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Nelson Mandela once said that "Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world," and he got it right. Being a degree holder from a reputable university increases your chance to be employed at top companies. Best schools breed and train the best students.

QS University Ranking understands the need for quality education that's why they have been compiling the top universities in the world for years. The QS Ranking uses six performance indicators to be able to quantify each universities academic standing and reputation. These are: academic reputation (40%), employer reputation (10%), citations per faculty (20%), international faculty ratio (5%) and an international student ratio (5%).

According to USNews.com, a global high-tech economy helps fuel the rise in the best international education. With this in mind, it is now imperative to know more about universities with an excellent academic reputation. QS University Ranking recently released the 10^th edition of the top universities in the world for 2014. This list shows the top 5 world-class universities and what sets them apart from others.

5. University College London and University of Oxford

Tied in fifth are UK-based universities, University College London and University of Oxford.

University College London

2013 ranking: 4^th rank

2014 ranking: 5^th rank

University College London slips down from its previous rank, and is now sitting down on the 5^th spot of QS University Ranking. Based on United Kingdom, UCL is a public research university and is the oldest and largest constituent college of the Federal University of London. According to SIR Global Ranking, UCL is the most productive research university in Europe.

Note: 28 notable Nobel prize winners are/were academics or students at UCL.

University of Oxford

2013 ranking: 6^th rank

2014 ranking: 5^th rank

University of Oxford climbed up the poll from 6^th rank last 2013 to 5^th rank this 2014. Oxford is a collegiate research university located in Oxford, England. Oxford understand the need for education, thus it has become a home of several notable scholarships. Oxford University has top quality facilities and an internationally renowned reputation. Oxford students undergo an intensive teaching style that is intellectually challenging, thus culminating the result of world-class education.

4. Harvard University

2013 ranking: 2^nd rank

2014 ranking: 4^th rank

Harvard University has massively dropped down from its 2^nd spot last year to 4^th spot this year. Harvard University is located in Cambridge and Boston, Massachusetts and is considered as the oldest institution in the United States. It is a well-known university devoted to excellence in education and research, and has developed leaders from various disciplines who had made a difference globally and internationally.

3. Imperial College London

2013 ranking: 5^th rank

2014 ranking: 3^rd rank

Imperial College London has jumped up from its previous 5^th rank to this year's 3^rd spot due to recent world-leading output for being widely cited in academic journals. Located at the very heart of London, this university is known for its world-class scholarship, education and research programs. Imperial College London is consistently on top of the QS University Ranking list due to its renowned research programs in science, engineering and medicine with notable application in industry, commerce and healthcare.

2. University of Cambridge

2013 ranking: 3^rd rank

2014 ranking: 2^nd rank

UK-based University of Cambridge goes up from 3^rd spot to the 2^nd spot this year. Aside from being a world-class university, Cambridge is also rich in history. It has an outstanding academic achievement testament to this its intellectual achievement of its student. Its reputation is well known and endorsed by the Quality Assurance agency.

1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

2013 ranking: 1^st rank

2014 ranking: 1^st rank

Taking the top spot is still Massachusetts Information of Technology based in Boston, Massachusetts. The mission of MIT is to advance knowledge and educate students in different fields like science, technology, and other areas of scholarship that will be an advantage and influential in our world. It is committed to generate and preserve the quality of learning by rigorous academic training and the thirst for discovery with the support and stimulation of the diverse community in the campus. It is their aim to offer passion to work wisely, creatively, and effectively for the betterment of mankind.

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