UMass Amherst has ranked among the top 10 universities in the U.S. in four academic subject categories and among the best in the world in 36 categories in the latest edition of the QS World University Rankings by Subject.

Image

The 2026 edition of the rankings, released March 25 by global higher education analyst QS Quacquarelli Symonds, provides independent comparative analysis on the performance of more than 18,300 individual university programs across 55 academic disciplines, taken by students at more than 1,700 universities in 100 locations around the world. In the U.S., more than 3,200 programs were ranked across 228 institutions. Additionally, five broad faculty areas are assessed: arts & humanities, engineering & technology, life sciences, natural sciences, and social sciences & management. 

Overall, UMass Amherst ranked globally in 36 different subjects. Highlighting the list, the university ranked fifth in the world and second in the U.S. in linguistics, 20^th in the world and seventh in the U.S. in development studies, tied for eighth in the U.S. in sports-related subjects and tied for 10^th in the U.S. in hospitality & leisure management. UMass also ranked in the top 25 in the U.S. in agriculture & forestry (20^th), modern languages (tied for 20^th) and communication & media studies (tied for 22^nd).

“I congratulate our academic programs who earned high rankings and those who rose in this year’s QS review,” said Fouad Abd-El-Khalick, provost and senior vice chancellor for academic affairs. “UMass Amherst’s inclusion in the top tiers of the QS World rankings reflects our status as a globally recognized comprehensive research university and our commitment to increase our global impact and influence as a primary goal in the For the Common Good strategic plan.”

“The QS World University Rankings by Subject 2026 highlight a global higher education landscape that is becoming both more competitive and more specialized,” said Ben Sowter, QS senior vice president. “While traditional leaders in the U.S., U.K. and parts of Europe continue to dominate many disciplines, we are seeing significant momentum from systems across Asia, the Middle East and Latin America. Institutions are increasingly building global reputations through targeted subject excellence, research collaboration and industry engagement. This year’s results show that strategic investment in specific disciplines – not just overall institutional strength – is becoming a defining feature of how universities compete and gain international recognition.”

The complete QS World University Rankings by Subject 2026 can be found at https://www.TopUniversities.com/subject-rankings. Detailed methodological information can be found at https://www.TopUniversities.com/subject-rankings/methodology.