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Results of the 2016 Academic Ranking of World Universities (published 15 August)

Mainland China has continued to improve its performance in the Academic Ranking of World Universities, but the US and Europe still dominate the table.

China has 32 universities in the top 500 table, the same number as last year, but they are edging up the ranks. Seven of these are in the top 200, compared with six last year, now that Sun Yat-sen 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ has leaped from the 201-300 band to the 151-200 group. The country also still has six of its universities in the 201-300 band, after Jilin 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ moved up from the 301-400 band in last year¡¯s table, which is based on research prowess and is compiled by Shanghai Jiao Tong 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ.

Meanwhile, Japan¡¯s performance has declined this year. The country has 18 institutions represented, down from 19, after Waseda 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ dropped off the table. Japan¡¯s universities are also falling out of the upper echelons of the ranking: the country has one fewer institution in the top 200 (seven, compared with eight last year) and one more in the 401-500 band (six, compared with five last year).

Overall the US dominates the table, claiming more than half (51) the spots in the top 100. Harvard 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ is number one for the 13th?year in a row. The rest of the top 10 also remains unchanged from last year, comprising Stanford 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ; the Massachusetts Institute of Technology; the 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of California, Berkeley; the 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Cambridge; Princeton 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ; the California Institute of Technology; Columbia 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ; the 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Chicago; and the 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Oxford.

The UK has nine universities in the top 100, one more than last year, with the 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Warwick (92nd) making its debut in the top fifth of the table. However, many of the top UK institutions have slipped down the list: Imperial College London has dropped one place to 23rd, the 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Manchester has dropped three places to 41st, and the 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Edinburgh has dropped two places to 47th.

Wendy Piatt, director general of the Russell Group, said that if the UK is to stay at the front of the pack, it must ¡°fend off fierce competition from countries like China and Germany¡±.

She added: ¡°Increasing funding in science, research and innovation is essential to keep our leading universities at the top of the table and to make sure the UK maximises its economic potential.¡±

ellie.bothwell@tesglobal.com

Below is a list of the top 100 institutions in the Academic Ranking of World Universities 2015 including links to the profiles of those institutions also featured in the Times Higher Education World 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ Rankings 2014-15.

Academic Ranking of World Universities 2015: top 100