Harvard Drops from 1st to 3rd: American Universities Falter as China Claims 7 of Top 10 Spots

[Meengla]

And to clarify, 'Time period:' of 2020-2023 is the latest for which the data is available.

 

[Beijingwalker]

And to clarify, 'Time period:' of 2020-2023 is the latest for which the data is available.

No need to explain, he knows it so well, he just likes to brazen it out as always.

 

[nang2]

2020 to 2023.

That is why you should really try to understand your own crap before you shitpost here.

Look at your URL, dumbass.

 

[Meengla]

Remarkable achievements by the Chinese and yet one of my WASP friends keep saying 'The Asians study so hard because they can't absorb new knowledge easily'. [Paraphrased]

 

[Blueishere]

Harvard Drops from 1st to 3rd: American Universities Falter as China Claims 7 of Top 10 Spots​

Pubilshed 16 Jan.2026 13:47(KST)

The status of American universities is faltering. In the global university rankings based on academic publications, Harvard University has dropped from first to third place, while Zhejiang University in China has risen to first, with Chinese universities occupying seven out of the top ten spots. In particular, there are concerns that the pressure policies initiated by President Donald Trump since last year could accelerate the weakening competitiveness of American universities.

According to the New York Times on January 15 (local time), Harvard University fell from first to third place in the "Leiden Ranking (2025)," which is based on the volume of published academic papers. In the global rankings, Harvard had maintained the top position for 13 consecutive years since rankings began in 2012. Notably, Harvard is producing far more research output than it did 20 years ago, yet its ranking has slipped. However, it still holds the top spot in the science paper category, a metric that reflects citation impact. The Leiden Ranking, published by the Centre for Science and Technology Studies (CWTS) at Leiden University in the Netherlands, evaluates universities' research performance primarily based on publication volume and also indicates research impact through citation metrics.

Currently, Harvard is the only American university remaining in the top ranks of this list. In the early 2000s, seven out of the top ten universities in the world by academic publication volume were American institutions. Major universities such as Harvard, the University of Michigan, the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), Johns Hopkins University, the University of Washington Seattle, the University of Pennsylvania, and Stanford University were all included among the top ranks. At that time, Zhejiang University was the only Chinese institution within the top 25. However, Zhejiang University now holds the number one spot in the Leiden Ranking. In addition, seven Chinese universities are now included in the top ten.

The rise of Chinese universities is also prominent in other university rankings that emphasize scientific research performance. In the University Ranking by Academic Performance (URAP), compiled by the Informatics Institute of Middle East Technical University in Ankara, Turkey, Harvard University ranked first globally, but Stanford University was the only other American university in the top ten. In contrast, four Chinese universities made the list. Phil Baty, Chief Global Affairs Officer at Times Higher Education, a UK-based university evaluation agency, commented, "A new world order is forming around global leadership in higher education and research."

This relative decline in the status of American universities is also linked to the policy direction of the Trump administration. Since taking office, the Trump administration has implemented federal research funding cuts, travel restrictions, and stricter anti-immigration enforcement. As a result, the number of international students entering the United States in August last year decreased by 19% compared to the previous year. The New York Times noted that while President Trump's policies have not directly triggered the relative decline of American universities, they may accelerate this trend.

If Chinese universities are so good, then why does America receive the largest amount of exchange students from China? One source doesn't prove anything.

 

[royalharris]

If Chinese universities are so good, then why does America receive the largest amount of exchange students from China? One source doesn't prove anything.

Total volume on a continuous downward trend.
- 2022-2023 Academic Year: 289,526 students

- 2023-2024 Academic Year: 277,398 students, a year-on-year decrease of 4.2%

- 2024-2025 Academic Year: 265,919 students, a year-on-year decrease of 4.1%.

The core reason for the decline in numbers is that the competitiveness of American universities has been continuously decreasing compared with that of Chinese universities.
The core reason why the proportion of international students in the U.S. remains stable is that children from wealthy families, who cannot get into a satisfactory university or even be admitted to any university in China based on their college entrance examination scores, can purchase a degree in Europe and the United States with money.

However, the recognition of European and American degrees in China is declining.
Just take a look at Silicon Valley in the U.S.—without the international students who graduated from Chinese universities, American AI would be in a complete mess and not worth mentioning at all

 

[Meengla]

If Chinese universities are so good, then why does America receive the largest amount of exchange students from China? One source doesn't prove anything.

The ranking is not fake. It had been changing and will change in future where other countries might replace China. And thank God, in this upside world order, most of the scientific community is still intact and follow facts/empirical evidence.
As to your question, I think because China has too many people to absorb into its university system.

 

[VCheng]

And to clarify, 'Time period:' of 2020-2023 is the latest for which the data is available.

Incorrect. Harvard fell to 4th place for 2025 in the Leiden Rankings.

 

[Meengla]

Incorrect. Harvard fell to 4th place for 2025 in the Leiden Rankings.

It was the NY Times which had mentioned Harvard dropping to 3rd and the OP merely quoted that. Dropping to 4th is even worse, as you know. Do you have a point against the OP post?

 

[VCheng]

It was the NY Times which had mentioned Harvard dropping to 3rd and the OP merely quoted that. Dropping to 4th is even worse, as you know. Do you have a point against the OP post?

The point is selectively choosing old data to mislead, no matter who is doing it.

 

[Meengla]

The point is selectively choosing old data to mislead, no matter who is doing it.

You are wrong and a senior member like you needs to admit when wrong. The OP may have his motives to post that article but I too had read it yesterday and can confirm what the NY Times said.

 

[VCheng]

I too had read it yesterday and can confirm what the NY Times said.

I am not wrong, since I have showed the updated data.

NY Times may be just as guilty of selective data mining to serve an agenda the same as the commiebot.

 

[Zsari]

If one sorts by PP, you'll get the listing from https://www.universityrankings.ch site, while sorting by P, the result will be what every media is referring to. Nothing to do with source being wrong or the date being off. Again, everyone simply takes whatever fit their narratives.

 

[nahtanbob]

Then the world media are all wrong.

If you are in China, good for you. For most of the rest of the world, it does not matter

 

[nahtanbob]

You are wrong and a senior member like you needs to admit when wrong. The OP may have his motives to post that article but I too had read it yesterday and can confirm what the NY Times said.

Does it matter ? @Meengla It is like telling a Pakistani that IITs in India are better than their colleges in Pakistan.