Since 2003, Jiaotong University in Shanghai has been publishing a ranking of the world's best universities. The ranking compares universities based on six factors, including the number of their Nobel Prizes and publications and how frequently their researchers are quoted in expert articles.
ETH remains the best university in continental Europe.
With five universities in the top 100, Switzerland is once again well represented in the ranking: the University of Geneva at number 60, the University of Zurich at number 58 and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL) at number 76. The University of Basel also managed to make it back into the top 100 this year (number 95).
ETH continues to hold its own at the top of the heap. It remains stable at number 19 in the worldwide ranking. Higher educational institutions in the United States continue to dominate the top twenty rankings on the list, including Harvard and Stanford at numbers 1 and 2. The only other non-American schools to make it into the top twenty in addition to ETH Zurich are the University of Cambridge, the University of Oxford and the University College London.
Innovative power of Switzerland
The high quality of Swiss universities is a major reason why Switzerland is regarded as the most innovative country in the world.
The focus of teaching and research activities on specific areas has given Swiss universities high international prestige in various disciplines. The two federal institutes of technology in Zurich (ETH Zurich) and Lausanne (EPFL) work together with the international research community to conduct cutting-edge research. They strive to attract world-class researchers.
More information on education and research in Switzerland can be found in our Handbook for Investors.
