Top Universities for Mathematics in 2019

Discover the top mathematics schools based on the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2020.

The recently released QS World University Rankings by Subject 2019 includes a ranking of the 400 top universities for mathematics, with each institution ranked based on a methodology which includes academic and employer reputations as well as other factors.

If you’d like to study mathematics at university, read on to discover the top math schools in each world region, or click here to explore the full table.  

An impressive 77 of the world’s top universities for mathematics are found in the US, 20 of which boast positions in the global top 50. Outside the seven in the top 10, other prestigious US universities for mathematics include Columbia University (ranked 12^th), California Institute of Technology (Caltech) (14^th), the University of Michigan (up five places to rank 16^th) and the University of Chicago (17^th).

Meanwhile, Canada is home to 18 more top math schools, led by the University of Toronto, which climbed four places to rank 15^th. Also in the top 50 are the University of British Columbia and the University of Waterloo.

Heading across the Atlantic, you’ll find a further 173 top universities for mathematics within Europe, including 33 in the UK. Outside the top 10 table above, three UK universities feature among the world’s top 50 for this subject: Imperial College London, which narrowly misses out on spot in the top 10 at 11^th place, the University of Warwick (which climbed 13 places to rank joint 20^th) and the University of Edinburgh (ranked joint 47^th for mathematics in 2019).

26 more top universities for mathematics can be found in Germany, including two new entries and two in the global top 50: Technical University of Munich (up five places to rank joint 45^th) and Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn (50^th).

France also performs well, hosting 20 top math schools, including three in the top 50 – new entrant Université PSL (Paris Sciences & Lettres) takes the lead at joint 20^th, and is followed by Ecole Polytechnique (29^th) and another new entrant, Sorbonne University (joint 32^nd).

Italy is next with 17 entrants – although none of these make the top 50, Politecnico di Milano, Sapienza – Università di Roma and the  University of Pisa all rank 51-100.

A further 15 top universities for mathematics are found in the Nordic locations, with six in Sweden, four in Denmark, three in Norway and two in Finland. Of these, the highest ranked institution is KTH, Royal Institute of Technology, up from 51-100 to 44^th this year.

Spain is home to 13 more of the world’s top math schools, including three in the 101-150 range, while the Netherlands and Russia each offer eight top math schools, of which Russia’s Lomonosov Moscow State University is the highest-ranked at joint 34^th.

Six more top universities for mathematics are found in Switzerland – as well as ETH Zurich in the top 10, another high-placed Swiss entrant is EPFL - Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne, up five places to rank 19^th this year.

Elsewhere, Austria, Belgium and Poland have five top math schools each, with Belgium’s KU Leuven the highest ranked at 51-100, while Austria’s entrants include the University of Vienna at 101-150.

And finally, Poland, Portugal and Ireland have three representatives in the math ranking each, while the Czech Republic has two and Greece, Slovenia, Serbia and Hungary are all home to one entrant each. Of the aforementioned locations, Portugal’s University of Lisbon is the highest ranked institution for mathematics.