Top 50 Under 50: The Young Universities Worth Looking Into
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Top 50 under 50 universities: It is a common notion to believe that most of the top universities in the world were established ages ago. However, with growth and innovation coming into picture, young universities have been gaining popularity rapidly in the recent years. In this article, we will talk about the top 50 universities under 50 years of age, the best reasons to get into these universities, and more.
Most of the top global universities have one thing in common…they are old…really really old. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) – the topmost university in the world as per the QS World University Rankings 2025, has a history of nearly 150 years. Other big names like Harvard goes back to the 1600’s and Stanford to the 1800s. Needless to say, but the true old boy of universities are indeed Oxford and Cambridge, found in late 12th and early 13th century respectively. So they have had years to make a mark and maintain that position. But what about the young players?
While these universities continue to rule the rankings, the world noticed the entry of relatively younger universities in their midst. These universities, some, younger than 50 (a baby in comparison to the likes of Oxford & Cambridge), have steadily risen in the rankings. Some even made it to the world’s top 50 universities. Armed with rational thought, competitive spirit and innovative techniques, these universities have created a welcome group for themselves and deserve recognition. We present the Top 50 Universities which are still young and how they stack up in the World Order. It’s like a start-up entering the Fortune 500 list…the premise that they would only rise further is not off the mark. So when you decide which university to go to…have a look at these as well.
- Top 50 under 50 Universities
- Best Reasons to Study in the Top 50 under 50 Universities
- Top 50 Under 50 FAQs
Top 50 under 50 Universities
For the benefit of our readers, we have given below the comprehensive list of top 50 under 50 universities, along with their global rankings 2025 and young university rank 2024:
| University | THE Young University Rank 2024 | QS World University Rank 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU) | #1 | #15 |
| Paris Sciences et Lettres – PSL Research University Paris | #2 | #24 |
| Hong Kong University of Science and Technology | #3 | #47 |
| City University of Hong Kong | #4 | #62 |
| Université Paris-Saclay | #5 | #73 |
| Institut Polytechnique de Paris | #6 | #46 |
| Hong Kong Polytechnic University | #7 | #57 |
| Sorbonne University | #8 | #63 |
| Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH) | #9 | #98 |
| Maastricht University | #10 | #230 |
| University of Technology Sydney | #11 | #88 |
| University of Antwerp | #12 | #267 |
| Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies – Pisa | #13 | - |
| University of Macau | #14 | - |
| Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) | #15 | #280 |
| University of Wollongong | #16 | #167 |
| Queensland University of Technology | #17 | #213 |
| University of Potsdam | #17 | #474 |
| Université Paris Cité | #19 | #302 |
| University of Luxembourg | #20 | #355 |
| Aalto University | #21 | #113 |
| Aalborg University | #22 | #306 |
| Medical University of Vienna | #22 | #137 |
| Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech) | #24 | #284 |
| Swinburne University of Technology | #24 | #291 |
| Medical University of Graz | #26 | - |
| Khalifa University | #27 | #202 |
| Pompeu Fabra University | #28 | #265 |
| RMIT University | #28 | #123 |
| Medical University of Innsbruck | #30 | #309 |
| Linköping University | #31 | #304 |
| Universiti Teknologi Petronas | #32 | #269 |
| Curtin University | #33 | #174 |
| Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST) | #33 | #326 |
| Griffith University | #35 | #255 |
| Humanitas University | #35 | - |
| Deakin University | #37 | #197 |
| Macau University of Science and Technology | #38 | #464 |
| University of Bayreuth | #38 | #527 |
| Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST) | #40 | #359 |
| Vita-Salute San Raffaele University | #40 | #389 |
| University of Rome II – Tor Vergata | #42 | #393 |
| University of South Australia | #43 | #340 |
| Università della Svizzera italiana | #43 | #405 |
| Tampere University | #45 | #462 |
| Hong Kong Baptist University | #46 | #252 |
| United Arab Emirates University | #47 | #261 |
| Western Sydney University | #48 | #384 |
| National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University | #49 | #219 |
| Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences | #49 | - |
Best Reasons to Study in the Top 50 under 50 Universities
We have listed below the top reasons why you should go for young universities when choosing a study abroad destination:
Innovative and modern approach towards education: Young universities have modest ways of conducting classes, which focuses both on academic and practical learning. This helps students develop strong analytical and critical skills and get the best of both worlds.
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Flexible curriculum: Unlike old universities, the younger universities are very flexible and tend to adapt to changes according to the industry needs and emerging fields of study.
Growth opportunities: Students get a wide variety of opportunities in young universities. As the universities themselves are developing, students get the chance to stand out more and contribute to their university in many different ways.
Networking opportunities: With the newer approach, the universities try to expand their partnerships and networks, and help students connect with growing businesses and industries, which later helps them in grabbing good job opportunities.
Campus facilities: Young universities have new and modern state-of-the-art facilities, which attracts students from all over the globe. Also, students get access to modern equipment and infrastructure.
Student diversity: Growing universities are very inclusive and often cover a wide spectrum of ethnic groups, religions, cultures, and languages in their student body.
Increasing trend in rankings: It is very likely for young universities to witness a rapid growth in their rankings when they gain global recognition.
One-on-one interaction: Due to the smaller student population, students get the opportunity to connect with their experienced faculty on a one-on-one basis, giving space for more personalized instruction and mentorship.
Entrepreneurial spirit: Developing universities focus more on innovation, which gives birth to the entrepreneurial spirit. This helps students in forming startups or starting their own business.
New approach: As the universities are relatively young, they encourage a fresh perspective and help students come up with new and innovative ideas.
Top 50 Under 50 FAQs
Q. What is the best university under 50 years?
A. Some of the top universities under 50 years of age are Nanyang Technological University, Singapore; PSL Research University Paris; The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology; City University of Hong Kong; Université Paris-Saclay; and many more. What makes these universities the best are their impressive rankings, quality of education, student diversity, growth opportunities, state-of-the-art facilities, etc.
Q. How to get into top 50 universities in the world?
A. In order to get into the top 50 universities in the world, students must submit exceptional academic grades as well as excel in co-curricular activities. Apart from fulfilling the academic qualifications, some of the best practices that students can follow include acquiring strong letters of recommendations, submission of high English language proficiency scores, aptitude test scores, and impressive statement of purpose.
Q. Which is the youngest university in the world?
A. Established in 2019, the Université Paris-Saclay, France is the youngest university in the world, which is a part of the top 50 under 50 universities. In QS World University Rankings 2025, the Université Paris-Saclay ranks at the spot #73.
The university is a combination of nine higher education institutions and a business cluster on a research-intensive academic campus, which were brought together for the Paris-Saclay project.
Q. Which is the oldest university in the world?
A. Founded in the year 1088, the University of Bologna is the oldest university in the entire world. It has several campuses located in different parts of Italy such as Cesena Campus, Forli Campus, Ravenna Campus, and Rimini Campus.
In QS World University Rankings 2025, the University of Bologna ranks at the spot #133.
The application process at the University of Manchester can change depending on course chosen and level of study. The steps to apply for undergraduate and postgraduate courses at the university are given as follows:
UG Application Process:
- Student must apply through the UCAS common application portal.
- They can go to the website and select the course that they are interested in.
- Students are required to meet the eligibility requirements (Academic qualifications, English proficiency, etc.
- Once they have decided on the course, the important documents are to be submitted such as SOP, Transcripts and personal statements.
- You can track the application's progress through your given credentials by UCAS.
- Once the applicant submits the application to UCAS, it forwards to the University, and the admission teams carefully analyse the application document.
- The university will send you an offer letter once selected. Hence keep checking your UCAS portal for your application status.
Check out: tips to improve your SOP.
PG application process:
- Select the postgraduate course you are interested in from the University of Manchester.\
- Ensure you meet the entry requirements for the chosen program, as they vary depending on the course.
- Complete the online application by providing your personal information.
- Upload the required documents, such as Academic transcripts and proof of English language proficiency ( TOEFL/ IELTS). experience in your fields and references (depending on the course). You also may require Two LORs depending on the course.
- If your application is successful, you will receive an offer from the University of Manchester.
To make your admission better, check out the following: How Admission Officers Evaluate your application.
With a 70% acceptance rate, the University of Hertfordshire is not hard to get into and follows easy selection criteria during admissions. This does not mean the university accepts all the students applying for different programs. The selection is based on academic performance, English language requirements, references, and many more. Some of the programs at Hertfordshire even demand an experience of 4-5 years. In addition, students with average performance can showcase their relevant experience or extracurricular activities participation to increase their selection probability.
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The University of the West of Scotland has five modern and diverse campuses in United Kingdom. The University has welcomed more than 3,000 international students which are representing 1/3 of the globe. They also have 130 European partners who are actively in global study and exchange options through the Commonwealth universities programmes. The University also offers study abroad opportunities for UWS who are eligible for the same and also have more than 20 transnational education partners worldwide which helps them deliver UWS Bachelors and Masters Degrees around the world.