December 22, 2025 Edition
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Founded in 1764, Brown is a private Ivy League university in Providence, Rhode Island. It is famous for its "Open Curriculum," which allows students to design their own course of study without traditional core requirements or distribution rules.
Chartered in 1789, UNC is the oldest public university in the U.S. to hold classes. It is a "Public Ivy" known for its strong programs in journalism, medicine, and public health, and its historic rivalry with Duke University.
UC Davis is a public land-grant university founded in 1905. It began as the university's farm school and has grown into a world leader in agriculture, veterinary medicine, and environmental sciences.
The University of Manchester is a public research university formed in 2004 by the merger of UMIST and the Victoria University of Manchester. It is the site where the atom was first split (by Ernest Rutherford) and where the first stored-program computer was built.
UCSB is a public research university known for its stunning beachside campus and its massive output in materials science and physics. It has an unusually high number of Nobel Prize winners among its active faculty.
Wageningen is a public research university specializing in life and agricultural sciences. It is widely considered the best agricultural research institution in the world, focusing on global food security and environmental sustainability.
Founded in 1850, Sydney is Australia's first university. It is a member of the "Sandstone Universities" and is known for its beautiful neo-gothic campus and its influence on Australian politics and law.
BU is a private research university founded in 1839. It is one of the largest private universities in the U.S. and has a strong reputation in communication, law, and medicine. Martin Luther King Jr. is one of its most famous alumni.
Founded in 1632, the UvA is a public research university with a strong focus on the social sciences and humanities. It is the largest university in the Netherlands and is integrated into the historic center of Amsterdam.
USC is a private research university in Los Angeles. Founded in 1880, it is famous for its School of Cinematic Arts, its massive research budget, and its powerful alumni network known as the "Trojan Family."
SNU is the most prestigious university in South Korea and is considered the "flagship" of the SKY universities. It is a public research university that plays a vital role in South Korea's political and economic leadership.
Kyoto University is Japan's second-oldest university and is known for its "spirit of liberty." It is a world leader in theoretical physics and chemistry, producing more Nobel Prize winners than any other university in Asia.
Located in Brisbane, UQ is a public research university founded in 1909. It is a founding member of the Group of Eight and is known for its research in medicine, particularly the development of the HPV vaccine.
TU Delft is the oldest and largest Dutch public technical university. It is world-renowned for its architecture, civil engineering, and industrial design programs, consistently ranking among the top technical schools globally.
Founded in 1575, Leiden is the oldest university in the Netherlands. It was a gift from William, Prince of Orange, to the city and is a major center for law and international relations, housing the Leiden University Medical Center.
Named after the humanist Desiderius Erasmus, this public research university is world-famous for its Rotterdam School of Management and its expertise in clinical medicine and health economics.
Located in Columbus, Ohio State is one of the largest universities in the U.S. by enrollment. It is a public land-grant university known for its high research volume and its "Buckeye" athletics, particularly its football program.
The University of New South Wales is a public research university in Sydney. It is particularly strong in engineering, law, and business, and is a founding member of the Group of Eight research-intensive universities.
Located in Hamilton, Ontario, McMaster is a public research university known for its innovative medical school, which pioneered "problem-based learning" (PBL), a teaching method now used worldwide in medical education.
Founded in 1614, Groningen is one of the oldest universities in the Netherlands. It is known for its strong focus on energy, healthy aging, and sustainable society, and it has produced Nobel laureates in chemistry and physics.
Established in 1810, Humboldt is famous for the "Humboldtian model of higher education," which integrates teaching and research. It was once the home of Albert Einstein and Max Planck and is a cornerstone of German intellectual history.
Monash is a public research university in Melbourne, founded in 1958. It is Australia's largest university and is highly regarded for its pharmacy and pharmacology programs, which are frequently ranked among the best in the world.
Utrecht University is one of the oldest and largest in the Netherlands. Founded in 1636, it is highly regarded for its research in geosciences, climate change, and veterinary medicine.
Warwick is a public research university established in 1965 as part of a government initiative to expand higher education. It is known for its strong links with the business world and its world-class mathematics department.