While many prospective students will crave large campuses and the anonymity of a bustling student body, others will be attracted to the experience that a smaller institution can offer.
Times Higher Education has once again revealed the best small universities across the globe, and has also heard directly from the students at some of those institutions about what they love most about attending a small college. For some, it was about smaller classes; for others, it was about closer relationships with teachers; and many said that a greater sense of community was the factor that clinched it for them. Those who studied at small universities based in larger cities said that they appreciated having the perks of a more intimate campus without missing out on the hustle and bustle of metropolitan life.
To be eligible for the ranking, universities must appear in THE’s World University Rankings 2020, teach more than four subjects, and have fewer than 5,000 students.
The average number of students at an institution in the 2020 world’s best small universities ranking is 2,603 – that’s roughly the same number of passengers as would fit on 43 London buses. In contrast, the average number of students at an institution in THE’s main global ranking is 25,000 (or a whopping 313 buses!).
Students at a dozen of the smaller universities gave us an insight into their student life (see below), and it seems that this positive view of smaller schools is echoed by students from Paris to South Korea.
Top 20 small universities in the world 2020
1. California Institute of Technology (Caltech), United States
Despite its tiny size, Caltech’s rankings credentials are impressive. Not only has it managed to defend its position as the best small university in the world for another year, but it also places at number two in the overall World University Rankings. Not bad for an institution with just over 2,200 students.
Caltech offers a range of science and technology programmes taught by world-renowned scholars as well as high-end facilities such as its Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
Attending Caltech provides the opportunity to join a group of award-winning alumni that counts 39 Nobel laureates among them.
Caltech: ‘uniquely difficult but a wonderful place to study’
2. École Polytechnique, France
École Polytechnique is one of the most prestigious grandes écoles in France and is particularly known for its engineering programmes.
Jianfei Zhang, a Chinese student at École Polytechnique, says students appreciate the favourable student-to-teacher ratio. The smaller class sizes, he adds, “really help us to master the various scientific concepts. This is not always feasible in big universities.”
As well as providing smaller class sizes, École Polytechnique is home to a diverse student body, with more than 60 nationalities on campus.
Hear more from Jianfei in his blog
3. Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), South Korea
POSTECH was established in 1986 to provide advanced education for prospective engineers.
The university also offers courses and opportunities for students to become entrepreneurs such as taking part in clubs, start-up prep groups, training on patents and leaves of absence to create a new venture.
Studying at POSTECH, South Korea
4. Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies – Pisa, Italy
The Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies is one of only four institutions in this list with fewer than 1,000 students.
The university can count some of Italy’s finest scientific and political minds among its alumni, including former Italian prime minister Giuliano Amato and neuroscientist Giuliano Tononi.
To attend the university, students must achieve top marks in their entrance exam and demonstrate proficiency in two languages. On achieving that, and gaining entry, students can attend the university for free.
5. Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa, Italy
Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa is the smallest university on this list, with fewer than 600 students.
It was founded in 1810 and has seen many eminent figures pass through it, including poet Giosue Carducci, Nobel prizewinner in physics Carlo Rubbia, physicist Enrico Fermi, former Italian prime minister Carlo Ciampi and mathematician Alessio Figalli.
The university focuses on teaching in the humanities, the sciences and the political and social sciences.
A small university steeped in history and culture
6. Télécom Paris, France
Télécom Paris has a highly selective admissions process, recruiting some 250 graduate students, a third or so from abroad each year.
There are four departments at the university – electronics and communications, computer science and networking, signal and image processing, and economic and social science.
The university encourages entrepreneurship among students, and the Entrepreneur Incubator usually has about 40 companies on the go and is reckoned to have launched close to 400 enterprises.
7. University of Luxembourg, Luxembourg
The University of Luxembourg is one of the largest universities on this list, with a student population of 4,654.
The university is fairly young, having been established only in 2003. The university prides itself on its multilingual and international outlook, with lectures conducted in French, German and English. It is also compulsory for bachelor’s students to undertake a semester abroad.
My experience as an international student at the University of Luxembourg
8. Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), South Korea
Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology was established in 2009, making it one of the youngest universities in this table.
It may be a small institution, but it has bold ambitions to be ranked among the top 10 science and technology universities by 2030.
All the courses are taught in English, and there is a strong push towards internationalisation of the student body and the academic staff.
9. École Normale Supérieure de Lyon, France
This high-achieving small university is located in the beautiful city of Lyon.
École Normale Supérieure de Lyon maintains its high student grades in part by recruiting its students from preparatory schools around France. Other students may attend the university but only if they pass the rigorous entrance exams.
The unique charm of a tiny French university for a British student
10. Alfaisal University, Saudi Arabia
Alfaisal University is located in the capital city of Saudi Arabia, Riyadh.
Because of the university’s small size, students can benefit from an 11:1 student-to-staff ratio and compact teaching groups.
The university offers a wide range of postgraduate and undergraduate programmes across five subject areas (business, engineering, medicine, pharmacy, and science).
11. École des Ponts ParisTech, France
École des Ponts ParisTech is one of the oldest and most prestigious grandes écoles.
Upon its founding, the university’s primary focus was to train engineers, but now it has expanded to offer programmes in computer science, mathematics, finance, economics, urban studies and environment and transport engineering.
12. Brighton and Sussex Medical School, United Kingdom
With fewer than 1,000 students, Brighton and Sussex Medical School is one of the smallest universities on this list.
The university was formed in 2003 through a partnership between the universities of Sussex and Brighton and surrounding NHS organisations to train future medical professionals.
13. Indian Institute of Science, India
The Indian Institute of Science was founded in 1909 and is located in Bangalore, the capital of India’s southern Karnataka state.
The university is made up of six main departments: biological sciences, chemical sciences, electrical sciences, interdisciplinary research, mechanical sciences, and physical and mathematical sciences.
14. Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Sweden
There are fewer than 4,000 students at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, and they are spread over several campuses around Sweden. The largest campus is in Uppsala, with other campuses dotted across the country.
The university offers far more than just courses in the agricultural sciences. Its remit covers architecture, engineering and economics, among others.
A strong emphasis is placed on research, and the institution produces about 1,500 papers a year.
Why is going to a small university beneficial?
15. Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech), China
SUSTech is still a relatively young institution, having been established in 2011.
Yet in just less than a decade, it has become an important university for science and technology research. Students are also able to take part in research projects.
16. University of Klagenfurt, Austria
The University of Klagenfurt is the largest research and higher education institute in the state of Carinthia, Austria. The university is 30km away from the Slovenian border and 60 km from the Italian border and supports bi- and multiligualism.
The university was originally founded in 1970 and was then relaunched in 1993.
17. Cyprus University of Technology (CUT), Cyprus
Loucas Gregoriou, an engineering and geomatics student at this small but high-performing university in Cyprus, sums up his experiences: “Being a student at CUT provided me with a lot of resources to progress and choose my next educational destination, which is to study multimedia and graphic design.
“The department excels in many ways, and it is the most appropriate educational programme to prepare me for my career. CUT, without a doubt, can offer many resources for those who want to utilise and kick-start their true potential.”
Although it has been welcoming students for only some 16 years, it has already established itself as one of the leading higher education institutions in Cyprus. It has developed strong international connections through its participation in the European Union’s Erasmus scheme and by cultivating links with international universities further afield.
18. Reykjavík University, Iceland
Reykjavík University might be among the best small universities in the world, but it is the largest private university in Iceland.
All undergraduate degrees are taught in Icelandic; however, postgraduate and PhD studies are taught in English. Teachers and other university staff have a good knowledge of English and will be able to help those who do not have a strong grasp of the native language.
The university consists of four academic schools: law; business; computer science; and science and engineering.
19. Jacobs University, Germany
Jacobs University is one of the most international universities in Germany and is also one of the smallest.
Its 1,142 students come from more than 110 countries, and the university’s main language of instruction is English.
Jacobs is a research-oriented university that covers a broad spectrum of subjects including natural sciences, mathematics and engineering.
20. Università della Svizzera Italiana, Switzerland
Università della Svizzera Italiana was established in 1995 with campuses in Lugano, Mendrisio and Bellinzona. It is the only university in Switzerland whose official language is Italian.
The university has a 1:8 teacher-to-student ratio. There is also a student newspaper called L’universo.
Best small universities 2020
| Best small university rank 2020 | Best small university rank 2019 | World University Rank 2020 | University | Country/region | Number of students |
| 1 | 1 | 2 | California Institute of Technology | United States | 2,240 |
| 2 | 2 | 93 | École Polytechnique | France | 3,030 |
| 3 | 3 | =146 | Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH) | South Korea | 3,215 |
| 4 | 4 | =149 | Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies – Pisa | Italy | 776 |
| 5 | 5 | =152 | Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa | Italy | 558 |
| 6 | NR | 188 | Télécom Paris | France | 923 |
| 7 | 6 | 201–250 | University of Luxembourg | Luxembourg | 4,654 |
| 8 | 8 | 201–250 | Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) | South Korea | 4,127 |
| 9 | 7 | 201–250 | École Normale Supérieure de Lyon | France | 2,362 |
| 10 | =14 | 251–300 | Alfaisal University | Saudi Arabia | 2,566 |
| 11 | 9 | 251–300 | École des Ponts ParisTech | France | 2,005 |
| 12 | 11 | 251–300 | Brighton and Sussex Medical School | UK | 879 |
| 13 | 13 | 301–350 | Indian Institute of Science | India | 4,128 |
| 14 | 12 | 301–350 | Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences | Sweden | 3,737 |
| 15 | 16 | 301–350 | Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech) | China | 3,198 |
| 16 | NR | 301–350 | University of Klagenfurt | Austria | 3,639 |
| 17 | 17 | 301–350 | Cyprus University of Technology | Cyprus | 3,228 |
| 18 | =14 | 301–350 | Reykjavík University | Iceland | 2,879 |
| 19 | 10 | 301–350 | Jacobs University | Germany | 1,142 |
| 20 | NR | 301–350 | Università della Svizzera Italiana | Switzerland | 2,768 |
| 21 | NR | 351–400 | Clark University | United States | 3,045 |
| 22 | NR | 351–400 | IMT Atlantique | France | 1,676 |
| 23 | 18 | 351–400 | University of Alaska Fairbanks | United States | 3,593 |
| 24 | 21 | 351–400 | Indian Institute of Technology Indore | India | 1,128 |
| 25 | NR | 401–500 | Universiti Brunei Darussalam | Brunei Darussalam | 3,830 |
| 26 | 25 | 401–500 | Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU) | Japan | 2,999 |
| 27 | 20 | 401–500 | Sabancı University | Turkey | 3,605 |
| 28 | 23 | 401–500 | Centrale Nantes | France | 1,706 |
| 29 | 19 | 401–500 | Free University of Bozen-Bolzano | Italy | 3,891 |
| 30 | 27 | 401–500 | Bond University | Australia | 3,341 |
| 31 | 22 | 401–500 | New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology | United States | 1,809 |
| 32 | 32 | 501–600 | Yokohama City University | Japan | 4,910 |
| 33 | 28 | 501–600 | University of Neuchâtel | Switzerland | 4,284 |
| 34 | 29 | 501–600 | National Yang-Ming University | Taiwan | 4,258 |
| 35 | 30 | 501–600 | Lincoln University | New Zealand | 2,476 |
| 36 | 31 | 601–800 | École Normale Supérieure Paris-Saclay | France | 1,869 |
| 37 | 34 | 601–800 | Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad | India | 2,088 |
| 38 | NR | 601–800 | Kurume University | Japan | 4,850 |
| 39 | 35 | 801–1000 | University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC) | Canada | 2,733 |
| 40 | NR | 801–1000 | Lahore University of Management Sciences | Pakistan | 3,859 |
| 41 | 33 | 801–1000 | Tezpur University | India | 3,904 |
| 42 | 38 | 801–1000 | Acharya Nagarjuna University | India | 4,792 |
| 43 | 37 | 1001+ | Nagoya City University | Japan | 4,444 |
| 44 | 36 | 1001+ | University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague | Czech Republic | 4,285 |
| 45 | 39 | 1001+ | University of Yamanashi | Japan | 4,659 |
| 46 | NR | 1001+ | Polytechnic University of Cartagena | Spain | 4,749 |
| 47 | 40 | 1001+ | Toyohashi University of Technology (TUT) | Japan | 2,135 |
| 48 | 42 | 1001+ | Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology | Japan | 2,654 |
| 49 | 41 | 1001+ | Ochanomizu University | Japan | 2,775 |
| 50 | NR | 1001+ | Tzu Chi University | Taiwan | 3,492 |
| 51 | 43 | 1001+ | Kyoto Institute of Technology | Japan | 3,989 |
| 52 | 44 | 1001+ | University of Shizuoka | Japan | 3,002 |
| 53 | NR | 1001+ | State University of Santa Cruz | United States | 3,954 |
| 54 | NR | 1001+ | Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre (UFCSPA) | Brazil | 3,621 |
| 55 | NR | 1001+ | Akita University | Japan | 4,942 |
| 56 | NR | 1001+ | Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies | Latvia | 4,216 |
| 57 | 46 | 1001+ | Utsunomiya University | Japan | 4,872 |
Have your say