QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025, identified the best universities to pursue development studies in the world. Development studies is an interdisciplinary study of global issues (poverty, inequality, sustainability) and finding real solutions to address those issues.The University of Sussex retained the top position in development studies globally, demonstrating its historical place in this field. The ranking has revealed that there are some UK universities that are emerging in the top 10, and the Australian National University is the only Asia-pacific university included. The following table lists over 60 globally ranked universities for pursuing your interest in development studies, along with their location, academic score, AR (academic rank), employer score, and ER (employer rank).2025InstitutionCountry / TerritoryAcademicAR rankEmployerER Rank1University of SussexUnited Kingdom100.0174.049=2University of OxfordUnited Kingdom91.1494.673The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)United Kingdom88.8699.024Harvard UniversityUnited States of America92.4398.045SOAS University of LondonUnited Kingdom94.0267.351+6University of CambridgeUnited Kingdom89.7592.987University of California, Berkeley (UCB)United States of America87.0884.817=8Stanford UniversityUnited States of America87.5789.99=8Wageningen University & ResearchNetherlands85.8961.151+10The Australian National UniversityAustralia84.71085.01611The University of ManchesterUnited Kingdom83.211=70.251+12UCLUnited Kingdom79.91976.33713University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)United States of America81.61482.919=14Columbia UniversityUnited States of America81.11581.622=15University of Cape TownSouth Africa81.81366.551+16University of East Anglia (UEA)United Kingdom80.41752.651+=17Duke UniversityUnited States of America80.91680.228=17University of ChicagoUnited States of America83.211=80.02919Johns Hopkins UniversityUnited States of America78.62271.251+20Princeton UniversityUnited States of America79.82081.12621The University of TokyoJapan79.52182.72122University of LeedsUnited Kingdom74.63569.151+23Cornell UniversityUnited States of America75.73266.351+24Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (UC)Chile77.029100.0125Université Paris 1 Panthéon-SorbonneFrance77.12883.51826Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM)Mexico78.32395.7527University of British ColumbiaCanada76.33168.351+28Erasmus University RotterdamNetherlands70.851+75.043=29Fudan UniversityChina (Mainland)73.838=86.313=29Jawaharlal Nehru UniversityIndia80.11865.251+31King's College LondonUnited Kingdom70.251+81.42432Seoul National UniversityRepublic of Korea75.33373.051+33Leiden UniversityNetherlands74.33664.751+34University of California, DavisUnited States of America77.62552.451+35University of TorontoCanada71.84474.94436The University of SheffieldUnited Kingdom68.051+66.651+=37The University of MelbourneAustralia67.151+85.114==37Universidad de ChileChile74.23798.23=37Yonsei UniversityRepublic of Korea77.22767.751+40University of Wisconsin-MadisonUnited States of America77.52644.951+=41Boston UniversityUnited States of America67.651+74.845=41University of WitwatersrandSouth Africa75.23456.551+43Universidad de los AndesColombia71.446=88.11244The University of Hong KongHong Kong SAR, China68.451+85.114=45The University of QueenslandAustralia65.751+65.551+46Makerere UniversityUganda76.53052.151+47Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU)Singapore72.54189.41048The University of SydneyAustralia67.451+82.919=49Zhejiang UniversityChina (Mainland)64.051+88.81150University of Massachusetts AmherstUnited States of America71.05055.551+51-100American UniversityUnited States of America70.951+67.551+51-100Brown UniversityUnited States of America68.951+67.651+51-100Complutense University of MadridSpain63.651+77.43551-100Deakin UniversityAustralia64.551+64.351+51-100Humboldt-Universität zu BerlinGermany63.451+65.051+51-100Korea UniversityRepublic of Korea72.442=68.651+51-100Kyoto UniversityJapan78.22469.651+51-100Lund UniversitySweden68.851+49.751+51-100Maastricht UniversityNetherlands65.151+70.351+51-100Massey UniversityNew Zealand71.446=57.651+51-100McGill UniversityCanada65.651+70.451+51-100Monash UniversityAustralia61.751+77.13651-100New York University (NYU)United States of America69.451+80.72751-100Newcastle UniversityUnited Kingdom66.751+62.751+51-100Paris School of EconomicsFrance72.442=43.951+51-100Pennsylvania State UniversityUnited States of America71.24959.151+51-100Politecnico di MilanoItaly68.151+73.251+51-100Queen Mary University of LondonUnited Kingdom63.951+74.24851-100Renmin (People's) University of ChinaChina (Mainland)69.751+72.251+51-100Sapienza University of RomeItaly60.951+72.251+51-100The University of AucklandNew Zealand71.54578.632=The 2025 QS rankings demonstrate that the development studies discipline has become global in nature, and the UK remains a leading center of academic excellence for the discipline. Whether candidates are looking for world-class research, seasoned faculty, or meaningful global networks, these leading universities are paving the way for the next generations of development studies professionals.
