Helsinki again in the top 100 in the Shanghai ranking

This year, the University of Helsinki’s ranking is 73. The University's ranking has remained fairly stable throughout the 12-year history of , holding between 69 and 76. Last year, the University placed at 76.

“The ranking improved because of recent research achievements. A large quantity of international academic publications is our strong suit. The Shanghai ranking is based on the research conducted at universities, not, for example, on the images people have of the institution,” explains Markus Laitinen, the University’s head of international affairs.

The University of Helsinki again ranks as the fifth among Nordic universities, the 24th among European universities and the 19th among non-English language universities. Four other Finnish universities ranked among the top 500 universities, with the and the in the 301–400 range.  and the placed in the 401–500 range. There are approximately 17,000 universities in the world.

American universities dominate the ranking

in the United States again ranked as the best university in the world. Overall, the United States dominated the top ten, and even the top twenty only featured four universities from outside the USA.

“The best universities remain at the top year after year. The unparalleled success of the American universities is a result of their solid funding base, which enables them to recruit the world's best researchers. This produces top-quality research, which in turn causes the best researchers in the world to seek out these top universities. It becomes a positive feedback loop. The English language is also an asset," Laitinen analyses.

The rise of Chinese universities to the top 100 in the world has been predicted for years but has yet to occur.

“The best Chinese universities have ranked in the 101–150 range, which means that they have improved their position during the past decade, if slowly,” Laitinen states.