The 2026 Times Higher Education World University Rankings have again positioned MIT as the leader in Arts and Humanities, Business and Economics, and Social Sciences, mirroring its 2025 achievements. These rankings, published annually by a prominent British education magazine, evaluate universities based on 18 performance indicators across teaching, research environment, research quality, industry, and international outlook. MIT’s top-ranked disciplines are part of its School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences (SHASS), School of Architecture and Planning (SA+P), and MIT Sloan School of Management.
Agustín Rayo, Dean of SHASS, emphasizes the community’s strength and MIT’s dedication to humanities and social sciences. Hashim Sarkis, Dean of SA+P, highlights the importance of human values in their programs. Richard M. Locke, Dean at MIT Sloan, underscores the importance of interdisciplinary education that combines analytical skills with hands-on management experience.
The Arts and Humanities ranking assessed 817 universities worldwide, while Business and Economics evaluated 1,067 institutions. The Social Sciences category included 1,202 universities globally. MIT also ranked third in Engineering and Life Sciences, and fourth in Computer Science and Physical Sciences, achieving second place overall in the 2026 World University Ranking.
For students, these rankings underscore the value of a holistic, interdisciplinary education in preparing for future challenges and opportunities in STEM and beyond.
