Three Israeli Universities Named Among World’s Top 100 Institutions

Three Israeli universities ranked among the world’s top 100 global institutions the prestigious Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) 2021, also known as the Shanghai Ranking, published this month.

The Hebrew University of Jerusalem ranked in 90th place, its best showing on the list since 2016. Last year, Hebrew University placed below the top 100, in the 101-150 category.

The Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot ranked 92nd, up from the 93rd position last year, and Haifa’s Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, often known as Israel’s Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), came in 94th. In the 2020 ranking, the Technion placed in the 101-150 category.

“The proof is in the pudding,” said Hebrew University President Professor Asher Cohen in a university statement. “Hebrew University’s ongoing commitment to excellence and innovation has placed it among the world’s leading academic institutions.  This ranking is a tribute to the standard of excellence demonstrated day in and day out by Hebrew University staff, students and professors alike.” 

“The coronavirus pandemic demonstrated to the world the importance of strong research and scientific scholarship.  With three Israeli academic institutions in the Top 100, I feel confident that Israel will make it through and that our researchers will continue to be a guiding light and a positive influence both at home and abroad,” he added.

Other Israeli universities were also on the list, including Tel Aviv University, which placed in the 151-200 category, Bar Ilan University, which ranked in the 401-500 category, Ben-Gurion University, which also placed in the 401-500 category, and the University of Haifa, which placed in the 501-600 category.

Harvard University took the top spot in the annual ranking for the 19th year in a row, followed by Stanford University and the University of Cambridge in 2nd and 3rd place positions. MIT and the University of California, Berkeley rounded out the top five.

The ARWU, one of the annual publications of world university rankings, is published yearly by the Shanghai Ranking Consultancy, an independent body that evaluates its rankings based on criteria that include the number of Nobel Laureates and other prize winners, the number of articles published in leading journals, and other indicators.