For the second year in a row, MIT has been named the top university in the world for architecture/built environment in the latest subject rankings from QS World University Rankings. In art and design, the Institute ranked No. 2 globally, a jump from fourth position in 2015. Ten other subject areas at MIT were ranked No. 1.
“This ranking is testament to the success of the MIT model of research and teaching and its global commitment to address complex societal problems,” says School of Architecture and Planning Dean Hashim Sarkis. “MIT’s impact is only possible through a combination of advanced research and broad interdisciplinary collaboration. The faculty, staff, and students are to be congratulated on all the hard work that leads to this recognition.”
According to survey sponsor Quacquarelli Symonds, an education organization based in the U.K., the annually published subject area rankings “aim to help prospective students identify the world’s leading schools in their chosen field.”
On the high ranking of the arts at MIT, Associate Provost Philip S. Khoury says:
“The arts thrive at MIT because of our commitment to cross-disciplinary study and to a curriculum based in experimentation and imaginative problem solving. Studying the arts, in combination with the extraordinary discoveries in science and engineering, prepares our students to make creative and innovative contributions in multiple fields.”
The QS rankings reflect academic reputation, reputation with employers, and research impact. Reputation measurements are based on surveys of academics and employers; the 2016 survey polled 76,798 academics from around the globe, along with 44,426 graduate employers.
In addition to architecture and art and design, MIT also ranked highly (No. 5 or higher) in the following subject areas for 2016: linguistics, chemical engineering, civil and structural engineering, computer science and information systems, electrical engineering, mechanical/aeronautical/manufacturing engineering, mineral and mining engineering, biological sciences, physics and astronomy, mathematics, environmental science, Earth and marine sciences, chemistry, materials science, accounting and finance, statistics and operational research, and economics.
