U.S. News & World Report has released its 12th annual Best Global Universities rankings. The list ranks the world’s 2,250 top universities based on academic research performance and international reputation. The 2026-2027 edition includes seven Virginia universities.
Virginia Universities on the List
The University of Virginia can boast the highest ranking in the commonwealth at No. 135 on the list. Virginia Tech was the second highest at No. 285.
Other Virginia schools on the list include:
- Virginia Commonwealth University at No. 400
- George Mason University at No. 471
- Old Dominion University at No. 1,081
- William & Mary at No. 1,556
- James Madison University at No. 2,242
The U.S. scored the top three overall spots on the global list. Harvard University ranked No. 1, followed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology at No. 2, and Stanford at No. 3.
The University of Oxford and University of Cambridge, both in the U.K., ranked No. 4 and 5, respectively. Tsinghua University in China was No. 6, followed by the University of California, Berkeley, at No. 7 and Yale University at No. 8. The University College London was No. 9, and Columbia University rounded out the top 10.
Ranking Metholodolgy
The ranking included institutions from the U.S. and more than 100 other countries. It was based on 13 indicators, including academic research performance and global and regional reputations. The rankings evaluated more than 50 subject areas, including mathematics, computer science, arts and humanities, ecology, and immunology.
According the U.S. News, “The rankings assess academic research and reputation, but personal considerations — including location, campus culture, strength of particular programs and cost — are also very important.”
Feature image of University of Virginia by Stacy/stock.adobe.com
