UW ranked 38th worldwide in academic reputation

The University of Wisconsin–Madison is recognized among the top universities globally for academic reputation and prestige, placing 38th overall in the 2025 Times Higher Education World Reputation Rankings.

UW–Madison ranked 22nd among universities in the United States, and it was the fifth-highest ranked Big Ten school on the list.

The rankings are based on the world’s largest invitation-only academic opinion survey, with responses from more than 55,000 scholars globally. Participants are asked to use their discipline-specific knowledge to name up to 15 universities that they believe are the best in both research and teaching. Institutions benefit if their votes come from a wider range of countries and subject areas.

The survey ranked 300 institutions from 38 countries and territories, with Harvard University topping the list for the 14th consecutive year.

UW–Madison’s current ranking improved from 39th in the 2023 Times Higher Education World Reputation Rankings, the last time they were done.