The University of New Mexico was ranked No. 256 in the recently released U.S. News & World Report’s 2021 Best Global Universities rankings. The rankings, now in its seventh year, evaluate nearly 1,500 research universities across 86 countries on academic research and reputation.

This year's edition includes schools from 86 countries, up from 81 last year. The U.S. has the most universities in the overall ranking with 255, followed by China (176), United Kingdom (87), France (70) and Germany (68).

“The Best Global Universities methodology places significant emphasis on academic research," said Robert Morse, chief data strategist at U.S. News. "With rankings by subject, region and country, students and their families can easily learn more about schools based on their specific needs and interests."

UNM is the highest-ranked institution in the state and also fares well in the west region overall. The University of Colorado-Boulder (No. 59), University of Arizona (No. 97), University of Utah (No. 142) and Arizona State (No. 146) are a few of the notable institutions ahead of UNM. A few other institutions of interest include Colorado State (No. 280), Texas Tech (No. 435) San Diego State (No. 614), Utah State (No. 706), Wyoming (No. 726), and BYU (No. 748). Other state institutions include New Mexico State (No. 750). While New Mexico Tech was unranked.

“This recognition as one of the very best global universities further highlights the exceptional quality of a UNM education,” said Dan D. García, vice president for enrollment management.  “The University of New Mexico is truly a world-class university and delivers a world-class education to our students.”

In addition to the overall rankings, the new edition includes country, regional and subject-specific rankings, such as engineering, economics and business, and computer science. Ten new subject rankings were added this year, for a total of 38. The new subjects are biotechnology and applied microbiology; cell biology; chemical engineering; endocrinology and metabolism; energy and fuels; gastroenterology and hepatology; infectious diseases; nanoscience and nanotechnology; public, environmental and occupational health; and radiology, nuclear medicine and medical imaging. 

UNM was highly-recognized in the following subject rankings:


Based on Web of Science data and InCites metrics provided by Clarivate, a global leader in providing trusted information and insights to accelerate the pace of innovation, the Best Global Universities methodology weighs factors that measure a university's global and regional research reputation and academic research performance. For the overall rankings, this includes bibliometric indicators such as publications, citations and international collaboration. Each subject ranking has its own methodology based on academic research performance in that specific area.

"The coronavirus pandemic has introduced additional factors to consider when pursuing higher education, especially if you're looking to earn a degree abroad," said Anita Narayan, managing editor of Education at U.S. News. "For prospective students, the Best Global Universities rankings provide a solid place to begin your search, create an initial list of schools and compare overall academic quality.

The Best Global Universities rankings serve the broader U.S. News mission of providing trusted information and rankings – such as Best Colleges, Best Graduate Schools and Best Online Programs – to help students navigate their higher education options. 

For a full list of the global and subject rankings, visit 2021 Best Global Rankings.