While the US has remained atop of U21's latest ranking of national higher education systems, other countries are beginning to challenge.

The top five countries are the US, Switzerland, the UK, Sweden and Denmark. The only change from 2017 is an inversion of Denmark and Sweden's positions.

The US has held on to the top spot in the Universitas 21 rankings, which measure the quality of higher education systems in countries around the world.

Former President of Ireland, Mary McAleese, has been announced as the recipient of the 2016 Gilbert Medal of Internationalisation, awarded by Universitas 21, which celebrates internationalisation in higher education.

For the third year in a row, the United States has been named “top country for higher education” by the U21 Ranking of National Higher Education Systems. Sweden has maintained its second place, while Canada and Denmark rose to take joint third from their respective forth and fifth place positions in 2013. Finland rounds out the top five.