Earlier this month, Times Higher Education has issued its much awaited 2013 reputation rankings of the world’s top 100 universities. Once again, Harvard topped the ranking, closely followed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. With 40 universities in the top 100 (seven of them in the top 10), the United States are the undisputed leaders.

The UK comes second, with nine universities in the top 100. Cambridge and Oxford respectively ranked third and fourth. Stanford University dropped down to number six, preceded by University of California, Berkeley. Together, these elite Anglo-American universities make up the top six, earning them the dub ‘super-brands’. The University of Tokyo, at place 9, is the highest ranking university outside of the UK and the US.

Compared to previous years, the 2013 rankings highlight some interesting trends. UK representation has declined since 2011. Phil Baty, rankings editor at THE magazine, voices his concern: “There is some good news for the UK, but only for a handful of its elite institutions. Outside the chosen few, there is cause for alarm. (…) It now seems that a gap is opening up between the very best and the rest, with even household name institutions like Sheffield and Leeds losing their luster and falling down the rankings”.

Brazil, Taiwan, Belgium, Israel, Russia and Turkey are moving up, each with one representative in the top 100. Germany gained one new entrant, raising its representation to five, along with Japan and the Netherlands.

The rankings also highlight a big improvement for Australia. With six universities in the top 100, it now has the third highest representation, behind the US and the UK.

THE World University Rankings