Five Houston-area universities have been named among the best universities worldwide in U.S. News & World Report's just-released comprehensive list for 2026-2027.

U.S. News' Best Global Universities report ranks more than 2,250 schools based exclusively on their academic research performance and international reputation. Only 275 universities from the U.S. were included in the global ranking, and 21 based in Texas.

Harvard University topped the list for 2026-2027, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Stanford University claimed the coveted No. 2 and No. 3 spots worldwide.

Houston's Baylor College of Medicine topped the list of the best local schools, and it ranked as the 147th best university in the world.

Here's how the rest of Houston's local institutions ranked:

• No. 204 – Rice University
• No. 330 – University of Texas Health Science Center Houston
• No. 393 – University of Houston
• No. 605 – University of Texas Medical Branch Galveston

In a statement explaining global university trends, the managing editor for Education at U.S. News, LaMont Jones, Ed.D., said schools in the U.S. have continued to rank "disproportionately high" while major universities from other countries in China and South America are starting to catch up.

"The continuing strength of [American university] reputations and academic research are, for the most part, unmatched," he said. "It's why students all over the world flock here to learn."

Top-ranking Texas universities
The University of Texas at Austin ranked No. 1 statewide and No. 56 worldwide, further cementing the university's reputation as the top choice for students seeking a higher education in Texas.

Earlier in June, UT Austin ranked No. 35 in a separate list of the best universities in the world from the Center for World University Rankings, which compared 2,000 schools globally.

Here's where other Texas universities stand among the top 1,000 in this year's global rankings:

• No. 117 – University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas
• No. 180 – Texas A&M University, College Station
• No. 301 – University of Texas at San Antonio
• No. 454 – Baylor University, Waco
• No. 509 – University of Texas at Dallas
• No. 565 – Texas Tech University, Lubbock
• No. 746 – University of North Texas, Denton
• No. 884 – University of Texas at Arlington
• No. 950 – Southern Methodist University, Dallas