Time magazine ranked 500 universities using three measures: academic capacity and performance (60 percent), innovation and economic impact (30 percent), and global engagement (10 percent).

University of Auckland scored 67.63 for innovation and economic impact, 62.84 for academic capacity and performance, and 57.4 for global engagement, for a total score of 63.73.

The methodology also emphasised societal and economic impact, international reach, and student success such as patenting inventions or moving into business leadership roles.

Professor Rod McNaughton. Photo: Supplied

Professor Rod McNaughton said the “real significance” is what the ranking reveals about New Zealand’s innovation capability, and that the university would rank about 20 places higher if ranked only on innovation.

He said it sits in a similar innovation-impact band to the University of Sydney, Boston University and the University of Manchester.

For Hibiscus Coast readers weighing up New Zealand study options, this list has one local headline.

University of Auckland is the only New Zealand university in the top 100, with University of Otago at 155, University of Canterbury at 258 and Victoria University of Wellington at 260.

Vice-Chancellor Professor Dawn Freshwater. Photo: Supplied

Vice-Chancellor Professor Dawn Freshwater said the ranking reflects growing international recognition for the university’s academic and research activity, and its ability to translate that strength into innovation and economic impact.

The top ten were University of Oxford, Yale University, Stanford University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Chicago, Harvard University, University of Cambridge, Imperial College London, University of Michigan and University of Pennsylvania.

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