The University of Arizona, a public research institution in Tucson, Arizona, United States, ranks #4 globally for Space Science in the U.S. News Best Global Universities 2026-2027, the highest-ranked single subject on its profile. The University of Arizona sits at #287 in QS World University Rankings 2026 and #137 in the Collegedunia Study Abroad 2026 list, with its Earth Sciences program placed at #19 globally by ARWU 2025.

  • QS World University Rankings 2026: #287 globally, #49 in the USA
  • Collegedunia Study Abroad Rankings 2026: #137 globally, #51 in the USA
  • THE World University Rankings 2026: #138 globally, #22 among US public universities
  • U.S. News Best Global Universities 2026-2027: #115 globally, #23 among US public universities

Note for Indian applicants: The University of Arizona’s strongest cards sit in Earth Sciences, Space Science and Water Resources, where its #4, #19 and #31 global subject ranks far exceed its #287 QS overall position. IIT Bombay leads India at #129 in QS 2026 for general research strength, yet no Indian institution matches Arizona’s #4 global benchmark in Space Science. For atmospheric, planetary or earth-science applicants, the subject pedigree weighs more than the overall band.

Read More: The University of Arizona Admissions 2026: Deadlines, Eligibility & Acceptance Rate for Indian Students

The University of Arizona Overall Rankings 2026

The four major bodies place The University of Arizona between #115 and #287 globally, a 172-position spread that points to a subject-heavy strength profile rather than a uniform headline band.

Ranking Body (Edition)The University of Arizona Rank
Collegedunia Study Abroad 2026#137 globally, #51 USA
QS World University Rankings 2026#287 globally, #49 USA
THE World University Rankings 2026#138 globally, #22 US public
ARWU (Shanghai) 2025#151-200 globally
U.S. News Best Global Universities 2026-2027#115 globally, #23 US public

U.S. News rewards citations and subject impact, where Arizona’s space and earth science programs lift the figure 172 places above its QS position. For Indian applicants weighing research-intensive PhDs, that gap signals stronger recruiter recognition in atmospheric and planetary fields than the QS band alone suggests.

The University of Arizona Rankings: Bottom Line for Indian Students

The University of Arizona ranking for Indian students reads sharpest at the subject level, not the headline band. The university’s #4 Space Science, #19 Earth Sciences and #31 Water Resources global positions translate directly into recruiter recognition for niche STEM tracks where IIT-tier institutions are not the primary feeder.

SignalDataWhat it means for Indian applicants
Strongest global subject#4 Space Science (U.S. News 2026-2027)NASA-grant programs accept Arizona astrophysics PhDs into top postdoc tracks
Closest Indian alternative (overall)IIT Bombay #129 in QS 2026IIT Bombay leads on overall research; Arizona leads on space and earth sciences
THE rank trajectory#180 (2023) to #138 (2026)42-position climb signals strengthening research reputation, alumni brand stays strong
CD-vs-QS gapCD #137 vs. QS #287India-focused recruiters weight subject strength above the QS overall band
ARWU stabilityFlat at #151-200 since 2023Degree value is stable, no rank-driven brand erosion

Quick takeaway

  • Headline rank: #287 in QS 2026 places Arizona outside the global top-100 band, while U.S. News at #115 and CD at #137 close the gap by 172 positions.
  • Where it leads: #4 Space Science (U.S. News and THE), #4 Library Science, #14 Water Resources and #19 Earth Sciences (ARWU 2025) sit ahead of every Indian institution on those single subjects.
  • Indian applicant signal: Pick Arizona for atmospheric, planetary, hydrology, library science or pharmacy specialisations; the QS overall band carries less weight on those tracks.

The University of Arizona QS World University Rankings 2026

The University of Arizona is ranked #287 in QS World University Rankings 2026, holding inside the #260-290 global band for five straight editions. QS, which ranks universities based on academic reputation, employer opinion and research, places Arizona at #49 among US universities for this edition.

Arizona’s QS movement reads narrow: a 25-position drift from the 2023 peak of #262 to the current #287, with no inflection year breaking the steady slide.

YearThe University of Arizona QS Rank
2026#287
2025#293
2024#285
2023#262
2022#268

The 5-year average sits at #279. The #262 peak in 2023 is the band ceiling; since then the rank has slipped 25 positions without recovering above #285. For Indian applicants, this signals neither rapid climb nor decline, the degree brand value stays intact for hiring across the US market.

Key insight: Arizona’s QS position has stayed within a 31-point band (#262 to #293) for five consecutive editions, a stability that matters more to Indian recruiters than the headline rank itself.

QS Sustainability 2026 separately places Arizona at #455, its lowest-ranked QS league outside the headline World list.

Read More: The University of Arizona Courses and Fees 2026 for Indian Students

Collegedunia Study Abroad Rankings of The University of Arizona

The Collegedunia Study Abroad ranking of The University of Arizona places the institution at #137 globally and #51 in the USA for 2026, with stream-wise positions tracking subject-by-subject India-relevance.

Arizona’s strongest CD streams are Social Studies (#101) and Arts and Humanities (#113), both ranked 36+ positions ahead of its Computer Science stream at #203.

CategoryCollegedunia Rank 2026
Overall Global#137
Overall USA#51
Social Studies#101 globally, #39 USA
Arts#113 globally, #41 USA
Humanities#113 globally, #41 USA
Health Care#122 globally, #42 USA
Medicine#122 globally, #42 USA
Engineering#135 globally, #46 USA
Law#147 globally, #45 USA
Computer Science#203 globally, #69 USA

Computer Science at #203 lags Arizona’s overall position by 66 places, the widest gap in the stream list. For Indian applicants targeting CS roles in US tech recruitment, the gap signals weaker brand pull than peer flagship streams such as Engineering at #135 or Medicine at #122.

India-relevance: CD #137 sits 150 positions ahead of QS #287, a divergence that captures Arizona’s appeal for Indian PhDs in research-heavy subjects which QS’s reputation-weighted methodology underrates.

The University of Arizona Times Higher Education (THE) Rankings

The University of Arizona is ranked #138 in Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2026, #45 in the United States and #22 among US public universities. THE, which ranks universities based on teaching, research, citations, industry income and international outlook, gave Arizona its highest performance score on research quality (86.1 out of 100).

Arizona’s 42-position THE jump from #180 in 2023 to #138 in 2026 is the sharpest 4-edition climb across any major ranking body that lists the university.

YearThe University of Arizona THE Rank
2026#138
2025#136
2024#155
2023#180

The 2025 peak at #136 marks the strongest position the university has occupied on THE; the slip to #138 in 2026 trails inside the same global band and signals no methodology shock. For Indian applicants, a 42-position climb in three editions raises the recruiter brand value of an Arizona degree against US peer institutions in the #150-200 range.

Trend signal: A 4-edition climb from #180 to #138 lifts Arizona above 42 universities in the THE table, a tail-wind on alumni recruiter recognition that the QS league alone does not capture.

The University of Arizona ARWU (Shanghai) Rankings

The University of Arizona occupies the #151-200 global band in the ARWU (Shanghai) Rankings 2025. ARWU, which ranks universities mainly on research output and citation impact (Nobel laureates, Highly Cited Researchers and publications in Nature and Science), has held Arizona inside this band for three consecutive editions.

Arizona’s ARWU profile dropped one band in 2023 and has held flat since, the longest stability streak of any major ranking body on its page.

YearThe University of Arizona ARWU Rank
2025#151-200
2024#151-200
2023#151-200
2022#101-150
2021#101-150

The 2022-to-2023 single-band drop is the only inflection in the 5-year window; the three flat editions since point to stable research output rather than declining quality. For Indian applicants comparing programs, ARWU’s heavy citation weighting still places Arizona ahead of most non-IIT and non-IISc Indian institutions on absolute research metrics.

Note: A flat three-year ARWU position is itself a signal: Arizona’s Highly Cited Researcher count and Nature/Science publication output have not eroded, even as overall QS positioning slipped by 25 places.

The University of Arizona U.S. News Best Global University Rankings

The University of Arizona is ranked #115 globally in U.S. News Best Global Universities 2026-2027, placing it inside the top 10% of 2,250 ranked institutions worldwide. The university stands at #44 in the United States and #23 among US public universities, with depth across space science, earth sciences and water resources.

Arizona’s strongest U.S. News play sits in space and earth sciences, where its #4 global Space Science position is the highest single-subject rank across any ranking-body card on its profile.

U.S. News 2026-2027 SubjectThe University of Arizona Global Rank
Space Science#4 globally, #2 US public
Geosciences#25 globally, #10 USA
Water Resources#31 globally, #2 USA
Meteorology and Atmospheric Sciences#45 globally
Environment and Ecology#62 globally
Plant and Animal Sciences#77 globally
Arts and Humanities#88 globally

Space Science at #4 globally sits 111 places ahead of the overall #115 position. The seven subjects placed inside the global top-100 confirm that Arizona’s reputation runs on STEM research depth rather than general academic breadth, a profile signal Indian PhD applicants in NASA-grant pipelines weigh more than the overall band.

India-relevance: Arizona is ranked on 35 of 51 U.S. News subject lists, with Space Science (#4 global, #1 among US public universities) anchoring the headline metric for Indian applicants in astrophysics and planetary science.

The University of Arizona Subject Rankings

The University of Arizona subject rankings span QS, THE, ARWU GRAS and U.S. News lists, with the strongest pull in Earth Sciences, Space Science, Water Resources and Library and Information Science.

Key insight

  • Space Science: #4 globally on U.S. News 2026-2027 and #4 globally on THE 2026, the only subject where two major bodies converge inside the global top 5.
  • Library and Information Science: #4 globally in ARWU GRAS 2025, a niche where Arizona outranks every US public university on the list.
  • Water Resources: #14 globally in ARWU GRAS 2025 and #31 in U.S. News, the strongest applied science card.
  • Earth Sciences: #19 globally in ARWU GRAS 2025 and #25 in U.S. News.
  • Physical Sciences (THE 2026): #45 globally, a 15-spot improvement on the previous edition.

The University of Arizona Space Science Ranking

The University of Arizona is ranked #4 globally for Space Science in U.S. News Best Global Universities 2026-2027 and #2 among US public universities. THE 2026 places the university at #4 in the World in Space Sciences, the only subject where two major rankings agree inside the global top 5. The National Science Foundation 2024 file separately ranks Arizona #2 in Astronomy and Astrophysics expenditures, a research-funding metric that maps directly to Indian PhD assistantship pipelines.

Key insight: Arizona’s Space Science position sits 111 places ahead of its U.S. News overall rank of #115, the widest subject-to-overall gap on the entire ranking profile.

The University of Arizona Earth Sciences and Water Resources Ranking

ARWU GRAS 2025 places Arizona at #14 globally for Water Resources and #19 globally for Earth Sciences. U.S. News 2026-2027 corroborates with Water Resources at #2 in the US (#31 global) and Geosciences at #10 in the US (#25 global). Two independent bodies inside the global top-25 on the same applied science discipline is a stronger consistency signal than the overall #287 QS band suggests.

The University of Arizona Library and Information Science Ranking

ARWU GRAS 2025 places Arizona at #4 globally for Library and Information Science, the highest single-subject ARWU position on the university’s profile. The school’s iSchool program sits ahead of every US public university on this metric, a niche Indian applicants in MS Information Science (Machine Learning) tracks can leverage directly.

The University of Arizona Engineering, Computer Science and Business Subject Ranks

THE 2026 places Arizona at #176-200 in Engineering and #176-200 in Business and Economics. Computer Science is ranked at #301-400 by THE 2026 and #203 by Collegedunia 2026. ARWU GRAS 2025 separately places the university at #44 globally for Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences and #36 for Communication, both stronger than the engineering or CS bands.

SubjectARWU GRAS 2025THE 2026U.S. News 2026-2027
Space Science--#4#4
Library and Information Science#4----
Water Resources#14--#31
Earth Sciences#19--#25
Communication#36----
Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences#44----
Physical Sciences--#45--
Engineering--#176-200--
Computer Science--#301-400--

The spread between Arizona’s strongest subject (#4 Space Science) and weakest (#301-400 Computer Science) is roughly 300 places, the widest subject-to-subject divergence on its profile. For Indian applicants, this confirms a "pick the program, not the school" rule: a Space Science or Earth Sciences placement carries far more recruiter weight than a CS placement at the same university.

The University of Arizona Rankings: Indian Student Outlook

The University of Arizona ranking for Indian students reads sharpest at the subject level. The Tucson campus hosts roughly 293 Indian students per the most recent College Factual count, a small base relative to ASU but concentrated in STEM and data-driven masters programs.

The programs Indian students most commonly choose at The University of Arizona include:

  • MS Data Science: ranked #9 by Forbes among US data science programs; aligns with Arizona’s mathematics and statistics depth.
  • MS Computer Science: a STEM-OPT eligible pathway, though THE places CS at #301-400 globally.
  • MS Information Science (Machine Learning): connects directly to the iSchool’s #4 ARWU Library and Information Science rank.
  • MS Business Analytics: graduate analytics track inside the Eller College of Management.
  • MBA (1-year): accelerated MBA option with Eller College branding.
Indian applicant signalDataComparison signal
Best-fit subject pull#4 Space Science, #14 Water ResourcesNo Indian institution placed inside U.S. News global top 50 on Space Science
Overall band checkQS 2026 #287 vs. IIT Bombay #129IIT Bombay leads on QS overall by 158 positions
Brand stabilityARWU flat at #151-200 for 3 editionsDegree value preserved against peer-group drift
CD-vs-QS gapCD #137 vs. QS #287CD weights Indian applicant signal higher than QS overall
Engineering pathwayTHE 2026 #176-200IIT Bombay engineering ranks inside QS global top-50

Indian applicant takeaways

  • Pick Arizona for niche STEM: Atmospheric Science, Planetary Science, Hydrology, Library and Information Science, Pharmacy. Single-subject ranks beat every Indian alternative on those tracks.
  • Skip Arizona for pure CS prestige: Computer Science sits at THE #301-400 and CD #203, a 66-position lag versus the overall position.
  • Watch the rank stability: QS and ARWU bands have held within 25 points and one band respectively for five editions, no rank-driven downside risk for the degree brand.
  • U.S. News carry-over: #115 global and #23 US public translates into recruiter brand parity with top-25 US public schools for Indian PhDs in geosciences and space.

The University of Arizona ranking pattern rewards Indian students who pick subjects where Arizona leads, not those who shop by the QS overall band. The 42-position THE climb since 2023 and the #4 global Space Science position are the two metrics most worth weighing against IIT or IISc alternatives.

The University of Arizona Ranking FAQs

Ques. What is the QS World University Ranking of The University of Arizona in 2026?

Ans. The University of Arizona is ranked #287 in QS World University Rankings 2026 and #49 among US universities. The QS position has stayed within a 31-point band for the past five editions, with a 2023 peak of #262.

Ques. What is The University of Arizona Times Higher Education ranking in 2026?

Ans. The University of Arizona is ranked #138 in THE World University Rankings 2026, #45 in the United States and #22 among US public universities. The university has climbed 42 positions on THE since the 2023 edition.

Ques. Which subjects is The University of Arizona ranked highest in?

Ans. The University of Arizona is ranked #4 globally for Space Science (U.S. News 2026-2027), #4 for Library and Information Science (ARWU 2025), #14 for Water Resources and #19 for Earth Sciences. THE 2026 separately places it at #4 in the World in Space Sciences.

Ques. What is the Collegedunia Study Abroad ranking of The University of Arizona?

Ans. The Collegedunia Study Abroad ranking of The University of Arizona stands at #137 globally and #51 in the USA for 2026. Stream-wise it leads in Social Studies (#101 global) and Arts and Humanities (#113 global) and trails in Computer Science (#203 global).

Ques. How does The University of Arizona ranking compare to ASU and IIT Bombay?

Ans. The University of Arizona is ranked #287 in QS 2026, behind IIT Bombay at #129 and Arizona State University inside the QS #170s range. Arizona leads ASU on ARWU subject depth in Earth Sciences, Water Resources and Library and Information Science.

Ques. What is The University of Arizona’s ARWU Shanghai ranking in 2025?

Ans. The University of Arizona sits in the #151-200 global band in ARWU 2025. The university has held this band for three consecutive editions after slipping from the #101-150 band in 2022.

Ques. What is The University of Arizona’s U.S. News Best Global Universities ranking?

Ans. The University of Arizona is ranked #115 globally in U.S. News Best Global Universities 2026-2027, #44 in the United States and #23 among US public universities. The university earned a #4 global Space Science position on the same list.