Are you studying politics, or know someone who is? How many of these tell-tale signs do you recognize? If you’re really a politics student, we know you’ll have an opinion to share – so please join the debate in the comments below, or on our YouTube channel.

Planning to study politics? As well as familiarizing yourself with these key character traits, you may also be interested in our ranking of the world’s top universities for politics and international studies…

Video by Kai Song for TopUniversities.com

Published annually, the QS World University Rankings by Subject aims to help students find the best university for them, using a methodology which considers various factors, including employer reputation. The accounting and finance ranking features 200 of the world’s leading schools in this field.

Read on for an overview of top universities for accounting and finance in each world region, or for the full interactive ranking table, click here.

Top universities for accounting & finance in the US and Canada 

The US lays claim to an impressive 52 representatives in the accounting and finance ranking – more than a quarter of all schools featured. As well as six in the top 10 (above), 11 more US universities rank within the top 50 in the world for this subject area. These include New York University (11^th), Yale University (15^th), Columbia University (16^th) and the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA, 17^th).

Meanwhile Canada features 11 entries in the accounting and finance ranking, including the University of Toronto and the University of British Colombia in the top 40, and three more schools in the top 100.

Top universities for accounting & finance in Europe

The UK is home to 28 of the world’s top universities for accounting and finance, with four in the top 10 and a further four in the top 50. Outside of the top 10 (see above), the UK’s leading entries in the ranking are the University of Manchester (joint 19^th), the University of Warwick (41^st), Imperial College London (44^th) and the University of Edinburgh (joint 50^th).

Other European countries contribute a further 44 entries to the ranking, with seven in Spain and six each in the Netherlands and Germany. Of these, the Netherlands performs best, with two schools in the top 50: Erasmus University Rotterdam and the University of Amsterdam. 

France features with five entries, including INSEAD and HEC Paris in the top 50, while Switzerland offers four representatives, including ETH Zurich and the University of St Gallen in the top 100. Also with four top accounting and finance schools is Italy, including Università Commerciale Luigi Bocconi in 27^th place.

Six top universities for accounting and finance are found in the Nordic countries, the highest ranked of which are Denmark’s Copenhagen Business School (40^th) and Stockholm School of Economics (51-100).

Finally, Ireland has two entrants, while Austria, Belgium, Greece and Portugal each claim one of the world’s top universities for accounting and finance. Of these, Belgium’s Katholieke Universiteit Leuven and Austria’s University of Economics and Business are the highest ranked, both in the 51-100 range.

Top universities for accounting & finance in Australia & New Zealand

Australia boasts 17 of the world’s top universities for accounting and finance, led by the University of Melbourne and the University of New South Wales in 12^th and 13^th place. Five more Aussie universities feature in the top 50, including the University of Sydney (18^th), Monash University (24^th) and the University of Queensland (26^th).

Meanwhile New Zealand is home to seven top universities for accounting and finance, with the University of Auckland leading the way in joint 34^th place. Joining it in the top 100 are Massey University, the University of Canterbury and Victoria University of Wellington.

Top universities for accounting & finance in Asia 

The Asian region features an impressive 37 top universities for accounting and finance, eight of which can be found in China (twice as many as last year). The highest-ranked Chinese universities for this subject are Peking University and Tsinghua University, both in the top 50.

South Korea and Hong Kong are next with six representatives each in the accounting and finance ranking, in both cases with all but one in the top 100. The highest-ranked South Korean university for this subject is Seoul National University (45^th), while the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) is the leading entry in Hong Kong, in joint 19^th place.

Japan and Malaysia each offer five top accounting and finance schools, the highest ranked of which is the University of Tokyo (42^nd). Singapore and Taiwan each have three representatives, with Singapore’s National University of Singapore (NUS) and Nanyang Technological University (NTU) both performing well at 14^th and 21^st places.  Taiwan’s National Taiwan University (NTU) is also a strong contender in the 51-100 range. Thailand also features in the ranking with one entry.

Top universities for accounting & finance elsewhere in the world

Three more of the world’s top universities in this field are found in Latin America, with Brazil, Chile and Mexico each featuring one school. Chile’s Universidad de Chile and Brazil’s Universidade de São Paulo both rank in the top 100 for accounting and finance, while Mexico’s Tecnológico de Monterrey (ITESM) is ranked 101-150.

Over in Africa, South Africa is new to this year’s ranking, with the University of Pretoria ranked 151-200. 

Want more content like this? Register for free site membership to get regular updates and your own personal content feed.

A new report, published today by QS, explores the key factors influencing US students’ decisions about where to study abroad. Based on a series of focus groups with prospective students in the US, alongside global survey data, the report highlights US students’ strong concern with return on investment (ROI) and value for money. Other key factors explored include the importance of networking opportunities, location and lifestyle, and flexible study pathways.

Assessing ROI

When choosing a university abroad, the report suggests, US students typically start by assessing the costs involved, and the value they can expect in return. This may seem surprising given their relatively high spending power compared to prospective students in other locations, but makes sense in the context of high study costs within the US, and widespread awareness of record-breaking levels of US student debt.

The report argues that these concerns remain at the fore of US students’ minds when considering study options abroad. Even more than other groups, they’re keen to assess the financial investment required, and the value added to their résumé as a result. When evaluating ROI, they typically consider a range of factors, including networking opportunities, graduate employment rates and outcomes, and support for students planning to stay and work locally.

Location, location, location

The report also explores the importance of location and lifestyle for US students, who tend to place a higher value on these factors when compared to their counterparts in other parts of the world. Whether intending to stay within the US or study abroad, US students want substantial reassurance that they will be happy in the local environment. If unable to visit in person, they’re keen to explore the campus and surrounding area from afar using virtual tours – though often find these are lacking.

Independence & flexibility

Throughout the process of choosing a university abroad, the report suggests that US students tend to adopt a more independent and confident attitude, compared to their peers elsewhere in the world. They are more likely to want to access information for themselves, rather than relying on advice from others. This independent streak also extends into their expectations about course structure; they often place a high value on opportunities to choose their own course options, rather than following a single pathway.

Titled “What Matters to International Students? Focus on the United States”, this new report is part of a series exploring the motivations and priorities of prospective international students in different parts of the world. The series has already covered Latin America and India, with upcoming reports to focus on China and South East Asia.