind, only . Keep your brain sharp, improve your English, study the enrollment conditions in detail, and go ahead to gain knowledge in best places education!
No. 6. We put Oxford University at the bottom of our list (annual fee: $38,000)
It is Britain's oldest university and is thought to have held classes there as early as 1096. Oxford is included in the list of the best universities in the country and holds a leading position in the main rankings of world universities (in 2017 - 1st place according to the World University Rankings).
The main areas of study at the university are medicine, mathematics, physics, social sciences and humanities. Each student is assigned a specialist who helps him in his studies in the chosen field.
No. 5. The well-known Harvard University (annual fee: $45,000)
It is the oldest and one of the most elite universities in the United States, built in 1636. Located in the city of Cambridge. Harvard consists of 11 academic divisions, which include the School of Business, School of Medicine, High school design, School of Dentistry (considered one of the best dental schools in the world), etc.
The university still ranks first in the country in terms of the number of graduates who have become billionaires. Some of their names are familiar to you: Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates. Eight American presidents (including Barack Obama and Theodore Roosevelt) were also Harvard students.
No. 4. University of Chicago (annual fee: $54,700)
The best universities in the world have not ignored the University of Chicago. It was founded in 1890 and received its first huge contribution for development from the main billionaire in history, John Rockefeller and Marshall Field. The university is located in the state of Illinois. It consists of the College, various graduate programs, and interdisciplinary committees organized into five academic research units. As well as seven professional schools.
The University of Chicago is fourth in the world in the number of graduates who have received the Nobel Prize. In 2017, their number was 91 people.
No. 3. Middle of the list: Johns Hopkins University (annual fee: $57,100)
The university was opened in 1876 in the city of Baltimore. By the way, it is named after the businessman and patron of Johns Hopkins. The first $7 million came from his wallet. The university is a private university and provides strong training in chemistry, medicine, law and other fields.
36 people who graduated from Johns Hopkins University subsequently received Nobel Prize, a large number of graduates have become entrepreneurs (for example, Rahmi Koç and Edmond Lynch). Johns Hopkins was one of the first in America to open the possibility of enrolling in universities. And already in 1882, Christina Ladd-Franklin became a Doctor of Science in mathematics.
No. 2. Columbia University (annual fee: $58,700)
Located in New York City. It was first opened as King's College in 1754, and only in 1784 was it transformed into Columbia University with the addition of a new charter.
Among the university's graduates there are about 100 Nobel laureates, more than 120 people who received the Pulitzer Prize, three US presidents (and a total of 29 leaders of countries) and other world-famous figures.
No. 1. The most intriguing place is occupied by Sarah Lawrence College (annual fee: $61,000)
Despite the fact that the educational institution is called College, it is considered higher educational institution. This is a small private university that was opened in 1926 by the owner of numerous properties, William Van Duzer Lawrence, but named after his wife. Here, every student is treated with great attention, an individual approach prevails. The education system is focused on the Oxford University system.
The college specializes in the study of humanities, arts (, theater, music) and writing. Sarah Lawrence College has a very high admissions bar, so it’s difficult to get in even with a lot of money. In principle, like all the best universities in the world.
