POSTECH Achieves 2nd Place Globally in THE Rankings for Small Universities

POSTECH was recently ranked 2nd in the world for the second consecutive year in the “2024 World’s Best Small Universities” by Times Higher Education (THE), becoming the first Korean university to achieve this distinction.

In addition to its annual “World University Rankings,” THE also publishes the “World University Rankings for Smaller Universities.” These rankings use the same 17 indicators across five categories—Teaching, Research Environment, Research Quality, Industry, and International Outlook—but focus exclusively on small universities with fewer than 5,000 students.

POSTECH once again earned a perfect score in the industry category for the second consecutive year, securing its position as the second-ranked small university globally. This success is driven by a steady increase in research grant income and the consistently high quality of education provided.

Ranking second in the world for two consecutive years- the first time for a Korean university- holds more than just prestige for POSTECH; it showcases POSTECH’s commitment to personalized, small-scale education and world-class research, highlighting its dynamic evolution. It also marks a significant milestone, reinforcing the university’s growing international reputation.

Additionally, smaller Korean universities such as UNIST (4th), DGIST (12th), and GIST (16th) are demonstrating strong global competitiveness. With POSTECH at the forefront, these institutions are poised to make an even greater impact on the international stage in the years to come.

Best small
universities Rank
University Country
/region
Total
number of
students
2024 2023
1 1 California Institute of Technology (Caltech) US 2,240
2 2 Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH) South Korea 3,300
3 4 Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa Italy 614
4 3 Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) South Korea 3,799
5 5 Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies – Pisa Italy 718
6 10 Indian Institute of Science India 4,495
7 12 École normale supérieure de Lyon France 2,024
8 13 Abu Dhabi University United Arab Emirates 2,506
9 6 Università della Svizzera italiana Switzerland 3,714
10 NR Brandeis Univerity US 4,791
11 17 Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Sweden 4,437
12 NR Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science & Technology (DGIST) South Korea 742
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16 39 Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST) South Korea 1,795