Who Dominates in the QS World University Rankings by Subject in 2025?
With over 1000 schools reviewed, there has never been a more competitive playing field in this annual ranking. This year features more graduate schools than ever with significant boosts in several subjects, including medicine, computer science and information systems, and materials science.
The rise of Eastern Asian countries is evident in countries such as South Korea, mainland China, and Hong Kong, which have all seen considerable improvements in their universities and business schools. In addition, other regions experiencing growth in the number of ranked institutions were Western Asia and the Middle East.
Here are the top three schools from each category:
Arts & Humanities
- Harvard University (USA)
- University of Oxford (UK)
- University of Cambridge (UK)
Engineering and Technology
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) (USA)
- University of Oxford (UK)
- Stanford University (USA)
Life Sciences & Medicine
- Harvard University (USA)
- University of Oxford (UK)
- Johns Hopkins University (USA)
Natural Sciences
- Harvard University (USA)
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
- University of Oxford (UK)
Social Sciences & Management
- Harvard University (USA)
- University of Oxford (UK)
- Stanford University (USA)
Explore the full list of the top universities according to the QS World University Rankings By Subject. So, let’s analyze this year’s results to see which schools stood out in each broad category.
Analysis of the QS World University Rankings By Subject 2025
Arts and Humanities
In 2025, the leaders in Arts and Humanities are prestigious universities known worldwide for academic excellence. Once more, the University of Oxford retains its top position, followed closely by the University of Cambridge. Then Harvard University, Stanford University, and the University of California, Berkeley, round out the top five, showcasing continued dominance by the United Kingdom and the United States in this subject area.
Engineering and Technology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) leads in Engineering and Technology, a consistent frontrunner due to its pioneering research and innovation culture. Stanford University comes second, followed by ETH Zurich, University of Cambridge, and Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. The top ranks demonstrate a blend of North American, European, and Asian excellence.
Life Sciences and Medicine
Harvard University remains the undisputed leader in Life Sciences and Medicine, with the University of Oxford taking second place. Johns Hopkins University is third, highlighting its strength particularly in medical research. While the University of Cambridge and Stanford University at fourth and fifth respectively, emphasize the strong academic reputation and high level research output from these leading institutions.
Natural Sciences
MIT tops the Natural Sciences ranking, thanks to its outstanding contribution to research and academia. Harvard University closely follows, maintaining its global influence in science research. Subsequently, Stanford University, the University of Cambridge, and ETH Zurich occupy the third, fourth, and fifth positions respectively. Once again this trio underscores the strength of these universities in scientific innovation.
Social Sciences and Management
In Social Sciences and Management, Harvard University secures the top position. Although, The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) in second, also illustrates its exceptional specialization and high reputation in social sciences across the globe. In addition, Stanford University, University of Oxford, and University of Cambridge round out the top five, continuing to illustrate world-class dominance in social science education.
In summary, the winners for 2025 illustrate that top-tier universities from the United States and United Kingdom continue their tradition of excellence across diverse academic disciplines. Standout performances of note were from Switzerland’s ETH Zurich and Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University in technology-related subjects.
What are the QS World University Rankings By Subject?
The QS World University Rankings by Subject provides comprehensive insights across more than 50 specialized subjects grouped within five broad academic disciplines: Arts and Humanities, Engineering and Technology, Life Sciences and Medicine, Natural Sciences, and Social Sciences and Management.
Compiled annually by a dedicated team of data analysts, the rankings result from close collaboration with tens of thousands of higher education institutions worldwide. The robust analysis incorporates extensive data points from over 16.4 million academic research papers and captures valuable perspectives from more than 151,000 academic experts and 100,000 employers globally.
The core methodology underpinning each QS ranking involves assessing critical factors including student experience, university partnerships, research productivity, and faculty qualifications. Additionally, using cutting-edge analytical techniques and high-quality research, the rankings deliver rigorous evaluations of essential educational elements.
Ultimately, QS rankings serve as a trusted resource for prospective students, thus providing expert guidance designed to help them identify the institutions that best match their academic and career aspirations.
What Methodology Does QS Use for Ranking Subjects?
Launched in 2011, the QS World University Rankings by Subject ranks universities for 55 subjects. Furthermore, five key indicators determine the QS World University Rankings by Subject:
Academic Reputation:
This indicator gathers insights from several academic experts worldwide, highlighting universities recognized for excellence in research within specific subject areas. Then survey responses are meticulously filtered according to the precise areas of expertise identified by academics.
Employer Reputation:
Drawing from global graduate employers, this indicator identifies institutions highly regarded for graduate recruitment. Employers also specify preferred disciplines, thus providing insights into universities that best meet industry requirements.
Research Citations per Paper:
Citation data from Elsevier Scopus informs this indicator. A publication threshold ensures accuracy by mitigating anomalies due to limited but highly cited papers. Thresholds and indicator weightings vary to reflect discipline-specific citation patterns.
H-index:
This indicator measures the productivity and impact of academic departments. Hence, by evaluating their most cited publications and the total citations received, this can offer a balanced assessment of academic influence.
International Research Network (by broad faculty area):
The IRN Index assesses institutions’ success in creating diverse and sustainable international research collaborations, underscoring their global academic and international outlook.
You can explore the weightings for each indicator in each broad faculty area ranking. The variation shows how indicators can affect rankings per sector, such as placing a greater emphasis on research in Life Science and Medicine. With this in mind, weightings undergo an annual review to stay ahead of trends and overall changes in the higher education landscape.
Learn more about the methodology used to rank universities by subject.
Choosing Your Subjects With The QS World University Rankings 2025
The decision of where and which subjects to focus on in your master’s program is a complex one. And rankings are one of the best tools to help you come to a decision. However, they should not be your only point of reference.
University rankings, such as the QS World University Rankings by Subject, can be an extremely helpful starting point. Undeniably, they can offer a valuable summary of academic reputation, research quality, and graduate employability. However, this alone shouldn’t drive your final choice. It’s equally important to consider other factors, including campus culture, teaching style, location, costs, and your personal career goals.
Looking to specialize in a specific field? Explore the various master’s program specializations available worldwide.
