Singapore Dominates Global Top 10 Universities in STEM Fields

Singapore's National University of Singapore (NUS) and Nanyang Technological University (NTU) have secured top 10 positions in the 2026-2027 World University Rankings across several STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) subjects, including Artificial Intelligence, Chemistry, Computer Science, Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Materials Science, and Physical Chemistry. These universities are the only institutions in Southeast Asia to achieve such prominent placements. Their strongest combined performance was in Artificial Intelligence, with NUS ranking second globally and NTU fifth. This was the only subject among the seven where both universities placed in the top five. In Chemistry, NUS ranked third and NTU seventh, while in Computer Science, NTU placed fourth and NUS sixth. NTU secured the first rank globally in Electrical and Electronic Engineering and second in Engineering, with NUS placing eighth in both subjects. In Materials Science, NUS ranked fifth and NTU seventh, and in Physical Chemistry, NTU was fourth and NUS tenth. Both universities also recorded several other top-10 finishes individually. NTU ranked third in Condensed Matter Physics, sixth in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, and ninth in Energy and Fuels. NUS, meanwhile, ranked first globally in Optics. The U.S. News subject rankings, released in June, are part of the 2026-2027 Best Global Universities rankings, which evaluated 2,250 institutions worldwide. The subject rankings primarily focus on academic research performance, using indicators such as research reputation, publications, citations, highly cited papers, and international collaboration. Eligibility criteria and the number of universities ranked vary by subject. In the overall Best Global Universities ranking, NUS placed 16th worldwide and second in Asia, while NTU ranked 27th globally and fourth in Asia. Singapore was ranked the world's second-richest country by GDP per capita in 2025, behind Switzerland, according to The Economist. Information Source: VnExpress International