Penn State was ranked No. 18 among U.S. public institutions and No. 38 among the top U.S. universities, 2027 Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings released. Penn State placed No. 101 out of 2,297 ranked global universities, putting Penn State in the top 5% of universities worldwide. 

THE World University Rankings is regarded among the most respected ranking systems, alongside the QS World University Rankings and the Academic Ranking of World Universities. THE utilizes 17 performance indicators, grouped in five pillars: Teaching, Research Environment, Research Quality, International Outlook, and Industry.

Penn State’s scores improved or remained consistent with last year’s, climbing seven places from last year’s global ranking. Research Environment was Penn State’s highest-ranked pillar, placing No. 69 in the world and supported by the University’s $1.44 billion research enterprise. In the Teaching pillar, Penn State ranked No. 100 globally. 

“I am proud of our students, faculty and staff, who continue to make Penn State one of the best institutions in the world. At a time when national and international institutions are competing for excellence, Penn State continues to produce world-class education, research and service,” interim vice provost for Penn State Global Jody Pritt said in a release. 

THE measures research-intensive universities, and evaluations are based significantly on reputation, productivity, influence, and excellence of research.