Established in 1853, Washington University is an internationally renowned private research university located in St. Louis, a thriving mid-western city with a vibrant biotech and start-up community. Named after George Washington, the university encompasses faculty and students from all 50 U.S. States and more than 120 countries.

  • Washington University is known for its membership with many prestigious organizations like the American Council on Education, the Association of American Universities, the Independent Colleges and Universities of Missouri and the College Board
  • Known as the Ivy-league of the Midwest, it has low acceptance rate of 15% which makes it extremely challenging for students to get into it.
  • With an exemplary academic and extracurricular profile, students can gain admissions at Washington University a highly research-intensive institution.

Washington University Rankings Highlights

  • #50 By THE World University Ranking 2021.
  • #18 by THE US National University 2021.
  • #106 by QS World University Ranking 2021.
  • #33 in Best Global Universities and #16 in Best National University by US News 2021.
  • #46 By CWUR in Best World University Rank.

Washington University Times Higher Education Ranking

THE World University Ranking listed Washington University at # 50 followed by university of Manchester and University of Sydney at #51. It is a notable improvement in its world university reputation which was among #81-90 in the year 2020.

Among the various notable programs and subjects offered by this reputed university, various programs/subjects such as engineering and technology, social science, physical science, clinical preclinical and health, life science, law, business and economics are listed among the top 200 for the global ranking by subjects.

The university persistently shows growth in teaching, research, international outlook, citations.

Washington University QS Ranking

Washington University is listed at #105 for QS World University Ranking 2021, whereas it was spotted at #108 in the year 2020 and at #100 in 2019.

The national ranking of Washington university is much better than the global ranking where it is at #28 and has been consistently ranked under top 30 for the last decade.

  • For Global ranking, subject wise, the university bagged #6 spot for 2021 which is its highest rank in the in the past 9 years.
  • Various programs at Washington University such as Anatomy and Physiology, Medicine, Life Science and Medicine, Archaeology, Nursing, Philosophy, History, Psychology was listed under Top 50 subjects lists which is ranked as per the global reception and research outcome.
  • Consistent increase in ranking of the university’s graduate employment rank among the global universities is seen.
  • It lands at #95 for the year 2021, whereas it has occupied #96, #99, #201 for the year 2020, 2019,2018 respectively.

Washington University US News Ranking

US News ranks universities/colleges/schools according to their performance across a set of widely accepted indicators of excellence.

Washington University Ranking Position
Best Global Universities #33
Best National University #16
Best Value School #20
Most Innovative Schools #50
Top Performers on Social Mobility #381

Thirteen indicators are used to position Washington University in overall global university ranking. They are:

Ranking Criteria Relative rank
Global score 77.3
Global research reputation #61
Regional research reputation #71
Publications #91
Books #194
Conferences #559
Normalized citation impact #37
Total Citations #56
Number of publications that are among the 10% most cited #56
Percentage of total publications that are among the 10% most cited #32
International collaboration - relative to country #1173
International collaboration #1108
Number of highly cited papers that are among the top 1% most cited #35
Percentage of highly cited papers that are among the top 1% most cited #31

Washington University Subject Specific Ranking

The university has academic divisions that offer studies in a variety of fields: art and architecture, arts and sciences, business, engineering, law, medicine, and social work and public health. Some of the programs/subjects were ranked in best global subject wise list 2021 by US News are

Programs/Subjects Ranking
Immunology #5
Surgery #8
Microbiology #9
Molecular Biology and Genetics #14
Cell Biology #15
Oncology #20
Biology and Biochemistry #28
Psychology #55
Pharmacology and Toxicology #117
Life Science #123

Washington University CWUR Ranking

The Centre for World University Rankings (CWUR) is a leading consulting organization and publisher of the largest academic ranking of global universities.

It has ranked Washington University as:

Institution Name Washington University
Location St. Louis, USA
World Rank #46
National Rank #27
Quality of Education Rank #115
Alumni Employment Rank #186
Quality of Faculty Rank #32
Research Performance Rank #44
Overall Score 85.0

Washington University v/s Rice University: Comparison

Tabulated below is the comparison between Washington University vs Rice University

University/College Washington University Rice University
Rank 50 (THE)
106 (QS)		 124 (THE)
89 (QS)
Location USA USA
Status Private Private
Age >100 >100
Focus Comprehensive Comprehensive
Research Very High Very High
Students Number 14,301 7,018
International Students 3212 of the total enrolled 2320 of the total enrolled
Popular Programs Engineering; Social Sciences; Biological and Biomedical Sciences;
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services; and Psychology.		 Computer and Information Sciences, General; Mechanical Engineering;
Cognitive Science; Economics, General; and Biochemistry.
Employer Reputation Score 15.5 25.3
International Students Score 61.8 92
Academic Reputation Score 43.3 39.6

Also check University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign vs University of Washington Comparison

Why choose Washington University?

  • Besides the fact that it is an internationally renowned private research university with students and faculty from approximately 90 countries, the university has been affiliated with 24 Nobel Laureates, many of whom did a significant portion of their award-winning work at the university.
  • Washington University is consistently ranked among the top 20 best U.S. colleges and universities by both U.S. News & World Report and the Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education.
  • In addition to highly ranked School of Medicine, the University includes schools of Arts & Sciences, Business, Design & Visual Arts, Engineering, Law, Social Work & Public Health which offers programs and courses that are often ranked among the top globally.
  • Through ground-breaking educational and research programs and initiatives, Washington University is having a tangible and significant impact on global challenges.

The consistent high ranking by various agencies, publications and educational magazines speaks highly of the university’s academic and professional reputation across the world.