3 Israeli universities make world’s Top 100

Three Israeli universities have made the top 100 in the world according to a list by the Shanghai Jiao Tong University ranking, including the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Technion, and Weizmann Institute.

This is the first time ever that this many Israeli post-secondary institutes have ranked so high.

Hebrew U received the highest score ever out of any university in the Jewish state, placing 53^rd on the list. It was bumped up four spots from its 2011 ranking of 57.

The Technion in Haifa placed 78^th, while the Weizmann Institute ranked no. 93.

In addition, Tel Aviv University made the list’s top 150 while Bar Ilan and Ben Gurion University could both be found in the top 400.

The list is conducted annually by researchers at Shanghai Jiao Tong University in China, and it is considered the most reliable of all university rankings world-wide. The list includes the top 500 universities from among more than 1,000 universities evaluated around the world.

Harvard University ranked first overall, as it has each year since the list began in 2003. It was followed by Stanford, MIT, Berkley and the UK's University of Cambridge.

The rankings were also narrowed down to specific fields, giving Israel even more recognition.

In mathematics, Hebrew U ranked 16^th, Tel Aviv University in 30^th and the Technion in the top 74.

In computer sciences, the Weizmann Institute placed 12^th, the Technion in 15^th, Hebrew U in 27^th, and Tel Aviv University in 29^th.

“This proves that the government’s unprecedented investment in Israeli academia brings results,” said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “We are investing NIS 7 billion in the universities in a multiyear program, in centers of excellence and in bringing back Israeli academics who left the country.”

Netanyahu added that “our efforts have been fruitful. I am especially happy over the high ranking of Israeli institutions of higher learning in computer sciences, with four of them among the leading 30 institutions in the world. That’s another sign that Israel continues to establish itself as a world hi-tech power.”

Prof. Menachem Ben-Sasson, president of Hebrew U commented that the university “strives to be a leading research institution in Israel and the world. We aim to have the university ranked among the top universities in the world, but that depends on government support of education and research.”

Prof. Peretz Lavie, president of the Technion said that “such achievements are the result of the Technion's uncompromising excellence. Staff and researchers will continue to promote Technion students.”