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Selecting the ideal university or institution for your higher education journey is a significant decision. Factors like academic excellence, faculty expertise, and program offerings play a crucial role in finding the perfect fit. Check the QS World University Rankings 2026 and the IELTS score requirement for universities to get into your top choice to make an informed decision.
What is QS World University Rankings?
QS World University Rankings is an annual publication of university rankings by Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), assessing universities worldwide based on factors like academic reputation, employer reputation, faculty/student ratio, citations per faculty, international faculty, and international students.
World’s top 10 universities as per QS World University Rankings 2026
Here are the top 10 universities according to the QS World University Rankings of 2026, along with information on IELTS score requirements for universities in the world.
University | Location | Ranking 2026 | Minimum IELTS score |
|---|---|---|---|
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) | United States | 1 | 7.0 |
Imperial College London | United Kingdom | 2 | 7.0 |
Stanford University | United States | 3 | 7.0 |
University of Oxford | United Kingdom | 4 | 7.5 |
Harvard University | United States | 5 | 7.5 |
University of Cambridge | United Kingdom | 6 | 7.0 |
ETH Zurich | Switzerland | 7 | 7.0 |
National University of Singapore (NUS) | Singapore | 9 | 7.0 |
UCL | United Kingdom | 9 | 6.5 |
California Institute of Technology (Caltech) | United States | 10 | 7.0 |
*Source: According to the QS World University Rankings
Top 10 Australian universities as per QS World University Rankings 2026
Here are the top 10 Australian universities according to the QS World University Rankings of 2026, along with information on IELTS score requirements for universities in Australia.
University | Location | Ranking 2026 | Minimum IELTS score |
|---|---|---|---|
The University of Melbourne | Parkville, Australia | 19 | 6.5 |
The University of New South Wales (UNSW Sydney) | Sydney, Australia | 20 | 7.0 |
The University of Sydney | Sydney, Australia | 25 | 6.5 |
Australian National University (ANU) | Canberra, Australia | 32 | 6.5 |
Monash University | Melbourne, Australia | 36 | 6.5 |
The University of Queensland | Brisbane City, Australia | 42 | 6.5 |
The University of Western Australia | Perth, Australia | 77 | 6.0 |
The University of Adelaide | Adelaide, Australia | 82 | 6.5 |
University of Technology Sydney | Haymarket, Australia | 96 | 6.5 |
Macquarie University (Sydney, Australia) | Sydney, Australia | 138 | 7.5 |
Top 10 Canadian universities as per QS World University Rankings 2026
Here are the top 10 Canadian universities according to the QS World University Rankings 2026, along with IELTS score requirements for universities in Canada.
University | Location | Ranking 2026 | Minimum IELTS score |
|---|---|---|---|
McGill University | Montreal, Canada | 27 | 6.5 |
University of Toronto | Toronto, Canada | 29 | 6.5 |
University of British Columbia | Vancouver, Canada | 40 | 6.5 |
University of Alberta | Edmonton, Canada | 94 | 6.5 |
University of Waterloo | Waterloo, Canada | 119 | 7.0 |
Western University | London, Canada | 151 | 6.5 |
Université de Montréal | Montreal, Canada | 168 | 6.5 |
McMaster University | Hamilton, Canada | 173 | 6.5 |
University of Ottawa | Ottawa, Canada | 219 | 6.5 |
Top 10 UK universities as per QS World University Rankings 2026
Here are the top 10 UK universities according to the QS World University Rankings 2026, along with IELTS score requirements for universities in the UK.
University | Location | Ranking 2026 | Minimum IELTS score |
|---|---|---|---|
Imperial College London | Imperial College London | 2 | 7.0 |
University of Oxford | Oxford, United Kingdom | 4 | 7.0 |
University of Cambridge | Cambridge, United Kingdom | 6 | 7.0 |
UCL | London, United Kingdom | 9 | 6.5 |
King's College London | London, United Kingdom | 31 | 6.5 |
The University of Edinburgh | Edinburgh, United Kingdom | 34 | 6.5 |
The University of Manchester | Manchester, United Kingdom | 35 | 6.5 |
University of Bristol | Bristol, United Kingdom | 51 | 6.0 |
The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) | London, United Kingdom | 56 | 7.0 |
The University of Warwick | Coventry, United Kingdom | 74 | 7.0 |
Top 10 USA universities as per QS World University Rankings 2026
Here are the top 10 USA universities according to the QS World University Rankings 2026, along with IELTS score requirements for universities in the USA.
University | Location | Ranking 2026 | Minimum IELTS score |
|---|---|---|---|
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) | Cambridge, United States | 1 | 7.0 |
Stanford University | Stanford, United States | 3 | 7.0 |
Harvard University | Cambridge, United States | 5 | 7.5 |
California Institute of Technology (Caltech) | Pasadena, United States | 10 | 7.0 |
University of Chicago | Chicago, United States | 13 | 7.0 |
University of Pennsylvania | Philadelphia, United States | 15 | 7.0 |
Cornell University | Ithaca, United States | 16 | 7.5 |
University of California, Berkeley (UCB) | Berkeley, United States | 17 | 7.0 |
Yale University | New Haven, United States | 21 | 7.0 |
Princeton University | Princeton, United States | 25 | 7.5 |
Top 10 New Zealand universities as per QS World University Rankings 2026
Here are the top 10 New Zealand universities according to the QS World University Rankings of 2026, along with information on IELTS score requirements for universities in New Zealand.
University | Location | Ranking 2026 | Minimum IELTS score |
|---|---|---|---|
The University of Auckland | Auckland, New Zealand | 65 | 6.5 |
University of Otago | Dunedin, New Zealand | 197 | 6.0 |
Massey University | Palmerston North, New Zealand | 230 | 6.0 |
Victoria University of Wellington | Kelburn, Wellington, New Zealand | 240 | 6.5 |
University of Canterbury | Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | Christchurch, New Zealand | 261 | 6.5 |
University of Waikato | Hamilton, New Zealand | 282 | 6.0 |
Lincoln University | Lincoln, New Zealand | 407 | 6.0 |
Auckland University of Technology (AUT) | Auckland, New Zealand | 410 | 6.5 |
Top 10 Ireland universities as per QS World University Rankings 2026
Here are the top 10 Ireland universities according to the QS World University Rankings of 2026, along with information on IELTS score requirements for universities in Ireland.
University | Location | Ranking 2026 | Minimum IELTS score |
|---|---|---|---|
Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin | Dublin, Ireland | 75 | 5.0 |
University College Dublin | Dublin, Ireland | 118 | 6.5 |
University College Cork | Cork, Ireland | 246 | 6.0 |
University of Galway | Galway, Ireland | 284 | 6.5 |
University of Limerick | Limerick, Ireland | 401 | 6.5 |
Dublin City University | Dublin, Ireland | 410 | 6.5 |
Maynooth University | Maynooth, Ireland | 771-780 | 6.5 |
Technological University Dublin | Dublin, Ireland | 781-790 | 6.0 |