A degree from one of the best schools in the world is a good starting point for people to begin their professional careers.
Similarly, if you desire to climb the professional ladder to managerial positions, become highly sorted experts, and increase your income, the best route is to bag a degree from one of the best graduate schools in the world.
While many pursue graduate studies for the love of learning, it cannot be denied that further education poses a wealth of benefits that a bachelor’s or Associate’s degree can’t provide.
Whatever the notion is, aiming for a graduate degree requires careful thinking, mainly because this step involves focus, resolution, finance, and work.
Graduate studies can help shape a person’s future, enabling them to grow to their fullest potential and arming them with the right knowledge in all the right places.
As you go through our list of the best graduate schools in the world, you can decide and make a well-informed decision about your next study decision.
We have also answered the following questions:
- What are the Grad Schools that accept Low GPA?
- Which colleges have the best graduation rates?
- What are the easiest grad schools to get into?
What are the best graduate schools in the World?
The best graduate schools in the world are:
- Stanford University
- Yale University
- Harvard University
- Johns Hopkins University
- University of Pennsylvania
- University of California–Berkeley
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
- University of Oxford
- University of Cambridge
- Imperial College London
You might be asking what is the best graduate school in the world, In creating our list of the best graduate schools in the world, we considered the most important characteristics that, when evaluated, create a culture of intellectual and academic excellence that is distinctively recognized globally.
The world’s leading graduate schools on our list are consistently ranked in terms of the following indicators:
- Global research reputation
- Regional research reputation
- Publications
- Books
- Conferences
- Normalized citation impact
- Total citations
- Number of publications that are among the 10% most cited
- Percentage of total publications that are among the 10% most cited
- International collaboration – relative to a country
- International collaboration
#1. Stanford University
Standford University officially Leland Stanford Junior University is a private research university in Stanford, California. Stanford was founded in 1885 by Leland and Jane Stanford in memory of their only child, Leland Stanford Jr., who had died of typhoid fever at age 15.
The school is ranked among the best graduate schools in the world by academic publications. It is also one of the top fundraising institutions in the country, becoming the first school to raise more than one billion dollars in a year.[
The university is organized around seven schools: three schools consisting of 40 academic departments at the undergraduate level as well as four professional schools that focus on graduate programs in law, medicine, education, and business.
Graduate Programs:
- Fine Arts in Art Practice
- Liberal Arts
- Public Policy and Education
- Curriculum Teacher Education
- Education/JD in Law
- Policy, Organization, and Leadership Studies
- International Comparative Education
- Learning, Design, and Technology
- International Comparative Education
- Education and Business Administration
Acceptance Rate: 5%
Retention Rate: 98%
Graduation Rate: 94%
Tuition: $56,169.
#2. Yale University
Yale University is a private research university and a member of the prestigious Ivy League, a group of America’s most celebrated higher education institutions. Situated in New Haven, Connecticut, the first planned city in America, Yale was founded by English Puritans in 1701, making it the third-oldest higher education institution in the United States and among the best graduate schools in the world
Today, the city, which is part of the New York metropolitan area, is very much dominated by Yale, though it’s also billed as the “Cultural Capital of Connecticut”. According to the New York Times, New Haven is also extremely picturesque, with “art almost everywhere you look”.
Yale University’s central campus spans 260 acres and includes buildings from the mid-18th century. The university is organized into 14 schools: the original undergraduate college, the Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and 12 professional schools.
Graduate Programs :
- Film and Media Studies
- Linguistics
- Applied Mathematics
- Computer Science
- Anthropology
- Comparative Literature
- Advanced Management
- Global Business and Society
- Asset Management
- Political Science
Acceptance Rate: 6.9%
Retention Rate: 99%
Graduation Rate: 97%
Tuition: $57,700
#3. Harvard University
Harvard University has one of the best graduate schools in the world established in 1636 by a vote of the Great and General Court of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, is known as the oldest institution of higher education in the country. It was named after the Puritan minister, John Harvard, who left his 400-book library and half of his estate to the young school.
The university has 13 degree-granting Schools, including the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Business School, and Medical School, among many others. From nine students with a single master’s, it has grown to an enrollment of 20,000 candidates for undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees.
The university has 11 principal academic units and ten faculties overseeing programs and courses and awarding academic degrees. To date, graduate degrees are offered in 58 programs, including terminal master’s degrees.
To say that Harvard is extremely selective when it comes to admission is not far off the mark. Students who got admitted often have very high GPA and test scores. The university also employs a holistic evaluation procedure that requires one to be exceptional, standing out from the massive pool of accomplished applicants.
Graduate Programs :
- Biotechnology: Life Sciences
- Celtic Languages and Literature
- Computational Science and Engineering
- Data Science
- Engineering and Applied Sciences
- History of Science
- Middle Eastern Studies
- Near Eastern Languages & Civilizations
- South Asian Studies
- Regional Studies–Russia, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia
- Regional Studies–East Asia
- Anthropology
Acceptance Rate: 5.2%
Retention Rate: 99%
Graduation Rate: 98%
Tuition: $ 51,925
#4. Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University is a private institution that was founded in 1876. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 6,256, its setting is urban, and the campus size is 140 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. Johns Hopkins University’s ranking in the 2021 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, #9.
Johns Hopkins University is divided into nine schools, five of which serve undergraduate and graduate students. Hopkins’ graduate programs include the top-ranked Bloomberg School of Public Health and the highly ranked School of Education, the Whiting School of Engineering, the School of Medicine, and the well-regarded Peabody Institute for music and dance.
More than 1,400 students participate in the Greek community. Hopkins also has additional campuses for its School of Advanced International Studies in Washington, D.C.; Bologna, Italy; and Nanjing, China. Johns Hopkins Hospital is a top-ranked hospital with highly-ranked specialties. Its graduate school is one of the best graduate schools in the world.
Graduate Programs :
- Acoustics
- Applied Biomedical Engineering
- Business Analytics and Risk Management
- Applied & Computational Mathematics
- Applied Economics
- Civil Engineering
- Applied Physics
- Bioengineering Innovation & Design
- Applied Physics
- Business Analytics and Risk Management
- Business Administration
- Global Health Planning & Management
- Communication
- Health Care Management
- Global Health Planning & Management
- Health Economics
- Bioethics
- Master’s Degree in Health Sciences Informatics
Graduation Rate: 94%
Acceptance Rate: 12.5%
Retention Rate: 97%
Tuition: $57,010
#5. University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania is a private institution and among the best graduate schools in the world. Founded in 1740. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 10,019, its setting is urban, and the campus size is 299 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. University of Pennsylvania’s ranking in the 2021 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, #8.
Penn has 12 schools: Five offer undergraduate and graduate studies, and seven offer only graduate studies. Penn’s highly-ranked graduate programs include its Wharton School, School of Education, School of Engineering and Applied Science, Law School, and School of Medicine. Penn’s other notable graduate programs include its School of Design and School of Dental Medicine.
Graduate Programs :
- Public Administration
- Applied Positive Psychology
- Behavioral and Decision Sciences
- Chemical Sciences
- Environmental Studies
- Applied Geosciences
- Liberal Arts
- Organizational Dynamics
- Business Analytics
- Chemical Sciences
Acceptance Rate: 9%
Retention Rate: 98%
Graduation Rate: 95%
Tuition: $60,042
#6. University of California–Berkeley
Among the best graduate schools in the world is the University of California—Berkeley is a public institution that was founded in 1868. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 31,780, its setting is a city, and the campus size is 1,232 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. The University of California—Berkeley’s ranking in the 2021 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, #22.
The University of California—Berkeley, often referred to as Cal, is situated overlooking the San Francisco Bay. Typically, 95 percent or more of incoming freshmen at Berkeley choose to live on campus.
Graduate programs offered include those in the highly ranked Haas School of Business, Graduate School of Education, College of Engineering, and School of Law.
Graduate Programs:
- Architecture
- Asian Studies
- Bioengineering
- Business Administration
- Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
- Demography
- Earth & Planetary Science
- Education
- Endocrinology Forestry
- Global Studies
- Latin American Studies
- Mathematics
- Social Welfare
Acceptance Rate: 17.1%
Retention Rate: 97%
Graduation Rate: 92%
Tuition: $14,226
#7. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private institution that was founded in 1861, the school pride itself among the top graduate schools in the world. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 4,530, its setting is urban, and the campus size is 168 acres. It utilizes a 4-1-4-based academic calendar. Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s ranking in the 2021 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, #4.
Located outside Boston in Cambridge, Massachusetts, MIT focuses on scientific and technological research and is divided into five schools.
Graduate Programs :
- Chemical Engineering
- Media Arts and Sciences
- Architecture
- Aeronautics and Astronautics
- Comparative Media Studies
- Mechanical Engineering
- Materials Science and Engineering
- Nuclear Science and Engineering
- Science Writing
- Political Science
Acceptance Rate: 7.2%
Retention Rate: 99%
Graduation Rate: 90%
Tuition: $53,818
#8. University of Oxford
The institution is among the top graduate schools in the world. The exact date of the University of Oxford’s founding is unknown, but the school traces its roots back to at least 1096. Oxford is located around 60 miles northwest of London, and around 45 percent of its student body is made up of graduate students. More than half of Oxford’s graduate students conduct research as part of their studies.
The University of Oxford is made up of a central university; 38 colleges; and six Permanent Private Halls, which tend to be smaller than colleges and offer fewer subjects.
Tuition costs are higher for non-European Union students. The university and its academic departments and colleges, as well as dozens of external organizations, have made more than 900 scholarships available for graduate students.
Graduate Programs :
- Ancient Philosophy
- Applied Linguistics & Second Language Acquisition
- Archaeological Science
- Biodiversity, Conservation, and Management
- Clinical and Therapeutic Neuroscience
- Clinical Trials
- Comparative Social Policy
- Economics for Development
- Financial Economics
- Integrated Immunology
Acceptance Rate: 17.2%
Retention Rate: 98%
Graduation Rate: 99%
Tuition: Between £26,770 and £37,510
#9. University of Cambridge
As one of the top graduate schools in the world and leading academic centers in the world, the University of Cambridge is a collegiate public research institution. With 18,000 students from all cultures and corners of the globe, it is made up of 31 autonomous Colleges with their internal procedures and over 150 departments, faculties, schools, and other institutions.
Also, there are six schools from an administrative grouping of Faculties and other institutions, including Humanities and Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities, Clinical Medicine, Physical Sciences, Technology, and Biological Sciences.
It has an outstanding reputation for academic achievement. It has built on its reputation for enterprise, science, and technology, later partnering with the United States Massachusetts Institute of Technology to create the Cambridge-MIT Institute.
Graduate Programs :
- Advanced Subject Teaching
- Applied Criminology & Police Management
- Archaeological Research
- Biological Science (Pathology)
- Building History
- Earth Sciences
- English Literature
- Healthcare Data: Informatics, Innovation, and Commercialization
- Materials Science and Metallurgy
- Interdisciplinary Design for the Built Environment
Acceptance Rate: 21%
Retention Rate: 83%
#10. Imperial College London
Imperial College London is a public institution that was founded in 1907. The university was previously a college of the University of London and became an independent institution in 2007. The science-focused university is made up of multiple campuses located in and around London.
The main campus is situated in South Kensington, an area in Central London that is home to other cultural and educational institutions, such as the Natural History Museum. Upward of 15,000 students attend Imperial, and tuition costs are higher for non-European Union students.
The university comprises four academic divisions focused on engineering, medicine, natural sciences, and business. Imperial’s academic calendar contains three terms – autumn, spring, and summer – and the primary language of instruction is English.
Among the university’s research centers and groups are the Data Science Institute, the Institute of Global Health Innovation, and the Centre for Hedge Fund Research. All these factors make the institution to be among the top graduate schools in the world
Graduate Programs:
- Advanced Aeronautical Engineering
- Business Analytics
- Advanced Chemical Engineering
- Business Analytics
- Communications & Signal Processing
- Environmental Technology
- Finance and Accounting
- Molecular Medicine
- Strategic Marketing
- Tropical Forest Ecology
- Hydrology and Business Management
- Acceptance Rate: 14.3%
Why Grad Schools?
There are reasons why going to grad school after acquiring your undergraduate program is very important. First, Graduate education equips you with advanced knowledge, skills, or learning in a particular specialization or field.
Moreso, you can be sure of getting an in-depth understanding of any topic of study you want to pursue. Like in-depth understanding in areas such as problem-solving, mathematics, writing, oral presentation, and technology.
Often time, you can study for a grad degree in the same field you acquired at the bachelor’s level or a similar field.
What are the easiest grad schools to get into?
It is important that before you consider applying to any graduate school, you first look at the possibilities and your chances of getting admission easily.
Although some students think that for a school to be top-tier and have a good reputation, it must be very hard to get in. That might not always be the case because there are still the best graduate schools in the world that still make their admission procedure very easy.
Interestingly, these schools are located in almost all the top countries like Germany, Canada, Australia, and other parts of the world.
Generally, there are over 100 graduate schools in the world that you can get into without much stress.
But here we will be giving you a list of top graduate schools in the world with the easiest grad schools to get into if you really want to pursue a graduate degree in any best graduate schools in the world.
Which colleges have the best graduation rates?
Most students enter college with a four-year plan, but certain factors can add up to student years of study. Taking additional semesters to earn your degree often means paying more in tuition and fees.
The following Best graduate schools in the world have the highest proportion of students who graduated in four years, based on first-time students.
- Washington and Lee University
- Georgetown University
- University of Notre Dame
- Babson College
- Boston College
- Princeton University
- United States Naval Academy
- University of Chicago
- Vanderbilt University
- Bowdoin College
- Hamilton College
What is a top-tier graduate school?
Top-tier graduate schools are institutions with the famous brand name that will give you a substantial professional advantage over those who attended “mid-range” or “low-tier” colleges. Such schools are constantly ranked globally as the best graduate schools in the world.
What are the Grad Schools that accept Low GPA?
Graduate Schools that accept a low-Grade Point Average are also easy to get into once their acceptance rates are high.
Below is a list of some of the top schools that accepts low GPAs:
However, some of these grad schools with Low GPAs have a high acceptance rate. That means you have a very high chance of getting into any of them.
- Purdue University Global has a GPA of 2.5 and an acceptance rate of 100%.
- Capella University has a GPA of 2.7 and an acceptance rate of 100%.
- Liberty University has a GPA of 2.0 and an acceptance rate of 66%.
- Grand Canyon University has a GPA of 2.8 and an acceptance rate of 73%.
- Western Governors University has a GPA of 2.5 and an acceptance rate of 100%.
- Colorado State University-Global Campus has a GPA of 2.5 and an acceptance rate of 100%.
- Walden University has a GPA of 2.7 and an acceptance rate of 100%.
- Strayer University has a GPA of 2.5 and an acceptance rate of 100%.
Top Graduate Jobs
Here are the best grad jobs and careers available in 2024
- Human Resources (HR)- $21,550-$32,960
- Accountancy- $22,830-$32,960
- Public relations (PR)- $22.54
- Marketing and advertising- $34,100
- Management consultancy- $41,410
- Supply chain and logistics- $36,000
Conclusion
Getting a master’s degree in one of the best graduate schools in the world can be considered a worthy investment. Acquiring a post-graduate degree is a big dream that many people want to achieve but getting the right institution of higher learning can be very challenging with so many schools with great learning centers. You can check and choose from the schools to assist you in making your academic decision.
Reference
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Thanks for your information!