13 Asian universities named in the world's top 50 for 2026, according to the QS University Rankings

If there's one Asian stereotype that we'll happily claim, it's that we're high achievers. Academics are serious business for us, and that's plain to see in the ever-growing calibre of universities in the region. 

The latest QS World University Rankings 2026 are out, and we're proud to say that 13 Asian institutions have cracked the world's top 50. 

Bright minds will want to set their sights on the top university in Asia: the National University of Singapore (NUS). It maintains its position as the eighth-best university in the world, with full marks or close to full marks in categories like academic reputation, employment outcomes, and international faculty ratio. For such a small country, Singapore punches above its weight – its other prominent university, Nanyang Technological University, is the second-best in Asia and No. 12 in the world. 

The rest of the list is dominated by universities from East Asia, with China alone contributing five entries. Beijing's Peking University leads the pack as No. 14 in the world, with Tsinghua University not far behind at No. 17. Two universities from Shanghai make the list, with Fudan University at No. 30 and Shanghai Jiao Tong University at No. 47; finished by Zhejiang University in Hangzhou, China (No. 47). 

Those keen to explore beyond China have options in Hong Kong, Tokyo and Seoul to consider, too. Check out the full list of universities in the top 50 rankings here – there's even a handy comparison tool that allows you to see data like size, research output, and international student population side-by-side. 

Asian universities in the world's top 50, according to the QS World University Rankings 2026:

1. National University of Singapore – Singapore (#8)
2. The University of Hong Kong – Hong Kong (#11)
3. Nanyang Technological University – Singapore (#12)
4. Peking University – Beijing, China (#14)
5. Tsinghua University – Beijing, China (#17)
6. Fudan University – Shanghai, China (#30)
7. The Chinese University of Hong Kong – Hong Kong (#32)
8. The University of Tokyo – Tokyo, Japan (#36)
9. Seoul National University – Seoul, South Korea (#38)
10. The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology – Hong Kong (#44)
11. Shanghai Jiao Tong University – Shanghai, China (#47)
12. Zhejiang University – Hangzhou, China (#49)
13. Yonsei University – Seoul, South Korea (#50)

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