5 NC Colleges Ranked Among Best Global Universities: US News

NORTH CAROLINA — Five universities in North Carolina were recently named among the best in the world, according to a new ranking by U.S. News & World Report. Its 2021 Best Global Universities list ranked more than 1,500 schools in dozens of countries based on academic research and reputation.

Hundreds of U.S. schools made the 2021 list, and comprise a majority of the top 10 schools overall.

Here's how North Carolina colleges ranked:

• Duke University — No. 23
• University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill — No. 36
• North Carolina State University — No. 226
• Wake Forest University — No. 419
• University of North Carolina at Charlotte — No. 792

Harvard University maintained its No. 1 rank, while Massachusetts Institute of Technology came in at No. 2. Stanford University and the University of California - Berkeley are third and fourth, respectively. The United Kingdom’s University of Oxford finishes out the top five in the overall ranking.

The U.S. has the most universities in the overall ranking with 255, followed by these countries:

• China: 176
• U.K.: 87
• France: 70
• Germany: 68

To determine which schools make the list, U.S. News analyzes data and metrics provided by global analytics company, Clarivate, including student-to-faculty ratio and number of degrees awarded. Researchers then weigh factors that measure a university’s global and regional research reputation, as well as academic research performance. For the overall rankings, this includes indicators such as publications, citations and international collaboration. Each subject ranking has its own methodology based on academic research performance in that specific area.

U.S. News added 10 additional subject metrics in 2021, according to a release. Researchers said that given the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, it’s more important than ever to help prospective students decide whether to study abroad and where.

Best Global Universities is one of several rankings published by U.S. News annually. The publication also releases Best Colleges, Best Graduate Schools and Best Online Programs to help students navigate higher education options.