NUS has risen to 15th place globally in the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2027, its highest-ever position since the rankings were established. The University remains at 3rd in Asia and 1st in Singapore.

NUS President Professor Tan Eng Chye said the result reflects the sustained efforts of the University’s faculty, researchers, staff, students and alumni.

"The accolade belongs to every member of our community: our faculty, researchers, staff, students and alumni, and I am proud of what we have achieved together," said Prof Tan.

The University’s upward trajectory has been built over the years through deliberate efforts to strengthen the quality of its education, raise the rigour and relevance of its research, and deepen its partnerships across the world.

“We embedded interdisciplinary thinking into how our students learn, and built AI fluency into how they work. This is not a one-off result. It reflects intentional, sustained effort over many years,” Prof Tan added.

Strong performance across core indicators of teaching and research

NUS’ rise to 15th this year was driven largely by stronger scores in teaching and research. The results come as universities worldwide respond to shifting expectations around education, research and the role of technology and AI.

At NUS, these shifts have been accompanied by efforts to prepare students for a fast-changing world and to translate research into real-world impact, as well as deeper engagement with industry and society.

In August this year, NUS expanded its strategic collaboration with OpenAI to widen access to advanced AI tools for students, faculty and staff, and introduced a compulsory foundational AI module for all first-year undergraduates starting Academic Year 2026/2027.

The University has also continued to strengthen interdisciplinary education and research. Beyond developing new courses that prepare students to work across disciplinary boundaries, NUS has also been fostering more interdisciplinary research, bringing together expertise across disciplines to tackle complex challenges. The Centre for Computational Social Science and Humanities, for example, combines AI and computational methods with expertise in social science and humanities to examine issues at the intersection of technology and society.

Prof Tan said rankings provide one measure of NUS’ progress, but “what matters more is the difference our graduates make in society, the lives and policies our research improves, and the role NUS plays in building a better Singapore and a better world. That is what gives this ranking its meaning. And that is what will guide us into the future.”

THE assessed universities across 17 calibrated performance indicators this year, spanning teaching, research environment, research quality, international outlook and industry. This year’s edition covered a total of 2,297 institutions across 118 countries and territories, making it one of the most comprehensive and closely watched university rankings globally.

Mr Phil Baty, THE Chief of Global Affairs, said NUS’ move into the world’s top 15, its highest-ever position, was a “remarkable achievement”.

“NUS performs exceptionally well on every one of [the rankings’] core pillars, so there is real strength-in-depth,” he said, adding that the University’s combination of high research quality, close industry links and an international approach makes it “a truly world-class university.”

The University of Oxford retains its top spot in this year’s rankings, followed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in second place, with Princeton University and Stanford University tied for third.

The full THE World University Rankings 2027 results are available at: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/latest/world-ranking.