The Best Universities In The World Are…

U.S. News has released its list of the top universities worldwide, and while the top 20 aren't surprising, they may provide the basis for some renewed bragging rights. Harvard University in Cambridge, MA, was deemed the best college in the world; Massachusetts Institute of Technology came in second. University of California, Berkeley came in third, followed by Stanford. The United Kingdom gets a shout-out with University of Oxford in the No. 5 spot, and University of Cambridge at No. 6. Aside from Oxford and Cambridge, the only other non-U.S. institutions to make the list are University of Toronto (No. 16) and the Imperial College London (No. 18). One surprising inclusion: No. 19, University of California, San Diego, which nabbed a spot thanks to its rich study abroad program. Curious about the methodology? U.S. News considered more than 1,000 academic institutions in nearly 60 countries for the full list, which includes 750 schools. The institutions were judged based on "global research reputation," "regional research reputation," and the number of books, publications and citations associated with the universities. (Reputations were ranked based on Thomson Reuters' Academic Reputation Survey, U.S. News reports.) Of course, let's remember that just because Harvard got the No. 1 spot on this list doesn't mean it's the perfect school for everyone — the decision on where to go to college should not be based solely on listicles. We recommend checking out the accommodations, too.