Ranks 13th in Korea in U.S. News Best Global Universities Rankings, Rising on Stronger Research Reputation and International Collaboration

Climbs Across Major Global Rankings, Including WURI, QS, and THE, Strengthening Global Standing

Educational and Research Innovation, Internationalization, and Global Social Contribution Drive Distinctive Competitiveness

[July 13, 2026]

2026–2027 U.S. News Best Global Universities Rankings (Top 20 Korean Universities)

<2026-2027 Best Global Universities Rankings>

(U.S. News & World Report)

YU (President CHOI Oe-chool) has once again demonstrated its global competitiveness by ranking 13th in Korea and 751st worldwide in the 2026–2027 Best Global Universities Rankings recently released by U.S. News & World Report.

 The U.S. News Best Global Universities Rankings, published by the leading American news magazine U.S. News & World Report, evaluate universities worldwide based on Clarivate data, focusing primarily on research excellence, including global and regional research reputation, publications, citations, and international collaboration. The rankings are widely recognized as one of the leading indicators of academic influence and international research performance.

 YU's improved performance this year was driven by significant gains in several key indicators, including global research reputation, books, and international collaboration (relative to country). Specifically, the University climbed 244 places in global research reputation, 303 places in books, and 156 places in international collaboration (relative to country). In addition, improvements across most research-related indicators—including total publications, total citations, and the number of papers ranking among the world's top 10% by citations—contributed to its higher overall ranking.

 This achievement is not an isolated success. YU has demonstrated a clear upward trajectory across several major global university rankings announced this year.In the 2026 World University Rankings for Innovation (WURI), announced in May, YU ranked 3rd globally in the Student Mobility and Openness category and 4th globally in Visionary Leadership. Among 13,211 innovation cases submitted by 1,927 universities from 96 countries, YU was recognized as one of the world's leading institutions for its student support system and innovative leadership. 

YU also ranked 791–800th worldwide in the 2027 QS World University Rankings, becoming the No. 1 comprehensive private university outside the Seoul metropolitan area. The University climbed more than 100 places globally from the previous year, earning particularly strong evaluations for Citations per Faculty, International Faculty Ratio, and International Student Ratio, reflecting its sustained growth. 

 In addition, YU made its debut in the 2026 Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings, released by the UK-based global university ranking organization, entering the 101–200 global band overall.It ranked joint 10th among Korean universities and placed joint 47th worldwide for SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals, while also ranking among the global Top 50 in three Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) categories. These results demonstrate international recognition of YU's integrated approach to education, research, social engagement, and global collaboration in advancing sustainable development.

 President CHOI Oe-chool said, "The results of the latest U.S. News Best Global Universities Rankings demonstrate that YU's research competitiveness and international collaboration capabilities are being recognized at the global level. The University's continued success in prestigious global rankings, including WURI, QS, and the THE Impact Rankings, is especially meaningful because it reflects the distinctive competitiveness we have built by integrating educational and research innovation, internationalization, and social engagement." He added, "As we enter the AI era, YU will continue to innovate across education, research, and university administration under our vision of nurturing talented individuals with both character and professional expertise who contribute to the prosperity of humanity, further strengthening our role and responsibility as a globally competitive university."

 Meanwhile, YU is actively enhancing AI capabilities across campus by providing students and faculty with broad access to trusted AI tools, fostering the next generation of talent capable of leading the era of unlimited competition driven by artificial intelligence.