Most international universities in the world 2024 (2024)

The most international universities in the world 2024

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Prospective students who wishto study in the most international environments in the world should apply to universities in Switzerland, Hong Kong, the United Arab Emirates or theUK.

Universities, by their nature, are global institutions. Typically, they are home to communities of students and scholars from all over the world, and they tackle some of the globe’s most pressing problems through research.

This table – compiled using the international student score, the international staff score, the international co-authorship score and the international reputation metrics collected for the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2024 – shows that the above four countries and regions are home to some of the most international universities in the world.

These institutions all have a high proportion of international students and staff, collaborate on research with scholars from across the world, and have a strong global reputation to match. Read the full methodology at the bottom of the page.

Research suggests that diverse communities of students improve the teaching and learning experience, while opportunities for students to spend time abroad better prepare them to become global citizens.

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Top five most international universities in the world

5. Imperial College London

Imperial College London focuses teaching and learning around science, engineering, medicine and business.

Imperial College London is consistently ranked among the best universities in the world for science, technology, engineering, medicine and business.

More than 60per cent of students are international students, coming from over 140 countries.

Clubs and support services for international students at Imperial College include the International Family Network and the International Students House.

4. University of Cambridge

The University of Cambridge is one of the world’s oldest and most prestigious universities. The town in which it is located is just an hour from London.

The university is home to more than 19,000 students and 9,000 staff. There are 31 colleges, some of which date back to the 13thcentury, and more than 100 academic departments.

About 25per cent of undergraduate students and more than 50per cent of postgraduate students hail from outside the UK. There is a range of clubs and societies for international students, including the Welcome International Students of Cambridge society, which promotes relationships and interaction between international students at the university and local families.

3. University of Oxford

The University of Oxford is not only the top university in the world, it also happens to be one of the most international.

Over a third of students at the University of Oxford are international students, coming from 160 countries and territories. In fact, international students have been attending the University of Oxford for hundreds of years, with the first international student arriving way back in 1190.

Almost half of the staff at the university are international, and the institution has links with many other institutions worldwide.

Prospective international students can listen to the university’s International Students podcast, which talks you through academic and social aspects of life at Oxford.

2. Abu Dhabi University

Abu Dhabi University was established in 2003 and enrols about 8,000 students.

The university is home to students from more than 100 nationalities.

There are many different opportunities for international students to join the student community through clubs, the Student Council, sports and well-being teams and volunteering and community outreach opportunities.

The university also publishes an undergraduate and postgraduate student handbook to help students learn about life on campus and the facilities and services available to them.

1. CityUniversityofHongKong

CityUniversityofHongKong is a public research university in Kowloon, Hong Kong. It was founded in 1984 as the City Polytechnic of Hong Kong, and it became a fully accredited university in 1994.

There are 10 colleges/schools: business, engineering, liberal arts and social sciences, science, veterinary medicine and life sciences, creative media, data science, energy and environment, law and graduate schools.

The university has more than 400 exchange partners in over 40 countries and regions, and 65 per cent of students participate in student exchange programmes each year.

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Most international universities in the world 2024

Click each institution to view its full World University Rankings 2024profile

Further analysis into the results can be found here

Methodology

The data in Times Higher Education’s ranking of the World’s Most International Universities 2024 are drawn largely from the “international outlook” pillar of the THEWorld University Rankings 2024. This takes into account a university’s proportions of international students, international staff and journal publications with at least one international co-author. Each of these elements is given equal weighting in calculating the score for this pillar.

The table adds a fourth component, which makes up 25per cent of the total score: a university’s international reputation. This is a measure of the proportion of votes from outside the home country that the institution achieved inTHE’s annual invitation-only Academic Reputation Survey, which asks leading scholars to name the world’s best universities for teaching and research in their field.

Only institutions that received at least 300 votes in the survey were eligible for inclusion. Universities must also receive at least 150 or at least 10per cent of available domestic votes to be ranked. Once universities are included in the international list, they are excluded only if they do not meet the vote thresholds for two years in a row.

Metrics and weightings:

• 25 per cent: proportion of international staff

• 25 per cent: proportion of international students

• 25 per cent: international co-authorship

• 25 per cent: international reputation.

Editor’s note: As part of our THE statement on Ukraine published on 2March 2022, Russian universities have been given less prominence in our rankings. Russian universities that met the criteria for this ranking are not displayed in the table above.