2026.06.18
National Tsing Hua University (NTHU) rose to 142nd in the QS World University Rankings 2027, achieving its highest position ever and placing among the top 10% of universities worldwide.
QS Quacquarelli Symonds released the QS World University Rankings 2027 on June 18. Among 8,808 universities evaluated worldwide, only 1,504 institutions were included in the final rankings. National Tsing Hua University (NTHU) ranked 142nd globally, rising 34 places from last year and achieving its highest position ever. NTHU ranked second in Taiwan and is now among the top 10 percent of ranked universities worldwide.
NTHU delivered particularly strong performances in two indicators closely related to research visibility and impact: Academic Reputation and Citations per Faculty, which together account for 50 percent of the overall QS score. NTHU ranked 151st globally in both indicators this year. Among Taiwanese universities, NTHU placed second in Academic Reputation, while its Citations per Faculty ranking improved by 36 places compared with last year.
According to NTHU's Office of Institutional Research, the university's average citation performance per faculty member exceeds the global median by more than three times and has nearly doubled over the past five years, demonstrating the growing visibility of NTHU research within the international academic community.
Investing in Talent for Long-Term Academic Excellence
NTHU President W. John Kao noted that international rankings serve as a mirror, helping universities assess the long-term effectiveness of their research quality, talent cultivation, and international engagement. However, rankings themselves are not the ultimate goal of higher education.
Facing global challenges in higher education—including declining birth rates, shrinking doctoral student pipelines, and increasing international competition for academic talent—NTHU has established long-term support mechanisms through initiatives such as the Distinguished Talent Fund, the New Horizons Sustainability Fund, and the Research Talent Resource Center. These programs provide stable support that enables outstanding faculty members and research personnel to pursue long-term research with confidence.
This year, nearly 300 faculty members received support through the Distinguished Talent Fund, benefiting more than one-third of the university's faculty. Recipients represent a wide range of disciplines, including science and engineering, humanities, arts, and education. President Kao emphasized that the program not only recognizes exceptional achievements but also ensures that contributions from diverse fields and scholars at different career stages are valued and supported.
Looking ahead, NTHU will continue strengthening its efforts in recruiting, retaining, and nurturing talent while deepening international collaboration and industry-academia innovation.
According to Vice President for Research and Development Yung-Hsien Wu, building lasting research impact requires sustained investment in both faculty and the broader research environment.
To support young scholars, NTHU established the Research Talent Resource Center last year and launched three incentive programs for postdoctoral researchers. The university currently supports 67 postdoctoral fellows through these initiatives, which help early-career researchers develop independent research capabilities and strengthen NTHU's future research capacity.
Wu also highlighted the “NTHU 10 Flagship Research Areas,” which serve as a framework for interdisciplinary integration and development across colleges and departments. These priority areas include high-entropy materials, advanced semiconductors, quantum technology, artificial intelligence, brain science, and net-zero sustainabilityfields that combine pioneering scientific research with significant societal impact.
By encouraging collaboration among researchers from diverse disciplines, NTHU continues to advance innovative research with international competitiveness. These interdisciplinary efforts not only enhance academic achievements and global visibility but also contribute to the university's growing international reputation and influence.
In addition to research performance, NTHU also recorded improvements in indicators related to talent development, sustainability, and internationalization.
NTHU ranked 111th globally in Employer Reputation, improving five places from last year and marking the second consecutive year of progress. The result reflects strong industry recognition of NTHU graduates, whose employment rate has reached 98.7 percent.
In Sustainability, NTHU advanced to 342nd globally, rising 204 places from the previous year. This represents the university's largest improvement among all QS indicators.
NTHU also achieved significant progress in internationalization. Its International Student Ratio improved by 100 places to 422nd globally. Over 20 percent of NTHU students are international students, more than double the global median. The university's International Faculty Ratio also rose by 71 places and ranked second in Taiwan, underscoring the effectiveness of NTHU's internationalization efforts.
About the QS World University Rankings
The QS World University Rankings 2027 includes 1,504 universities worldwide, selected from 8,808 institutions. A total of 27 universities from Taiwan were included in this year's rankings.
The rankings assess universities across a range of indicators, including Academic Reputation, Employer Reputation, Citations per Faculty, Faculty Student Ratio, Internationalization, Employment Outcomes, and Sustainability.
NTHU ranked second in Taiwan for Academic Reputation in the QS World University Rankings 2027. Pictured are Distinguished Chair Professor Jien-Wei Yeh (right) and researcher Wei-Lin Hsu observing high-entropy alloys through a scanning electron microscope. Yeh is a pioneering scholar in high-entropy materials and a leading figure in materials science.
NTHU's citations per faculty performance exceeded three times the global median in the QS World University Rankings 2027. Pictured are Associate Professor Tung-Han Yang (right) and Assistant Professor Kun-Han Lin from the Department of Chemical Engineering, who co-developed the world's first high-entropy alloy nanocrystal database, opening new directions for high-entropy materials research.
NTHU rose to 142nd globally in the QS World University Rankings 2027 and continues to earn international recognition for its achievements in quantum technology. Pictured is Professor Chih-Sung Chuu (right) and his research team demonstrating the world's smallest quantum computer.
NTHU's growing global reputation is supported by internationally recognized breakthroughs in quantum technology. Pictured is Professor Hao-Wu Lin (center) and his research team, whose room-temperature single-photon source can emit more than 2.3 billion photons per second, setting a new world record.
NTHU ranked second in Taiwan for Academic Reputation in the QS World University Rankings 2027. Pictured is Ann-Shyn Chiang (front row, right), Director of the Brain Research Center, leading an interdisciplinary team that integrates physics, neuroscience, and behavioral science to uncover neural connections and learning mechanisms in the fruit fly brain.
NTHU advanced 204 places in the QS Sustainability indicator. Pictured is the research team behind the Touqian River Basin Conservation Project conducting field sampling to support watershed governance and sustainability research.
