UIC ranks high on list of world’s young universities

UIC is one of only eight U.S. universities on the Times Higher Education list of 100 universities worldwide that were founded less than 50 years ago.

UIC is third among U.S. universities in an international ranking of the top 100 universities in the world that were founded less than 50 years ago.

The Times Higher Education‘s 100 Under 50 list ranks UIC in 13th place on the list, six spots up from its 2013 ranking at No. 19.

Only eight U.S. universities are included among the 100 institutions. Two California institutions are ahead of UIC on the list: University of California, Irvine, at No. 7 and University of California, Santa Cruz, No. 11. The only other U.S. institution included in the top 50 is University of Texas at Dallas, No. 15.

“This is an incredible achievement that we owe to our faculty, alumni, staff and students. This recognition is evidence of our continued focus on excellence, as well as a testament to the impact we make in Chicago and around the world with the knowledge that we create and translate to solving real-life problems,” said Chancellor Paula Allen-Meares.

Times Higher Education, published in the United Kingdom, said the 100 Under 50 list “provides a glimpse into the future, showcasing not those institutions with centuries of history, but the rising stars which show great potential.”

According to the publication, which also produces the annual World University Rankings, the institutions in the 100 Under 50 rankings are evaluated more for objective performance indicators such as research, citations, teaching, international outlook and innovation, and less for subjective indicators of academic prestige.

“The leaders of the new generation of institutions featured here are remarkably bullish: happy to compete on equal terms with the old guard and confident of their ability to thrive in a dynamic and diverse higher education sector,” writes Times Higher Education rankings editor Phil Baty.

“Some even see their relative youth not as a hindrance but as a clear strategic advantage in an uncertain global academy that demands bravery, risk-taking and fresh thinking.”

The other U.S. institutions on the 100 Under 50 list are George Mason (57), University of Maryland, Baltimore County (65), Florida International University (73) and University of Texas at San Antonio (91).