What it costs to study at the world's best universities
lovemoney staff
04 June 2018
The cost of a prestigious education
The Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings is the only global university performance table to judge universities across all of their core missions: teaching, research, knowledge transfer and international outlook. It is revered by universities worldwide. Using the rankings for 2018, we count down the 30 top universities in the world and how much it costs to study at them.
30) Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
Tsinghua University in Beijing has an overall score of 79 in the World University Rankings. It now boasts 45 members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and 33 members of the Chinese Academy of Engineering. It's also forging links between China and the rest of the world, with initiatives such as the Global Innovation Exchange (GIX) Institute, which is in its second year. Tuition fees start from RMB 24,000 ($3,613/£2,757) a year.
Joint 27) Peking University, Beijing, China
A member of the C9 League, a group of nine elite Chinese universities, Peking University only accepts the nation’s best and has an overall ranking of 79.2, with a perfect score of 100 for industry income. Among its contingent it has 53 members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, 7 members of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and 14 members of the Third World Academy of Sciences. Studying a bachelor’s degree costs from RMB 26,000 ($3,915/£2,986) a year for tuition only.
Joint 27) New York University, New York, USA
New York University, or NYU as it's known, is one of the largest private universities in America, with 43,860 students at three degree-granting campuses in New York City, Abu Dhabi and Shanghai. Faculty awards include: 4 Nobel and Crafoord Prizes, 5 Pulitzer Prizes and 14 National Medals for Science, Technology and Innovation, Arts and Humanities. Undergraduate tuition fees alone cost from around $50,464 (£37,892) a year and it has been given an overall score of 79.2.
Joint 27) University of Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
This esteemed Russell Group university is the sixth oldest university in the English-speaking world and has an overall score of 79.2. James Young Simpson pioneered anaesthetics here and Professor Emeritus Peter Higgs was jointly awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for his prediction of the Higgs Boson. Tuition fees cost around $12,132 (£9,250) a year for British and EU undergraduates. Scottish residents pay about 80% less than this. Overseas student tuition fees start from $24,678 (£18,800).
Joint 25) University of Washington, Seattle, US
One of the largest and most prestigious universities on the west coast of America with an overall score of 79.4, the University of Washington has a particularly highly-rated medical school, which serves medical centres across the Pacific North West and Alaska. Out-of-state students can expect to spend $56,984 (£42,788) a year on tuition fees, board, lodging and personal expenses, while in-state students will pay around $31,604 (£23,730) a year.
Joint 25) London School of Economics and Political Science, UK
One of the world's premier social science universities, the London School of Economics and Political Science, or LSE as it's commonly known, boasts 18 Nobel Prize winners and 34 past or present prime ministers, presidents and premiers among its alumni. Tuition fees here cost around $12,132 (£9,250) a year for British and EU undergraduate students. Overseas students pay around $13,628 (£17,890) per year for tuition only. It has an overall score of 79.4.
24) Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, US
A private research university, Carnegie Mellon is one of just 25 universities to be admitted to the World Economic Forum’s Global University Leaders Forum. It has produced 20 Nobel Laureates, 116 Emmy Award winners and 9 Academy Award winners. The University has an overall score of 81.9 but does particularly well in citations with 99.7. Annual costs for tuition, bed, board, fees and living expenses are estimated at around $72,283 (£54,275).
Joint 22) University of Toronto, Canada
Among the world’s most prestigious universities, the University of Toronto was founded in 1827 and has a longstanding reputation for innovation and research. It offers about 700 undergraduate programmes and second entry professional programmes in education, nursing, dentistry, pharmacy, law and medicine. It has an overall score of 82.8 and tuition fees for domestic undergraduates start from C$6,590 ($5,079/£3,813).
Joint 22) National University of Singapore, Singapore
What started out as a modest medical school with 23 students in 1905 is now one of Asia's leading universities with 17 schools spread across three campus locations across the country. It has an overall score of 82.8 with a high count for International outlook. Fees vary, depending on the course chosen, but undergraduate tuition fees and living costs here will set students back on average around S$45,000 ($33,102/£25,251) a year.
21) University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, US
Founded in 1817, the University of Michigan has just celebrated its bicentenary. Jim Buckmaster, CEO of Craigs List, former Twitter CEO Richard Costolo and President Ford are among the well-known alumni. Out-of-state undergraduates studying at this prestigious institution need to budget around $62,176 (£47,430) a year to cover all costs. Michigan residents can expect to pay around half of this. The University was awarded an overall score of 83.1.
20) Northwestern University, Evanston, US
This revered Illinois institution, which has an outpost in Doha, Qatar, is highly esteemed for its research excellence and was given an overall score of 83.3. It has more than 50 university research centres and attracts $675.5 million (£515m) annually in sponsored research. Actors Warren Beatty and David Schwimmer are among its famous alumni. Annual undergraduate costs covering tuition, fees, room, board and personal expenses are estimated to be around $72,980 (£55,671).
19) Cornell University, New York, US
Founded in 1865, this privately-endowed Ivy League university and partner of the State University of New York is linked to 47 Nobel Prize winners and has an overall score of 84.2. The university is proud of its unique traditions, particularly Dragon Day, which falls each March, when students from the College of Architecture, Art, and Planning create and parade an enormous dragon across campus. Annual total costs here are around $72,754 (£54,629). State residents pay about two-thirds of this.
18) University of California, Berkeley, US
Berkeley is a public research university, with an overall score of 84.3. Its current faculty members hold seven Nobel Prizes, 15 National Medals of Science, three Field Medals and four Pulitzer Prizes, while 30 Nobel prizes are held by alumni. Non-California state residents can expect to pay around $65,384 (£49,095) a year for tuition, fees, room, board and personal expenses. State residents pay just over half of this.
17) Duke University, Durham, US
Based in Durham, North Carolina, Duke is one of the wealthiest private universities in America and boasts one of the nation's top ten private research library systems. It has a perfect score of 100 for industry income and an overall score of 85.1. Alumni it has waved off include: President Richard Nixon; Apple’s CEO Timothy Cook; Microsoft CFO Amy Hood; and Etsy CEO Chad Dickerson. It costs around $75,370 (£56,593) a year to study at Duke; this includes tuition, room, board and fees.
16) University College London, UK
Founded in 1826, University College London has an overall score of 85.3. Also known as UCL, it was originally founded to bring higher education to those who were typically excluded from it. It was also the first university in England to admit men and women on equal terms and students of any religion. Tuition fees here costs $12,132 (£9,250) a year for British and European undergraduate students. Overseas students pay from $23,452 (£17,890) per year, plus living costs.
15) University of California, Los Angeles, US
UCLA is a sought-after institution and has an overall score of 85.7. Having produced 61 Nobel Laureates, it now hosts 39,279 full-time students. Non-state undergraduates can expect to pay around $63,819 (£47,920) a year, which includes tuition, fees, room, board and personal expenses. California state students will pay approximately half of this.
14) Columbia University, New York, US
New York City's most venerable college has produced 100 Noble Laureates, 29 heads of state, 29 Academy Award winners and a fair few billionaires. Some of the most famous alumni include: legendary investor Warren Buffett; Walmart heir S. Robson Walton; and former president Barack Obama. Studying here as an undergraduate is estimated to set you back around $74,173 (£55,695) a year, which covers tuition, room, board and personal expenses. The university has an overall score of 86.
13) Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, US
With campuses on three continents, Johns Hopkins University claims to be a truly global institution, conducting research, training and related activities in more than 150 countries. The university, which has an overall score of 86.5, has produced 36 Nobel Laureates and its esteemed alumni include novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and former New York City mayor and founder of Bloomberg, Michael R. Bloomberg. Undergraduate tuition fees start from around around $46,328 (£35,340).
12) Yale University, Connecticut, US
This world-famous Ivy League college has been one of America's top universities ever since it was founded way back in 1701. Some of the world’s wealthiest and most successful people were educated at Yale, including former president Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton and confectionery heir John Mars. Annual undergraduate costs are estimated at $73,180 (£54,949) and the university has an average score of 87.6, doing particularly well in citations.
Joint 10) University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, US
Founded by Benjamin Franklin, the University of Pennsylvania is a leading Ivy League institution and has an overall score of 87.7. With more than $900 million (£686m) in annual research and development expenditures, Penn is one of America's top research universities. Some of its most famous alumni include Tesla's Elon Musk and US President Donald Trump. The annual cost for an undergraduate studying here is estimated at $75,303 (£56,543), which covers tuition and fees, room and board.
Joint 10) ETH Zurich, Switzerland
This Swiss university is considered to be one of the world’s most prestigious educational establishments in the fields of science and technology with an overall score of 87.7. Its main focus areas are medicine, data, sustainability, manufacturing technologies and critical thinking. It has produced 21 Nobel Prize winners, including Albert Einstein. ETH is a truly international university with students from over 120 countries. Studying here typically costs around $26,000 (£19,833) per year.
9) University of Chicago, US
The link between cancer and genetics was discovered here and with connections to more than 90 Nobel Prize winners, including six still in faculty, and 30 National Medal winners, the University of Chicago certainly knows how to produce success. Famous alumni include authors Saul Bellow and Susan Sontag and astronomer Edwin Hubble. The university has an overall score of 88.6 and annual fees for tuition, room, board, fees and personal expenses are estimated at around $78,246 (£58,753) per year.
8) Imperial College London, UK
This London institution, with a world-class reputation in science, engineering, business and medicine, is regarded as one of the UK’s leading universities. Sir Alexander Fleming, who discovered penicillin, was one of its many influential alumni. With 15,857 students, it is notably smaller than most and has an overall score of 89.2, ranking particularly well in citations. Studying here costs $12,132 (£9,250) a year for UK and EU undergraduates. Overseas fees vary according to subject.
7) Princeton University, New Jersey, US
This Ivy League college has an overall score of 91.1. It has some seriously notable alumni, including 41 Noble Laureates, two US presidents, Amazon's CEO Jeff Bezos and Google executive chairman Eric Schmidt. Princeton is committed to enrolling students of all backgrounds and interests and prides itself on offering one of the strongest needs-based financial aid programmes in the country. The estimated cost of attendance is put at $70,010 (£53,381) for tuition, room, board and expenses.
6) Harvard University, Massachusetts, US
Established in 1636, Harvard is America's oldest university. From an initial cohort of just nine students, it now has an enrolment of 20,326 degree candidates and an overall score of 91.8. Harvard has a plethora of successful alumni and can also claim some credit for hugely-successful dropouts such as Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg and Microsoft's Bill Gates. Studying at Harvard costs approximately $67,580 (£50,744) a year.
5) Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Massachusetts, US
One of the world's finest universities, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, or MIT as it's known, has a score of 92.5 and is renowned for its excellence in teaching and research in the fields of science and technology. The New England college lays claim to 85 Nobel Laureates and 58 National Medal of Science winners. With tuition and fees an undergraduate place costs $49,892 (£37,462) a year.
Joint 3) Stanford University, California, US
Billed as 'a place for learning, discovery, innovation, expression and discourse', this joint third-ranking Silicon Valley school, with an overall score of 93, has educated a number of tech billionaires, including Google CEO Larry Page, who completed a master's degree and PhD in computer science at the college. Tuition fees for a coveted undergraduate place here cost from $62,363 (£46,827) a year, with living expenses and other related fees on top of this.
Joint 3) California Institute of Technology, California, US
A world-renowned university for science and engineering, Caltech is well regarded within the research field, and boasts a World University Rankings score of 93. The alumni and faculty of Caltech have been awarded 35 Nobel Prizes, one Fields Medal, six Turing Awards and 71 United States National Medal of Science. The school has just 2,209 full-time students and 6.5 students per staff member. The annual cost of studying here is around $72,084 (£54,126), which includes tuition, fees and living costs.
2) University of Cambridge, UK
Cambridge is the fourth-oldest university in the world and the second-oldest English-speaking university in the world and has an overall score of 93.2. It has educated more than its fair share of influential people, with 92 affiliates of the university having been awarded Nobel Prizes, covering every category. Studying here costs $12,132 (£9,250) a year for British and EU undergraduate students. Overseas students pay from $26,844 (£20,157) per year, plus an annual college fee of $8,630 (£6,580).
1) University of Oxford, UK
Oxford has educated 27 British prime ministers, at least 30 international leaders and 50 Nobel Laureates. Landing the number one spot once again, it's likely to produce more people of note. The university ranks particularly well for research with a score of 99.5 out of 100 and an overall score of 94.3. It costs $12,132 (£9,250) a year for British and EU students to study here. Overseas students pay from $21,287 (£16,230) a year, plus a college fee of $9,928 (£7,570) and living expenses.
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