Taiwan higher education sees 20% drop in QS subject rankings

London, March 25 (CNA) Taiwan's higher education system saw a net 20 percent drop in the latest Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings by Subject released Wednesday.

Taiwan contributed 299 entries from 30 universities, including 257 individual subjects and 42 broad faculty areas.

Of these, 58 subjects rose, 119 fell, and 88 remained unchanged, resulting in a 20 percent decline.

Among Asian countries, South Korea suffered the steepest decline at 38 percent, followed by Hong Kong at 29 percent and China at 21 percent.

National Taiwan University (NTU) led Taiwan's performance, with 39 subjects in the global top 100.

Notably, NTU rose to sixth in Classics & Ancient History, up from 19th last year, securing Taiwan's only top-10 global placement.

QS ranks 55 academic disciplines and five broad faculty areas: Natural Sciences, Engineering and Technology, Arts and Humanities, Social Sciences and Management, and Life Sciences and Medicine.

NTU led Taiwan in all five broad areas, with each entering the global top 100.

It ranked 60th globally in Natural Sciences, up three places from last year.

The university placed 63rd in both Engineering and Technology (up 19) and Arts and Humanities (up seven), 67th in Social Sciences and Management (up six), and 83rd in Life Sciences and Medicine (down three).

National Kaohsiung University of Hospitality and Tourism climbed from 45th to 23rd globally in Hospitality & Leisure Management, the largest jump for a narrow subject.

QS Senior Vice President Ben Sowter said top-tier performances, led by NTU, remained strong despite overall declines.

He attributed the results to structural pressures, including demographic decline affecting university enrollment in Taiwan.

With Taiwan's growing national investment in AI and advanced tech, the international visibility of Taiwanese universities in the strategic STEM fields is expected to surge, Sowter said.

The 2026 QS World University Rankings by Subject covered more than 21,000 academic offerings from 1,900 institutions across 100 countries, according to a press release issued by the ranking service.

The rankings use five indicators, according to its website. They include academic reputation; employer reputation; research citations per paper; H-index, which measures total citations; and international research network.