The United States maintains the absolute world hegemony as regards the performance of their universities. With 151 universities or 30% of the top 500, and 17 or 85% among the 20 top ranked universities worldwide, one cannot but bow in recognition of their achievement.
Notwithstanding, the trend betrays a slow erosion of their supremacy. Past are the times when the US counted 160 or 170 universities — that is 33% or 34% of the total — in the top 500. Other nations have learned to play the game and are forcing the door, thus undermining the standing of the powers that be.
The list suggests that the university world belongs to the heavy-weights of the economy. Latin America is represented by only the 4 biggest regional nations, and Africa is represented by Egypt and South Africa only. Southeast Asia, however, has a strong presence. The Chinese nation, upon consolidation of Hong Kong and Taiwan, places 35 universities in the list, or 6.9% of the total. Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, India are also present and assert the vitality of this part of the world
The Shanghai ranking, used by areppim to establish these lists, has been violently criticized, and many biases and other flaws have been blamed on it — especially, as one would expect, by those that are not cast in the most favorable light. By focusing on methodological issues, the critics miss the crucial point, in the sense that it is not the procedure, but the philosophy underlying the classification that is to blame. It assumes a technocratic vision of progress that values quantity and immediacy, and takes for granted that the schools that more efficiently trained people to participate in the cooking of the economic, financial, ecological, cultural, social and political chaos that pervade today's world, can ever be good.
Whatever one may think, the Shanghai ranking has the merit of being internationally acknowledged and cited, and it allows for comparisons that, although without scientific rigor, are interesting and thought provoking.
500 World-Class Universities by Nation — 2003 - 2011 | ||||||||||||||||||
Country | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | |||||||||
| Nbr | % | Nbr | % | Nbr | % | Nbr | % | Nbr | % | Nbr | % | Nbr | % | Nbr | % | Nbr | % | |
| Argentina | 1 | 0.2% | 1 | 0.2% | 1 | 0.2% | 1 | 0.2% | 1 | 0.2% | 1 | 0.2% | 1 | 0.2% | 1 | 0.2% | 1 | 0.2% |
| Australia | 13 | 2.6% | 14 | 2.8% | 14 | 2.8% | 16 | 3.2% | 17 | 3.3% | 15 | 3.0% | 17 | 3.4% | 17 | 3.4% | 20 | 4.0% |
| Austria | 4 | 0.8% | 5 | 1.0% | 6 | 1.2% | 7 | 1.4% | 7 | 1.4% | 7 | 1.4% | 7 | 1.4% | 7 | 1.4% | 7 | 1.4% |
| Belgium | 7 | 1.4% | 7 | 1.4% | 7 | 1.4% | 7 | 1.4% | 7 | 1.4% | 7 | 1.4% | 7 | 1.4% | 7 | 1.4% | 7 | 1.4% |
| Brazil | 4 | 0.8% | 4 | 0.8% | 4 | 0.8% | 4 | 0.8% | 5 | 1.0% | 6 | 1.2% | 6 | 1.2% | 6 | 1.2% | 7 | 1.4% |
| Canada | 24 | 4.8% | 23 | 4.6% | 23 | 4.6% | 22 | 4.4% | 22 | 4.3% | 21 | 4.2% | 22 | 4.4% | 23 | 4.6% | 22 | 4.4% |
| Chile | 1 | 0.2% | 1 | 0.2% | 1 | 0.2% | 1 | 0.2% | 2 | 0.4% | 2 | 0.4% | 2 | 0.4% | 2 | 0.4% | 2 | 0.4% |
| China | 9 | 1.8% | 8 | 1.6% | 8 | 1.6% | 9 | 1.8% | 14 | 2.7% | 30 | 6.0% | 30 | 6.0% | 22 | 4.4% | 23 | 4.6% |
| Croatia | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0.0% | 1 | 0.2% |
| Czech | 1 | 0.2% | 1 | 0.2% | 1 | 0.2% | 1 | 0.2% | 1 | 0.2% | 1 | 0.2% | 1 | 0.2% | 1 | 0.2% | 1 | 0.2% |
| Denmark | 6 | 1.2% | 5 | 1.0% | 5 | 1.0% | 5 | 1.0% | 4 | 0.8% | 4 | 0.8% | 4 | 0.8% | 4 | 0.8% | 4 | 0.8% |
| Egypt | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0.0% | 1 | 0.2% | 1 | 0.2% | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 | 0.2% | |
| Finland | 6 | 1.2% | 5 | 1.0% | 5 | 1.0% | 5 | 1.0% | 5 | 1.0% | 6 | 1.2% | 5 | 1.0% | 6 | 1.2% | 5 | 1.0% |
| France | 22 | 4.4% | 22 | 4.4% | 21 | 4.2% | 21 | 4.2% | 23 | 4.5% | 23 | 4.6% | 23 | 4.6% | 22 | 4.4% | 21 | 4.2% |
| Germany | 42 | 8.4% | 43 | 8.6% | 40 | 8.0% | 40 | 8.0% | 41 | 8.0% | 40 | 8.0% | 40 | 8.0% | 39 | 7.8% | 39 | 7.7% |
| Greece | 2 | 0.4% | 2 | 0.4% | 2 | 0.4% | 2 | 0.4% | 2 | 0.4% | 2 | 0.4% | 2 | 0.4% | 2 | 0.4% | 2 | 0.4% |
| Hong Kong, China | 5 | 1.0% | 5 | 1.0% | 5 | 1.0% | 5 | 1.0% | 5 | 1.0% | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0.0% | 5 | 1.0% | 5 | 1.0% |
| Hungary | 2 | 0.4% | 3 | 0.6% | 2 | 0.4% | 2 | 0.4% | 2 | 0.4% | 2 | 0.4% | 2 | 0.4% | 2 | 0.4% | 2 | 0.4% |
| India | 3 | 0.6% | 3 | 0.6% | 3 | 0.6% | 2 | 0.4% | 2 | 0.4% | 2 | 0.4% | 2 | 0.4% | 2 | 0.4% | 1 | 0.2% |
| Iran | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0.0% | 1 | 0.2% | 1 | 0.2% | 1 | 0.2% |
| Ireland | 3 | 0.6% | 3 | 0.6% | 3 | 0.6% | 3 | 0.6% | 3 | 0.6% | 3 | 0.6% | 3 | 0.6% | 3 | 0.6% | 3 | 0.6% |
| Israel | 6 | 1.2% | 7 | 1.4% | 7 | 1.4% | 7 | 1.4% | 7 | 1.4% | 6 | 1.2% | 7 | 1.4% | 7 | 1.4% | 7 | 1.4% |
| Italy | 22 | 4.4% | 23 | 4.6% | 23 | 4.6% | 23 | 4.6% | 20 | 3.9% | 22 | 4.4% | 21 | 4.2% | 22 | 4.4% | 22 | 4.4% |
| Japan | 36 | 7.2% | 36 | 7.2% | 34 | 6.8% | 32 | 6.4% | 33 | 6.5% | 31 | 6.2% | 31 | 6.2% | 25 | 5.0% | 24 | 4.8% |
| Korea, Rep. of | 8 | 1.6% | 8 | 1.6% | 8 | 1.6% | 9 | 1.8% | 8 | 1.6% | 8 | 1.6% | 9 | 1.8% | 10 | 2.0% | 11 | 2.2% |
| Malaysia | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0.0% | 1 | 0.2% |
| Mexico | 1 | 0.2% | 1 | 0.2% | 1 | 0.2% | 1 | 0.2% | 1 | 0.2% | 1 | 0.2% | 1 | 0.2% | 1 | 0.2% | 1 | 0.2% |
| Netherlands | 12 | 2.4% | 12 | 2.4% | 12 | 2.4% | 12 | 2.4% | 12 | 2.4% | 12 | 2.4% | 12 | 2.4% | 12 | 2.4% | 13 | 2.6% |
| New Zealand | 3 | 0.6% | 3 | 0.6% | 5 | 1.0% | 5 | 1.0% | 5 | 1.0% | 5 | 1.0% | 5 | 1.0% | 5 | 1.0% | 5 | 1.0% |
| Norway | 3 | 0.6% | 4 | 0.8% | 4 | 0.8% | 4 | 0.8% | 4 | 0.8% | 4 | 0.8% | 4 | 0.8% | 4 | 0.8% | 4 | 0.8% |
| Poland | 3 | 0.6% | 2 | 0.4% | 3 | 0.6% | 2 | 0.4% | 2 | 0.4% | 2 | 0.4% | 2 | 0.4% | 2 | 0.4% | 3 | 0.6% |
| Portugal | 1 | 0.2% | 1 | 0.2% | 1 | 0.2% | 0 | 0.0% | 2 | 0.4% | 2 | 0.4% | 2 | 0.4% | 2 | 0.4% | 2 | 0.4% |
| Russia | 2 | 0.4% | 2 | 0.4% | 2 | 0.4% | 2 | 0.4% | 2 | 0.4% | 2 | 0.4% | 2 | 0.4% | 2 | 0.4% | 2 | 0.4% |
| Saudi Arabia | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0.0% | 1 | 0.2% | 2 | 0.4% | 2 | 0.4% |
| Singapore | 2 | 0.4% | 2 | 0.4% | 2 | 0.4% | 2 | 0.4% | 2 | 0.4% | 2 | 0.4% | 2 | 0.4% | 2 | 0.4% | 2 | 0.4% |
| Slovenia | 1 | 0.2% | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0.0% | 1 | 0.2% | 1 | 0.2% | 1 | 0.2% | 1 | 0.2% | 1 | 0.2% |
| South Africa | 4 | 0.8% | 4 | 0.8% | 4 | 0.8% | 4 | 0.8% | 4 | 0.8% | 3 | 0.6% | 3 | 0.6% | 3 | 0.6% | 3 | 0.6% |
| Spain | 13 | 2.6% | 9 | 1.8% | 9 | 1.8% | 9 | 1.8% | 9 | 1.8% | 9 | 1.8% | 11 | 2.2% | 10 | 2.0% | 11 | 2.2% |
| Sweden | 10 | 2.0% | 10 | 2.0% | 11 | 2.2% | 11 | 2.2% | 11 | 2.2% | 11 | 2.2% | 11 | 2.2% | 11 | 2.2% | 11 | 2.2% |
| Switzerland | 8 | 1.6% | 8 | 1.6% | 8 | 1.6% | 8 | 1.6% | 8 | 1.6% | 8 | 1.6% | 8 | 1.6% | 7 | 1.4% | 7 | 1.4% |
| Taiwan, China | 5 | 1.0% | 3 | 0.6% | 5 | 1.0% | 5 | 1.0% | 6 | 1.2% | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0.0% | 7 | 1.4% | 7 | 1.4% |
| Turkey | 2 | 0.4% | 0 | 0.0% | 2 | 0.4% | 0 | 0.0% | 1 | 0.2% | 1 | 0.2% | 1 | 0.2% | 1 | 0.2% | 2 | 0.4% |
| United Kingdom | 42 | 8.4% | 42 | 8.4% | 40 | 8.0% | 43 | 8.6% | 42 | 8.2% | 42 | 8.3% | 40 | 8.0% | 38 | 7.6% | 37 | 7.3% |
| United States | 161 | 32.2% | 170 | 33.9% | 168 | 33.6% | 167 | 33.4% | 166 | 32.5% | 159 | 31.6% | 152 | 30.3% | 154 | 30.8% | 151 | 30.0% |
| Total | 500 | 100% | 502 | 100% | 500 | 100% | 500 | 100% | 510 | 100% | 503 | 100% | 501 | 100% | 500 | 100% | 504 | 100% |
Sources: see Institute of Higher Education, Shanghai.
