THE World University Rankings 2027 To Feature Record 2,297 Institutions

The Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2027 will feature a record 2,297 universities across 118 countries and territories, representing a four per cent increase from the 2,191 institutions ranked in the 2026 edition.

According to THE, the 2027 rankings will be published on September 30, 2026, with Albania and Malawi joining the global rankings for the first time, while Ethiopia returns after last featuring in the 2025 edition.

The United States remains the most represented country, with 168 universities in the rankings, while India retains second position with 143 institutions.

Turkey has moved into third place with 124 ranked universities, up from a joint fourth position in the previous edition. Japan follows with 112 institutions, while the United Kingdom has dropped to fifth place with 110 universities represented.

THE said the increased participation reflects growing global interest in its World University Rankings, which assess research-intensive universities that meet specified participation requirements.

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The 2027 edition will also introduce a more detailed ranking structure. Universities will receive individual positions up to 300, compared with 200 in the 2026 edition, after which institutions will be grouped into narrower bands of 25, 50, 100 and 200 places.

There will be 18 ranking bands, beginning with 301-325 and extending to 2,001 and above, giving universities greater detail on their relative positions.

Phil Baty, Chief Global Affairs Officer at THE, said the ranking would be more inclusive and diverse than previous editions, while the expanded banding system would provide greater detail for benchmarking institutions.

For a university to be ranked in the 2027 edition, THE said it must teach undergraduates, conduct research across a range of subjects and have produced at least 1,000 research publications between 2021 and 2025, with a minimum of 100 publications in each year.

THE said the data collected for the rankings would also support its 2027 Subject Rankings, Interdisciplinary Science Rankings and several regional and thematic rankings.

The World University Rankings 2027 are scheduled for publication on September 30, 2026.

The development comes as universities globally continue to increase their participation in international ranking systems, with THE describing the 2027 edition as its most extensive World University Rankings to date.