Rice University continues its upward momentum in global higher education, rising two spots to No. 101 worldwide in the 2027 Times Higher Education World University Rankings released today.
Rice has climbed 46 places since 2023 in the annual rankings, which this year evaluated 2,297 universities across 118 countries and territories.
Rice performed particularly well in two areas central to the university’s academic mission, ranking No. 94 globally in teaching and No. 114 in research quality. Rice’s research quality ranking improved 32 places from last year.
The gains align with a central goal of Rice’s 10-year strategic plan, Momentous: Personalized Scale for Global Impact , which calls for the university to strengthen its position as a premier institution for teaching and research.
“Excellent teaching and research are foundational to any world-class university,” said Amy Dittmar, Rice’s Howard R. Hughes Provost and executive vice president for academic affairs. “I’m pleased to see the Times Higher Education World University Rankings recognize the efforts Rice has made to advance undergraduate and graduate education and to invest in research that transforms lives.”
The latest international ranking follows additional recognition for Rice nationally. Earlier this month, the university climbed one spot to No. 16 in U.S. News & World Report’s 2027 Best Colleges rankings, while also earning top 10 rankings for best value, undergraduate teaching and learning communities.
Times Higher Education evaluates research-intensive universities using 18 performance indicators across five areas: teaching, which measures the learning environment; research environment, including volume, income and reputation; research quality, including citation impact and research strength, excellence and influence; international outlook, including staff, students and research; and industry, including income and patents.
To view the full rankings, visit www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/latest/world-ranking .