World’s most international universities 2023 revealed by Times Higher Education

Times Higher Education (THE) has released its ranking of the Most International Universities in the World 2023 and the University of Hong Kong has taken the top spot – for the third year in a row.

Two Swiss universities - École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne and ETH Zurich – have taken second and third place, while City University of Hong Kong and The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology have taken fourth and fifth positions.

The ranking focusses on the universities that are most connected across borders. It deploys three metrics from THE’s World University Rankings 2023 rewarding universities with the highest proportion of international students and staff, those with the most research published in collaboration with global partners. The fourth metric is from THE’s World Reputation Rankings 2022 from universities with the strongest international reputations based on THE’s survey of 30,000 academics worldwide. The findings show four countries and regions are home to some of the most international universities in the world.

Hong Kong Polytechnic University takes sixth spot and three British universities – Imperial College London, University of Oxford and University of Cambridge – take 7th, 8th and 9th places respectively with National University of Singapore taking the 10th position.

Please note: if you reproduce any part of these rankings please attribute to “Times Higher Education Most International Universities in the World 2023” including the link to our website. The methodology for the rankings is available at the bottom of the page.

 #THEUniRankings

Seeta Bhardwa, editor THE Student, said:

“Our research shows that prospective students looking to study in the most international environments in the world should apply to universities in Switzerland, Hong Kong, Singapore or the UK.

“These institutions all have a high proportion of international students and staff, collaborate on research with scholars from across the world, and have a strong global reputation to match.”

Forty-three per cent of the University of Hong Kong’s more than 18,000 students are international and teaching at the institution is in English. Education has an international focus, with the aim of preparing students to become global citizens who can succeed anywhere in the world. The university plans to expand its international outreach and recruit more staff and students from overseas aiming to become ‘Asia’s global university’.

École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), in Switzerland, has more than 11,000 students, and 62 per cent are international. Students at the institution are given numerous opportunities to participate in exchange programmes with other universities and it also offers students at other universities the opportunity to spend up to three months at one of its campus laboratories.

ETH Zurich is located in Switzerland’s largest city, Zurich, and has more than 22,000 students from over 120 countries and is the top university in continental Europe. Twenty-one Nobel prizes have been awarded to students and teachers connected to the institution - one of the most famous alumni is Albert Einstein.

Mrs Bhardwa added:

“Universities, by their nature, are global institutions. Typically, they are home to communities of students and scholars from all over the world, and they tackle some of the globe’s most pressing problems through research.

“Research suggests that diverse communities of students improve the teaching and learning experience, while opportunities for students to spend time abroad better prepare them to become global citizens.”

*****ENDS****