Whenever you think of studying in abroad universities, it will be an obvious choice to go for top-ranked universities as you’d want the best of education for yourself. Quacquarelli Symonds Limited publishes QS World University Rankings annually. It reveals the top 1,000 universities across the world, covering 80 different locations. These rankings have gained prominence, and it is now an essential characteristic for a student to select a university for him/her.

There are various domains for Master in Science degrees, such as computer science, management, and data analytics. You need to know which MS degree will suit you best in your abilities.

Here, we will be providing you with the latest QS World Ranking, 2021. Five out of the top ten belong to the United States, and another four out of ten colleges belong to the United Kingdom.

1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

MIT has retained its first position for the almost ninth time in a row. MIT offers need-blind admissions to both local and international students, which refers to admission policy. A college does not consider an applicant’s financial situation during the admission process.

During 2019-20, MIT awarded $136.3 million in financial aid to 89% of the students of that batch. This institute is famous for science and technology. It is also involved in arts, sports, music, theatre, and several cultural fields. There are around 12 museums and galleries on campus, drawing nearly 1 lakh visitors each year.

2. Stanford University, US

Stanford University offers need-blind admission. But the University provides it to only domestic students and not to international students, unlike MIT. It implies that international students should, in advance, make arrangements for their funding either through loans, scholarships, or any other means.

All students applying at Stanford University for MS should apply for financial aid as well. For getting admission into Stanford, a GRE score is a must, along with a TOEFL exam score in the required band. A non-refundable fee of $125 needs to be paid before admission. The different department requires different materials, such as writing samples, answers to essays, LOR, and video essays. Be well versed in advance so that you prepare for answers well in advance.

3. Harvard University, US

This university considers both domestic and international students with the same guidelines and rules. It offers need-blind admission to both domestic as well as international students. Though need-blind admissions are enabled, MS is not fully funded, and students should be expected to contribute significantly.

The fee for the application process is $105, which is an online process. Documents to upload in the application form include university transcripts, a statement of purpose, letters of recommendation, and GRE test scores. International students from non-English speaking countries may have to demonstrate their language proficiency by taking an English proficiency test.

4.  California Institute of Technology (Caltech), US

Caltech is relatively small in size than other top universities. It focuses on subjects in the STEM group, i.e. Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. Both internal and external grants are allowed here. Applicants for MS must have a bachelor’s degree and are required to submit their degree transcripts, GRE test scores, a statement of purpose, letters of recommendation, and a resume. The admissions committee may also consider publications in the esteemed journal, research papers, and other original work. Ensure that you take all the necessary steps required for your work to outshine others before submitting your initial paperwork. The fee to apply for MS is currently $100.

5. University of Oxford, UK

Oxford University tops among all other universities of the UK for their MS programs. The Master’s program at Oxford is of lesser duration than other similar programs, usually lasting for one year only. It gives students much swift career progression they need.

Applicants must fill the Oxford’s graduate application form. They have to pay Euro 75 and upload the following supporting documents for their application to be considered: a statement of purpose, Bachelor’s degree transcript, academic references, and in some cases, a portfolio and written original work.

International students also need to submit their English test proficiency scores if they belong to a non-English speaking country where English is not a native language.

6. ETH Zurich – Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Switzerland

ETH offers a specialized program in natural sciences and engineering, and it is the only university in Europe to be ranked among the top 10 in QS world university rankings 2021. Here, the international students pay as much as home students, making it affordable and accessible for international students to get admitted. It offers 49 MS degree in different subjects.

ETH Zurich offers both consecutive Master’s degrees programmes, continuing directly from the corresponding Bachelor’s degree and specialized, interdisciplinary Master’s degrees. The fee for MS is $830 per semester, and it is identical for all.

7. University of Cambridge, UK

The research output of Cambridge university is very high, with a student-faculty ratio of 3:1. Almost 50% of the MS students here at Cambridge are international students, 40% being women.

Candidates must upload academic references, bachelors transcripts, GRE scores, an updated resume, and samples of written work via an online process. International applicants must also provide IELTS, TOEFL test scores as proof of their English proficiency.

Cambridge offers many scholarship opportunities from various sources, including the Cambridge Trust, which awards 500 scholarships annually, and Gates Cambridge, which awards approximately 100 postgraduate scholarships each year in any subject.

8. Imperial College London, UK

Imperial College offers around 250 postgraduate courses, which majorly focus on the STEMB aspect of education, i.e., science, technology, engineering, medicine, and business.

If you want to apply for a master’s degree at Imperial, the minimum requirement is a UK Lower Second Class Honours degree.

This college offers 50 President’s PhD scholarships for students who perform high in assigned tests. The tuition fee for international students is much more than that of domestic students (UK and EU).

9. University of Chicago, US

It is a private research university based in Chicago, US. It offers need-blind admissions for students from the US. Financial aid is provided for international students, which they should opt for while filling the admission form. All the students are automatically considered for merit-based scholarships, no need to fill a separate application.

Generally, an application to the University of Chicago for the MS program will mean completing an online application form. The application includes submitting bachelor degree transcripts, GRE test scores, a personal statement, letters of recommendation, a resume, and any additional material (e.g., essays, original work).

The average fee for both domestic and international students are similar and is around $49,000.

10.  UCL (University College London), UK

UCL MS programs focus more on the research part of the curriculum. In the 2014 Research Excellence Framework, it was ranked in the first position for research strength. It offers over 675 postgraduate courses. Although many UK scholarships are available, the fee for international students is generally almost double that for domestic students.

The graduate employability ranking of this university is 22 in 2020, which deteriorated from the 2018 ranking of 17.

We’ve provided a list of the top 10 MS colleges in the world for you. Based on different criteria that are of significant value to you, you can choose, such as scholarships, student-teacher ratio, research-based study, the program’s fee, university location. Always keep the points mentioned above in mind while making a fair decision for your career after undergraduate.

Author Bio 

Author Bio: Abhyank Srinet is a passionate digital entrepreneur who holds a Masters in Management degree from ESCP Europe. He started his first company while he was still studying at ESCP and managed to scale it up by 400% in just 2 years. Being a B-School Alumni, he recognized the need for a one-stop solution for B-School to get in touch with schools and get their application queries resolved. This prompted him to create MiM-Essay, a one-of-a-kind portal with cutting edge profile evaluation and school selection algorithms, along with several avenues to stay informed about the latest B-School Updates.