Harvard University has been ranked as the world’s best university for the sixth year in a row by the Times Higher Education rankings.

US Ivy League colleges MIT and Stanford University took second and third place, completing an American clean sweep of the podium places. Cambridge and Oxford universities came just behind them, in fourth and fifth place respectively.

Although traditional big-name universities lead the pack, the 2016 rankings show Asian universities rising up the list.

Asia has 18 institutions in the ranking, with Japan’s University of Tokyo in 12th place and China’s Tsinghua University and Peking University placing 18th and 21st respectively. Universities from South Korea, Malaysia and Singapore also make the list.

European universities have had a somewhat tougher year. Although their scores improved, Asian universities’ rapid progress meant many European schools slid down the rankings.

Four of the Netherland’s previous five representatives have dropped off the rankings, with Denmark and Finland no longer making the top 100 at all. France faired better, with five French universities making the top 100 this year.

The University of Malta was nowhere to be seen on the list, either. Asked why, a University spokesperson blamed “staggering” disparities in budgets and infrastructures between it and top-ranking universities.

They also pointed out that the national university was a relative latecomer in developing its research infrastructure, with the level of research funding at its disposal “still well off the required mark”.

It however argued that ranking systems such as the Times Higher Education ranking overemphasised Universities’ research contributions at the expense of things such as student satisfaction, outreach services and course completion rates.

“If one had to rank universities based on ‘value for money’, undoubtedly the University of Malta would rank amongst the very best in the world!” a spokesperson said.

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