National Taiwan University remains 23rd in 2027 QS Asia rankings

National Taiwan University (NTU) held on to 23rd place in the 2027 QS Asia University Rankings released Tuesday, remaining Taiwan’s highest- ranked institution, while National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) posted the biggest jump among local schools.

The rankings, published by British higher education research firm QS Quacquarelli Symonds, placed seven Taiwanese universities among Asia’s top 100, including four in the top 50.

A total of 59 Taiwanese institutions were included in this year’s rankings, which assessed 1,722 universities across 26 countries and territories in Asia.

The campus of National Taiwan University is pictured here on June 24 last year.

Photo: Hung Rui-chin, Taipei Times

The seven highest-ranked Taiwanese universities were NTU (23rd), NCKU (33rd), National Tsing Hua University (35th), National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University (36th), National Taiwan University of Science and Technology (54th), National Taiwan Normal University (74th), and National Sun Yat-sen University (76th).

Tainan-based NCKU recorded the biggest gain among Taiwan’s universities, climbing 10 places to 33rd.

National Tsing Hua University rose two places to 35th, while National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University advanced five spots to 36th. Both universities are based in Hsinchu, Taiwan’s semiconductor hub.

Overall, Taiwan’s performance was mixed. Among the country’s previously ranked universities, 21 percent moved up in the rankings, 9 percent remained unchanged and 70 percent slipped, yielding a net ranking change of minus 49 percent, according to QS.

Taiwan performed better on that measure than Japan (-78 percent) but trailed South Korea (-21 percent), Malaysia (-10 percent) and Singapore (+20 percent), according to QS’s comparison table.

By indicator, QS said Taiwan’s research impact remained solid, with as many as 20 Taiwanese universities moving up in related categories.

NTU was Taiwan’s top performer in the academic reputation and employer reputation categories, ranking ninth and 19th in Asia, respectively. Most Taiwanese institutions, however, slipped in Asia in both categories.

Internationalization remained Taiwan’s biggest weakness, QS said.

Although the number of international students reached a record 140,420 in the 2025-26 academic year, most Taiwanese universities fell in the rankings for international faculty and international student ratios as regional competitors improved more quickly.

QS Senior Vice President Ben Sowter said Taiwan’s leading universities continued to perform strongly, and had deepening ties with the country’s advanced technology industries.

He said NTU remained among Asia’s most respected universities, while NCKU, National Tsing Hua University and National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University all advanced in the rankings.

On Taiwan’s weakness on international students and faculty, however, Sowter said Taiwan’s schools will need to increasingly rely on overseas talent as the domestic college- age population continues to shrink.

The University of Hong Kong retained the top spot in the rankings, followed by Peking University and Tsinghua University in Beijing.