What are the Best Universities in the World?

Top Online Universities

	University of Phoenix - Associate’s, Bachelor’s, Master’s, & Doctoral Degrees. Associate's, Bachelor's, Master's, & Doctoral Degrees – As one of the world’s largest universities, University of Phoenix has the educational resources to make every student successful in their degree plan. University of Phoenix offers classes at a campus and also available to take entirely online.
	Kaplan University - Associate’s, Bachelor’s, & Master’s Degrees. With a successful track record of placing students in high-quality jobs, Kaplan University stands out among online colleges. Kaplan offers students the opportunity to take classes from the comfort of home and on their own schedule.
	Everest University - Associate’s, Bachelor’s, & Master’s Degrees. Everest University uses a hands-on approach to teaching students that brings out the best in everyone attending classes. Everest University allows students who work full time to take classes at their convenience and on their own schedule.
	American InterContinental University Online - Associate’s, Bachelor’s, & Master’s Degrees. American InterContinental University has been educating students around the world for over 35 years. During this time, AIU has become recognized for offering progressive, interactive degrees in high-growth industries.
	Saint Leo University - Associate's, Bachelor's & Master's Degrees. With six semesters throughout the year, Saint Leo University gives students the opportunity to start college right away. They have faculty members and administrators who can help you throughout your whole online experience, from admission to financial aid.
	Ashford University - Associate’s, Bachelor’s, & Master’s Degrees. Ashford University offers both online programs and campus programs seeking to learn in a classroom. Ashford University is one of the most respected names in college education and students seeking a college degree will be hard pressed to find a better option.
	Grand Canyon University - Bachelor's & Master's Degrees. Highly accredited and well respected, Grand Canyon University has been educating students from all around the world through their online programs. They put emphasis on providing individual attention to every student in order to ensure they receive the quality education they deserve.
	Colorado Technical University - Associate's, Bachelor's, Master's & Doctoral Degrees. For those ready to take a step into the real-world, Colorado Technical University provides you with all the knowledge and tools necessary to acquire excellent career opportunities. Their staff is dedicated in helping you understand everything there is to know in the field of your interest.
	DeVry University - Associate’s & Bachelor’s Degrees. Focusing on providing students high-quality education, DeVry University has provided thousands of students a college degree online. DeVry University has numerous course offerings and offer flexible and interactive programs.
	Strayer University - Associate's, Bachelor's & Master's Degrees. Strayer University provides many advantages that many other online colleges do not offer. Each student is handled individually at Strayer University, where a great administrative staff makes sure every need is met.
	Liberty University - Associate’s, Bachelor’s, & Master’s Degrees. As one of the largest evangelical universities in the world, Liberty University provides a variety of campus and online programs. Liberty University is one of the top college online education providers in existence today.
	Penn Foster Career School - Certificates. Penn Foster Career School offers students the opportunity to receive the degree they need to pursue their desired career. With their programs available completely online, students could continue working or attend to other responsibilities while obtaining their degree.

One of the main reasons for getting a good education is to obtain the best job possible after graduation. One important factor employers consider when hiring is the quality of the education of all the candidates. If you have the option of attending a top-notch university, your career opportunities will broaden significantly. If you aren’t fortunate enough to attend one of the best universities in the world, then at least you can look closely at the best and see what factors make them so powerful and find schools that strive to provide some of the same elements among their educational offerings. The Times Higher Education - QS World University Rankings publishes an annual listing of the best universities in the world. The rankings are based on academic peer review, employer review, faculty-student ratio, citations per faculty, and international teachers and students. According to their results for 2008, Harvard University is the top-ranked university in the world. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Harvard is the oldest institution for higher learning in America and enjoys a strong reputation grounded in the success of the graduates, the top quality research coming from the university, and the exceptional teaching faculty. Behind Harvard, the next best universities in the world include Yale, Cambridge, Oxford, and California Institute of Technology to round out the top five. Of the top 100 universities around the world, 42 are from the United States, 36 are from Europe, and 22 from Asia Pacific. The United States dominates the top of the list with 11 of the top 15 universities. For another take on the best universities in the world, MINE ParisTech ranks world universities based on graduate accomplishment, and more specifically, the number of CEOs or equivalent in the 500 leading international companies. According to their rankings, the top five universities (from one to five) are Tokyo University, Harvard University, Stanford University, Keio University, and University of Pennsylvania. Here, America and Japan control the top part of the list with graduates going on to hold important positions of power within top international companies. And a final ranking found at Education-Portal provides their assessment of the top 20 universities from around the world. Their criteria are based on a combination of "academic quality, student life, student/faculty ratios, diversity of the student body, financial resources, student retention, faculty resources and career placement." The number one university here is Harvard, followed by (in order of ranking) University of Oxford, Princeton University, University of Cambridge, and Yale University.