The World University Rankings by Subject 2026 from Times Higher Education depict a global university system in a phase of realignment, with stable “protagonists” and new forces gaining ground.

Behind the top positions of the United States and the United Kingdom (MIT, Harvard, Stanford, Oxford, and Cambridge) and the powerful rise of Asia, the less visible sides of the rankings are emerging, including Greece.

The National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (EKPA)is in the 401-500 range of the global rankings. The Charokopeio University and the University of Crete are ranked in the positions 601-800, which is a strong international position for universities of smaller size and potential. Three leading institutions – AUTH, NTUA, University of Patras – appear in 801-1000, a range that indicates a solid international presence.

The rankings, published on 21 January 2026, cover 11 disciplines and are based on 18 performance indicators relating to teaching, research, knowledge transfer and internationalisation.

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The global “champions” by discipline and the dominance of US institutions in the rankings

At the top of most scientific fields are still the United States and the United Kingdom.

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)ranked first in three fields – Arts and Humanities, Business, and Economics and Social Sciences – repeating last year’s performance and reaffirming its cross-disciplinary strength.

Harvard University emerges first in Engineering and Life Sciences, while Stanford University leads in Education Sciences and Law. In Physical Sciences, California Institute of Technology (Caltech) takes the top spot.

On the United Kingdom side, the University of Oxford retains the first place in Computer Science and in Medicine and Health, while the University of Cambridge takes the first place in Psychology, surpassing Stanford.

Remarkably, only three universities – Harvard, Stanford, and Cambridge – appear in the top ten in all 11 disciplines, which underscores the stability and breadth of their academic strength.

Overall, Universities in the United States occupy 68 of the 111 available spots in the top ten of the individual tables, a slight increase from 2025. The United Kingdom follows with 29 places, a marginal decline.

Asia’s rise beyond STEM

While the strong presence of Western universities remains, Asian universities continue to strengthen their position in STEM fields, but the 2026 data shows that the fastest rise is now recorded in Social and Humanities, in Law, Education and Economics – almost half of Asian institutions improved their ranking in Law, while the first entry of three Asian universities into the top ten in Economics is also recorded.

In particular, China increases its presence in the top ten, with Peking University moving up to 10th in Computer Science and 8th in Engineering, while Tsinghua University enters the top ten in Science for the first time. In Life Sciences, three Asian universities are now in the top 20, with the National University of Singapore coming in 19th.

According to experts cited by THE, this development is linked to long-term investment in research, the expansion of higher education, and the strengthening of internationalisation, particularly in countries such as China, Singapore, South Korea, and Japan. The global landscape of higher education is thus becoming increasingly multi-centric, with Western dominance remaining strong but no longer unchallenged.

Greek HEIs in THE 2026 global rankings

According to Times Higher Education’s World University Rankings 2026, 12 Greek universities are ranked among the best institutions in the world:

University World Ranking

401-500

Humanities and Humanities World University of Athens (NKUA) 401-500
Charokopio University 601-800
University of Crete 601-800
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (Aristotle University of Thessaloniki) 801-1000
National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) 801-1000
University of Patras 801-1000
Athens University of Economics and Business (AUEB) 1001-1200
University of the Aegean 1001-1200
University of Piraeus 1001-1200
Democritus University of Thrace 1201-1500
University of Ioannina 1201-1500
University of Thessaly 1201-1500

According to the data, a quite broad representation of Greek HEIs is reflected in the international ranking, with ECPA being in the highest range (401-500), which clearly ranks it as the top Greek university according to THE 2026, while its position brings it much closer to the international “top half” of the table than most Greek institutions. Note that the overall ranking index also reflects performance on an interdisciplinary level, such as teaching, research, and international outreach.

The Harokopeio University and the University of Crete are ranked 601-800, which is a strong international position for universities of smaller size and potential. In particular, the Charokopeio shows exceptional performance in the research quality index, where it was ranked first among Greek institutions in specific criteria in previous years.

Three leading institutions (AUTH, NTUA, University of Patras) appear in the 801-1000 range, a range that indicates a solid international presence. Larger institutions, such as OPA and the Universities of the Aegean, Piraeus, Thrace, Ioannina, and Thessaly appear in lower ranks (1001-1500), while remaining within the broad global rating range.

However, in the analytical data and qualitative assessment of the World University Rankings by Subject 2026, there is no specific reference to Greek universities, nor is there any record of their presence in the top positions or the significant upward movements highlighted by THE. This fact means that no Greek university is in the top ten or twenty of the individual disciplines. Greece is not included among the countries where there is a systematic rise of institutions in specific disciplines (as is the case, for example, with China, Singapore, South Korea, or Japan).

The absence of Greek HEIs, as described, does not necessarily represent a retreat from previous years but indicates stagnation in an environment where other countries are moving faster. This is because in international rankings, the relative position of an institution is affected not only by its own performance but also by the rate of improvement of its competitors. In practice, this means that, especially in fields such as social sciences and humanities, where there is a dynamic rise of Asian universities, Greece does not seem to be capitalising on its scientific potential at the international level.

It is worth noting that THE indicators give particular weight to research output and impact. On international collaboration and mobility. On knowledge transfer and linkages with the economy. International reputation by discipline. In an international system that is becoming increasingly competitive and multi-centred, the absence of Greek HEIs from the upwardly mobile zones is an indication of structural constraints: funding, institutional flexibility, international networking, and strategic development by discipline. As the 2026 data show, for our country’s universities, maintaining a position on the international map now requires constant adaptation to a rapidly changing environment.