UM recognized across 11 disciplines in global subject rankings

The Times Higher Education (THE) has released its World University Subject Rankings, highlighting the top 100 universities across 11 academic disciplines, with the University of Macau (UM) featured in all categories, while the Macau University of Science and Technology (MUST) and the City University of Macau (CityU Macau) also made the list.

The 2026 THE World University Subject Rankings cover 11 disciplinary categories: Arts and Humanities, Business and Economics, Medical and Health Sciences, Computer Science, Education Studies, Engineering, Law, Life Sciences, Physical Sciences, Psychology, and Social Sciences.

In this ranking, the University of Macau made improvements across several disciplines. Notably, its Education program entered the global top 100, ranking 83rd, up from 126th–150th in 2025, while Computer Science, Engineering, and Psychology advanced to the 101st–125th positions.

Additionally, Arts and Humanities, Medical and Health Sciences, Life Sciences, Physical Sciences, and Social Sciences all entered the top 200.

The other two ranked institutions in Macau secured positions in Business and Economics, Computer Science, Education Studies, Medical and Health Sciences, Psychology, and Social Sciences. Notably, the Macau University of Science and Technology outperformed UM in Business and Economics, ranking 175th overall.

According to the rankings highlights, five universities from mainland China have been positioned in the top 40, up from three last year, while a record six spots in the top 200 have been occupied by Hong Kong universities due to improved teaching metrics.

Phil Baty, chief global affairs officer at THE, reportedly stated that this year’s rankings reaffirm the shifting landscape of global higher education and research, with East Asia challenging the traditional dominance of Western institutions. Significant strides have reportedly been made in geostrategically critical fields such as Computer Science and Physical Sciences, particularly by China.

The THE World University Subject Rankings are adjusted based on the methodology used in the World University Rankings. Covering 11 major disciplinary fields, the rankings utilize 18 performance indicators across five key areas: teaching, research environment, research quality, international outlook, and industry.

These rankings provide a comprehensive assessment of academic and research performance of universities worldwide.