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Asia, UK Challenge US Supremacy in Higher Ed

US still has more universities in THE's top 200 than any other country—for now

By Nick McMaster,  Newser Staff

Posted Oct 9, 2009 6:36 PM CDT

(Newser) – The United States is home to more top-level universities than any other country in the world, this year’s survey by Times Higher Education confirms, but its advantage may not last forever. Although 54 of the top 200 schools are in the US, Asia is making remarkable progress: Japan has 11 schools on the list, six in the top 100. South Korea’s Seoul National University has advanced three spots, to 47th place, since 2008.

As it did last year, China has six universities in the top 200, a number expected to rise given the heavy investments the communist government is making in higher ed. The UK, meanwhile, heavily outeducates the US on a per capita basis: The nation has 29 schools in the top 200 and a population of only 61 million, one-fifth the population of the US, the Christian Science Monitor reports.

Presidential candidate Lee Myung-bak shakes hands with university students in Seoul, South Korea, Dec. 14, 2007.
Presidential candidate Lee Myung-bak shakes hands with university students in Seoul, South Korea, Dec. 14, 2007.   (AP Photo/ Lee Jin-man)
Harvard University's main campus in Cambridge, MA.
Harvard University's main campus in Cambridge, MA.   (Getty Images)
PM Gordon Brown gives the Romanes Lecture on Science to an audience at the University of Oxford's Sheldonian Theatre in Oxford, England, Feb. 27, 2009.
PM Gordon Brown gives the Romanes Lecture on Science to an audience at the University of Oxford's Sheldonian Theatre in Oxford, England, Feb. 27, 2009.   (AP Photo/Matt Dunham/pool)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 4 comments
BlueAyez
Oct 10, 2009 12:11 PM CDT
Bet they don't have bilingual classes.
divetrader
Oct 10, 2009 2:07 AM CDT
Wouldn't it be interesting to know how much it costs to go to their schools? Do they have to take on the type of debt our system now requires?
gabo
Oct 9, 2009 11:49 AM CDT
Too bad ol" W ain't around no more. They might beat us in brains but we'dah stomped'em in an ass-kicking contest.
 

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