According to one of the most important higher education lists, the QS World University Rankings, the University of Tartu now holds its best global position ever.
The university’s position in the ranking has improved from 501 in 2012 to 301 for the 2020 ranking.
In the process of preparing the ranking list, the QS rating takes into account a survey among academic leaders and heads of institutions of higher education; the proportion of students and lecturers; the reputation of the university as the employer; the significance of academic publications and citations; and the percentage of foreign lecturers and students.
The University of Tartu follows the Bologna process in the organisation of its teaching and bachelor-master (3+2) system of study modules. Studies take place in Estonian and in English. Currently, there are three programmes available fully in English: business administration, science and technology and medicine.
Three Estonian universities in the global 1,000
Most of the University of Tartu is located in Tartu, the second biggest town in Estonia; however, it also has colleges in Pärnu, Viljandi and Narva. According to QS, the Tartu University alumni make up 40% of Estonian parliament, Riigikogu; 87% of attorneys at law; 100% of judges; and 99% of medical doctors in Estonia.
Founded in 1632 by the Swedish King Gustav II Adolph, the University of Tartu is the oldest and largest university in Estonia both in terms of numbers of staff and students, and the volume of its teaching, research and development activities.
Another two Estonian universities in the global top 1,000, Tallinn University of Technology (TalTech) and Tallinn University have retained their positions in the ranking – at 601-650 and 801-1,000, respectively.
The top five ranking universities in the world, according to QS, are the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Stanford University, Harvard University (all US), Oxford University (UK) and the California Institute of Technology (US).
In total, there are almost 26,000 universities in the world.
Cover: The main building of the University of Tartu.
