Education

The 20 best universities in the world

By Peter Jacobs
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Harvard Yale University Students Football Crimson Bulldogs
Jared Wickerham/Getty Images

Harvard University is the world's best university, according to a new list from the Center for World University Rankings.

CWUR uses eight indicators to determine its rankings, including quality of education, alumni employment, and influence. American universities took 15 of the top 20 spots, and all but two of the top 10.

See the top 20 universities in the world below:

#20 — Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (Switzerland)

Swiss Federal Institute Technology Zurich Switzerland Students Campus
Via Wikimedia Commons

#19 — University of Michigan

University Michigan Union Campus Students
Via Flickr

#18 — New York University

new york university, nyu campus
Melia Robinson/BI

#17 — Kyoto University (Japan)

Kyoto University Clock Tower Campus
Via Wikimedia Commons

#16 — Johns Hopkins University

Johns Hopkins University Campus
Via Wikimedia Commons

#15 — University of California, Los Angeles

University California Los Angeles Campus UCLA Powell Library Students
Via Wikimedia Commons

#14 — University of Pennsylvania

University Pennsylvania Quad Campus
Via Wikimedia Commons

#13 — University of Tokyo (Japan)

The university of Tokyo
Educast

#12 — California Institute of Technology

California Institute Technology Cal Tech Campus
Via Flickr

#11 — Yale University

Yale University Quad Campus Student
Via Wikimedia Commons

#10 — Cornell University

Cornell University Arts Quad Campus
Via Wikimedia Commons

#9 — Princeton University

Princeton University Nassau Hall Tigers Statues
Via Wikimedia Commons

#8 — University of Chicago

University Chicago Campus Flag
Via Flickr

#7 — University of California, Berkeley

University California Berkeley Students Campus
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

#6 — Columbia University

Columbia University Low Library
Via Flickr

#5 — University of Oxford (United Kingdom)

University Oxford Campus Myanmar Aung San Suu Kyi
REUTERS/Andrew Winning

#4 — University of Cambridge (United Kingdom)

Cambridge University Campus Students River Punting
REUTERS/Suzanne Plunkett

#3 — Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Massachusetts Institute Technology MIT Killian Court Great Dome Campus
Via Flickr

#2 — Stanford University

Stanford University Campus Students Biking
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

#1 — Harvard University

Harvard University Campus Kirkland House
William B. Plowman/Getty Images

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Peter Jacobs
Peter is Business Insider's military and defense editor. He was previously a news editor based in London, and has also covered education and college news. He graduated from Cornell University in 2013 with a degree in popular-music criticism and minors in English and history. At Cornell, Peter served as an arts and entertainment editor and news editor at student newspaper The Cornell Daily Sun. Peter was the editor-in-chief of IvyGate, an Ivy League news and gossip blog. He can be reached by email at pjacobs@jkmperu.com or at @peterajacobs on Twitter.
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