Top Universities Worldwide for Medicine & Law (2025)

Medicine & Health Sciences

1. University of Oxford — Times Higher Education ranks Oxford #1 globally in Clinical Medicine and Health, scoring above 90 in all core areas like research quality and teaching  .

2. Harvard University — According to QS subject rankings, Harvard leads the world in Medicine  .

3. University of Cambridge — Ranks top 5 globally in Medicine according to QS and appears strongly across global tables  .

4. Imperial College London — Holds the #4 spot in THE’s Medicine ranking, with strengths in epidemiology and biomedical engineering  .

5. Johns Hopkins University — Ranked top 5 worldwide for Medicine by THE and CEOWORLD Magazine, known for its leadership in public health and clinical research  .

Other notable entries include:

•Karolinska Institutet (Sweden) — Top 15 for Medicine in THE rankings  .

•UCL, University of Toronto, UBC, University of Melbourne — Also feature consistently in the top 25 for Medicine globally  .

Law & Legal Studies

1. Stanford University — Times Higher Education names Stanford the world’s leading law school in 2025  .

2. Harvard University — Ranked just behind Stanford for Law, showing remarkable research and teaching credentials   .

3. New York University (NYU) — Securely in the top 3 globally for Law, recognized for its research environment   .

4. University of Cambridge — Ranks within the top 5 worldwide for Law, alongside Oxford   .

5. Columbia University & UC Berkeley — Both institutions consistently appear in global top 10 Law rankings  .

Other high-ranking Law schools include:

•University of Chicago, Yale University, UCL (UK) — Frequently listed among the global top 10  .

Key Takeaways

If you’re aiming for the very best:

•For Medicine, the elite group includes Oxford, Harvard, Cambridge, Imperial, Johns Hopkins, plus institutions like UCL, Toronto, UBC, Melbourne, and Karolinska.

•For Law, the foremost tier encompasses Stanford, Harvard, NYU, Cambridge, Columbia, Berkeley, University of Chicago, Yale, and UCL.

These universities stand out not just for prestige but for research influence, academic excellence, and global recognition.

On the Ground Thoughts

“If you have the grades, look at the Russell Group… Top unis for law: Oxbridge, LSE, UCL, KCL, Durham, Bristol, Nottingham, Glasgow.”

Reddit comment on UK law schools  

This reflects that even within top schools, environment and culture matter choose wisely based on fit, not just ranking.