UNAM Drops from the Top 100 Global Universities Ranking but Remains Strong in Latin America

Introduction

The National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) has fallen out of the top 100 global universities ranking, according to the QS World University Rankings 2026. The university dropped from position 94 in the previous edition to 136 in the latest ranking. Despite this decline, UNAM remains a leading institution within Latin America.

UNAM’s Performance in Latin America

For the most recent evaluation, UNAM secured the top spot among Mexican universities and ranked fourth in Latin America. This places UNAM alongside other prominent regional institutions such as:

1. Universidad de Buenos Aires (Argentina)
2. Universidade de São Paulo (Brazil)
3. Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (UC) (Chile)
4. Universidad de Chile (Chile)
5. Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey (ITESM) (Mexico)
6. Universidad de los Andes (Colombia)
7. Universidade Estadual de Campinas (Unicamp) (Brazil)
8. Universidad Nacional de Colombia (Colombia)
9. Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (Brazil)

Global Ranking Overview

In the global ranking, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) maintained its position at the top with a perfect score of 100. Following closely, the Imperial College London and the University of Stanford both made significant gains, with Stanford climbing three spots from the previous year.

The top 10 global universities include:

1. University of Oxford
2. Harvard University
3. Escuela Politécnica Federal de Zurich (ETH)
4. National University of Singapore (NUS)
5. University College London (UCL)
6. California Institute of Technology (Caltech)

The United States and the United Kingdom continue to dominate the top positions, while Asian universities, notably the National University of Singapore (NUS), have shown significant growth.

Key Questions and Answers

• Q: What is the QS World University Rankings? A: The QS World University Rankings is an annual publication that evaluates universities worldwide based on academic and employer reputation, citations per faculty, and the H-index.
• Q: How many universities were evaluated in the QS World University Rankings 2026? A: More than 1,500 universities were assessed in the QS World University Rankings 2026.
• Q: What is the significance of UNAM’s position in Latin America? A: Despite dropping from the global top 100, UNAM’s continued presence in the top five Latin American universities highlights its regional influence and academic excellence.
• Q: Which countries lead in terms of university representation in the QS World University Rankings? A: The United States leads with 192 universities in the QS World University Rankings.