Oxford became the U.K.’s first university to top the Times Higher Education (THE) world rankings this year, ending the California Institute of Technology’s five-year streak.
Oxford’s rise can be attributed to its growing international reach: Research funding rose 10% and total income rose to 1.4 billion pounds ($1.83 billion), the Guardian reports. According to its own site, THE uses four indicators to compile the rankings: teaching, research, citations and international outlook.
Some have questioned whether universities like Oxford and Cambridge can retain their strength through the impending Brexit. Rankings editor Phil Baty told the Guardian, “The U.K. must ensure that it limits the damage to academics, students, universities and science during its Brexit negotiations to ensure that the U.K. remains one of the world leaders in higher education.”
After Caltech in the No. 2 slot, Stanford University, the University of Cambridge, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology rounded out the top 5. Check out the full list here.
More Must-Reads from TIME
- Why Trump’s Message Worked on Latino Men
- What Trump’s Win Could Mean for Housing
- The 100 Must-Read Books of 2024
- Sleep Doctors Share the 1 Tip That’s Changed Their Lives
- Column: Let’s Bring Back Romance
- What It’s Like to Have Long COVID As a Kid
- FX’s Say Nothing Is the Must-Watch Political Thriller of 2024
- Merle Bombardieri Is Helping People Make the Baby Decision
Write to Julia Zorthian at julia.zorthian@time.com