Top universities in Asia 2024 (by subject)

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The largest subject areas globally were Computer Sciences & Information Systems, and Medicine, taking into account 700 universities in its evaluation. This was followed by Biological Sciences and Chemistry.

The QS World University Rankings by Subject 2024 has been released, offering insights into the performance of universities worldwide across various subjects. The rankings were determined utilising various metrics, including their academic reputation, employer reputation, and the International Research Network (IRN) Index.

This year, the 14^th edition of the rankings features five broad faculty areas: Arts and Humanities, Engineering and Technology, Life Sciences and Medicine, Natural Sciences, and Social Sciences and Management. These five domains encompass 55 subjects, from Music to Materials Sciences.

Overall, the largest subject areas globally were Computer Sciences & Information Systems, and Medicine, taking into account 700 universities in its evaluation. This was followed by Biological Sciences and Chemistry.

Arts and humanities

Globally, the top three universities in arts & humanities were Harvard University, University of Cambridge, and University of Oxford. In Asia, the top universities were as follows:

Ranking	University	Region	Global ranking
1	Peking University	Beijing, China	22
2	The University of Hong Kong	Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR	32
3	The University of Tokyo	Tokyo, Japan	32
4	Tsinghua University	Beijing, China	36
5	National University of Singapore (NUS)	Singapore, Singapore	37
6	Seoul National University	Seoul, South Korea	40
7	The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK)	Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR	47
8	Kyoto University	Kyoto, Japan	62
9	Waseda University	Tokyo, Japan	63
10	Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore)	Singapore, Singapore	66

Not far behind, Universiti Malaya ranked 15^th (94^th globally).

Looking further into the rankings by subjects, the National University of Singapore (NUS) excelled as the number one university in Asia for:

• Philosophy (34^th globally)
• Linguistics (9^th globally)
• English Language and Literature (16^th globally)
• History of Art (2^nd globally)
• Architecture & Built Environment (5^th globally) 
• History (11^th globally) 

The International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) also came in second in Asia for Theology, Divinity & Religious Studies (32^nd globally).

Engineering and technology

Globally, the top three universities in engineering and technology were Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Stanford University, and University of Oxford. Rankings in Asia were as follows:

Ranking	University	Region	Global ranking
1	Tsinghua University	Beijing, China	11
2	National University of Singapore (NUS)	Singapore, Singapore	13
3	Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore)	Singapore, Singapore	15
4	The University of Tokyo	Tokyo, Japan	18
5	KAIST - Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology	Daejeon, South Korea	20
6	Seoul National University	Seoul, South Korea	27
7	Peking University	Beijing, China	33
8	Shanghai Jiao Tong University	Shanghai, China	37
9	Tokyo Institute of Technology (Tokyo Tech)	Tokyo, Japan	40
10	King Abdulaziz Univeversity (KAU)	Jeddah, Saudi Arabia	42

The Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IITB) and Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IITD)  also ranked at 12^th and 13^th regionally (both at 45^th globally),

By subject, the National University of Singapore ranked first in Asia for:

• Chemical Engineering (5^th globally)
• Civil and Structural Engineering (4^th globally)
• Computer Science and Information Systems (6^th globally)
• Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (6^th globally)
• Electrical and Electronic Engineering (6^th globally)
• Mechanical, Aeronautical & Manufacturing Engineering (7^th globally)

Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) came in second for Computer science and information systems in Asia (9^th globally)

Life sciences & medicine

The leading universities worldwide for Life Sciences & Medicine were Harvard University, the University of Oxford, and Johns Hopkins University, ranking as the top three in this faculty area. Regional rankings are as follows:

Ranking	University	Region	Global ranking
1	Seoul National University	Seoul, South Korea	26
2	National University of Singapore (NUS)	Singapore, Singapore	31
3	The University of Hong Kong	Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR	31
4	The University of Tokyo	Tokyo, Japan	36
5	Peking University	Beijing, China	42
6	The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK)	Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR	48
7	Yonsei University	Seoul, South Korea	57
8	Kyoto University	Kyoto, Japan	61
9	Tsinghua University	Beijing, China	64
10	King Abdulaziz Univeversity (KAU)	Jeddah, Saudi Arabia	71

Within Asia, the University of Hong Kong claimed the top position globally for Dentistry (3^rd globally). Similarly, the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) achieved first rank for Nursing (8^th globally).

For Veterinary Science, the Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), emerged top regionally (40^th globally).

Natural sciences

The top spots for Natural Sciences were taken by Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and the University of Oxford. Rankings in Asia were as follows:

Ranking	University	Region	Global ranking
1	The University of Tokyo	Tokyo, Japan	11
2	Tsinghua University	Beijing, China	16
3	Peking University	Beijing, China	17
4	KAIST - Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology	Daejeon, South Korea	24
5	Seoul National University	Seoul, South Korea	26
6	National University of SIngapore	Singapore, Singapore	29
7	Kyoto University	Kyoto, Japan	31
8	Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore)	Singapore, Singapore	37
9	University of Science and Technology of China	Hefei, China	42
10	Pohang University of Science And Technology (POSTECH)	Pohang, South Korea	45

The National University of Singapore claimed the top spot for Chemistry in Asia, ranking 7^th globally, with Nanyang Technological University, Singapore following closely behind in second place (ranked 10^th globally).

NTU Singapore also achieved the top position in Asia for Materials Sciences (5^th globally). 

ALSO READ: 2024 Asian university rankings

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Lead image / QS World University Rankings by Subject 2024