Jun 23, 2026 - News

Seattle's UW ranks No. 12 globally

Christine Clarridge

Students study on the steps of the Suzzallo Library at the University of Washington in Seattle. — Time to study. Photo: Genna Martin/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images

The Dawgs just aced another report card.

Why it matters: The University of Washington ranked No. 12 globally and No. 3 among U.S. public universities in U.S. News & World Report's latest Best Global Universities rankings, which evaluated 2,250 institutions across more than 100 countries.

By the numbers: UW also cracked the global top 10 in six U.S. News subject rankings, led by public, environmental and occupational health at No. 4 and molecular biology and genetics at No. 6.

Meanwhile, the QS World University Rankings, also released this month, placed UW at No. 92 globally and No. 7 among U.S. public universities, out of more than 1,500 schools evaluated.

The big picture: The rankings use different methodologies. U.S. News emphasizes research output, citations and academic reputation, while QS also factors in employability, sustainability and global engagement.

Between the lines: While Seattle is known for Amazon, Microsoft and coffee, one of the city's biggest global exports is research, the reports show.

The bottom line: Huskies don't need a ranking to know UW is a powerhouse, but it's nice to see the world agrees.

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Seattle's UW ranks No. 12 globally

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