NTU is the world's top young university

Nanyang Technological University (NTU) has been named as the world's top young university in this year's Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) rankings.

The list - compiled of the top 50 universities around the world which have been established over the past 50 years - put The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) in second place, one spot down from its 2013 ranking.

The Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) maintained its position in third place.

The country with the most institutions featured is Australia, with 10 making the list out of a total of 25, followed by Spain with five. Hong Kong and the UK have four each, while Germany has three.

The youngest universities in the list are The Hong Kong Polytechnic University in eighth places, and Hong Kong Baptist University in 37th place, founded 20 years ago.

Ben Sowter, head of research at QS, said NTU's ascending trajectory on this list is "nothing short of impressive".

"Even more so considering that this world-class institution has been established less than 25 years ago," he added.

“The dynamic nature of this ranking makes it an interesting comparison with our global and regional rankings. By focusing on the performance of these younger institutions alone, the list aims to spot the up-and-coming higher education powerhouses in the global arena.”

The world's top 10 young universities

1.  Nanyang Technological University (NTU)

2. The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST)

3. KAIST - Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology

4. Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH)

5. City University of Hong Kong

6. Maastricht University

7. University of California, Irvine (UCI)

8. The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

9. University of Calgary

10. Universitat Autónoma de Barcelona

See the full list here.

Image: Shutterstock