The most international universities in the world 2026
Prospective students who wish to study in the most international environments in the world should apply to universities in Switzerland, Hong Kong, the UAE or the UK.
Universities, by their nature, are global institutions. Typically, they are home to communities of students and scholars from all over the world, and they tackle some of the globe’s most pressing problems through research.
This table – compiled using the international student score, international staff score, international co-authorship score and international reputation metrics collected for the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2026 – shows that the above four regions are home to some of the most international universities in the world.
These institutions all have a high proportion of international students and staff, collaborate on research with scholars from across the world, and have a strong global reputation to match. Read the full methodology at the bottom of the page.
Research suggests that diverse communities of students improve the teaching and learning experience, while opportunities for students to spend time abroad better prepare them to become global citizens.
Top five most international universities in the world
1. City University of Hong Kong
City University of Hong Kong is a public research university in Kowloon, Hong Kong. It was founded in 1984 as the City Polytechnic of Hong Kong, and it became a fully accredited university in 1994.
There are 11 colleges and schools: biomedicine, business, computing, engineering, liberal arts and social sciences, science, veterinary medicine and life sciences, creative media, data science, energy and environment, law, and graduate studies.
The university set up the Distinguished Visiting Professor Scheme in 2023. The scheme invites over 50 internationally renowned scholars to conduct interdisciplinary scientific and academic research with CityUHK faculty and students.
The student body is drawn from nearly 100 countries/regions and its faculty come from more than 40 countries or regions.
2. The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology is regarded as one of the fastest-growing universities in the world.
More than a third of the student body is considered international with at least 60 nationalities represented. About 80 per cent of the faculty come from overseas.
More than 45 per cent of students undertake an overseas exchange and all four academic schools have their own exchange programmes. Some 70 per cent of students participate in internships overseas.
3. University of Hong Kong
The University of Hong Kong has embarked on a mission to become “Asia’s Global University”, which includes the goal of 50 per cent of its undergraduates having two opportunities to study outside Hong Kong during their degree.
Overall, Hong Kong’s leading university has more than 20,000 students, with almost 8,000 from abroad.
Teaching at the institution is in English and education has an international focus, with the aim of preparing students to become global citizens who could be successful anywhere in the world.
Hong Kong itself is also known as one of the most global cities in the world, acting as a gateway between East and West.
4. Imperial College London
Imperial College London focuses teaching and learning around science, engineering, medicine and business.
Imperial College London is consistently ranked among the best universities in the world for science, technology, engineering, medicine and business.
More than 60 per cent of students are international students coming from over 140 countries.
Clubs and support services for international students at Imperial College include the International Family Network and the International Students House.
5. Abu Dhabi University
Abu Dhabi University was established in 2003 and enrols about 8,000 students.
The university is home to students from more than 100 nations.
There are many opportunities for international students to become part of the community, such as through clubs and sports teams, the student council, and volunteering and community outreach initiatives.
The university also publishes an undergraduate and postgraduate handbook to help students learn about life on campus and the facilities and services available to them.
Further analysis of the results can be found here
Methodology
The data in Times Higher Education’s ranking of the World’s Most International Universities 2026 is drawn mainly from the “international outlook” pillar of the THE World University Rankings 2026. This takes into account a university’s proportion of international students, international staff and journal publications with at least one international co-author. Each of these elements is given equal weighting in calculating the score for this pillar.
The table adds a fourth component, which makes up 25 per cent of the total score: a university’s international reputation. This is a measure of the proportion of votes from outside the home country that the institution achieved in THE’s annual invitation-only Academic Reputation Survey, which asks leading scholars to name the world’s best universities for teaching and research in their field.
Only institutions that received at least 400 votes in the survey were eligible for inclusion. Universities must also receive at least 200 or at least 10 per cent of available domestic votes to be ranked. Once universities are included in the international list, they are excluded only if they do not meet the vote thresholds for two years in a row.
Metrics and weightings:
• 25 per cent: proportion of international staff
• 25 per cent: proportion of international students
• 25 per cent: international co-authorship
• 25 per cent: international reputation.
Editor’s note: As part of our THE statement on Ukraine published on 2 March 2022, Russian universities have been given less prominence in our rankings. Russian universities that met the criteria for this ranking are not displayed in the table above.
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