Launched in Melbourne this week, the rankings were the largest to date, featuring 800 institutions from 70 different countries.

“We are seeing a rebalancing of the power, the hegemony of America is being challenged”

California Institute of Technology tops the table for the fifth consecutive year, while the University of Oxford took second place, followed by Stanford University, the University of Cambridge and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, completing the top five.

Harvard University, Princeton University and the University of Chicago, also made the top 10 in 6th, 7th and 10th positions respectively.

However, the dominance of US institutions in the top ranks has fallen from 15 in the top 20 last year to 14 this year. In addition, the inclusion of 77 US universities in the top 200 last year has dropped to 63 this year.

“We are seeing a rebalancing of the power, the hegemony of America is being challenged,” said Phil Baty, editor of the THE World University Rankings, at the event’s launch in Melbourne this week.

“Places like Germany are rising up the rankings strongly… The UK is doing exceptionally well.”

In the top 200, the UK lands 34 spots while Germany claims 20. ETH Zurich – Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, was also the first non-Anglo-American university to make it into the top 10 in 10 years.

In Asia Pacific, the National University of Singapore was ranked as the region’s highest university at 26th, also making it the region’s only university in the Top 30.

Last year’s top ranking Asian university, The University of Tokyo, fell from 23rd to 43 this year.

“I think we have a clear pattern here,” Baty commented. “With Japanese universities struggling with an inward facing approach, struggling with international outlook.”

“I think it’s really important to recognise international student mobility is rocketing”

The University of Melbourne held on to its 33rd place from last year, ranking 19 places higher than the country’s second highest university, Australia National University.

Speaking from the launch at the World Academic Summit, minister for education and training in Australia, Simon Birmingham, said that while the country’s higher education system is strong, it faces challenges.

“Universities Australia has rightly warned of the risk of Australian universities being left behind in intensifying international competition in higher education, and urged action to prevent this,” he said.

“The rise of universities around Asia has been impressive, including as reflected in various global rankings, and this presents us with an energising challenge.”

Topping the international outlook indicator, which accounts for 7.5% of the total assessment, was Qatar University, with 42% of its student body being international students.

“I think it’s really important to recognise international student mobility is rocketing,” commented Baty. “We have about four million internationally mobile students today – predictions are that will be eight million by 2025.”

Referring to a survey by IDP, “the ranking and reputation of a university was the single most important factor for these international students when they were making their choice,” he said.

The rankings have looked at the top 4% of the world’s universities, with 1,126 universities submitting data this year.