For the third consecutive year, POSTECH has ranked first in the Times Higher Education 100 Under 50 with an overall score of 69.8. The Times Higher Education uses the same range of 13 performance indicators as in the World University Rankings to evaluate the universities under 50. However, it places less weight on the subjective indicators of academic prestige. Its evaluation criteria are research (30%), citations (30%), teaching (30%), interna- tional outlook (7.5%), and industry income (2.5%). In the category of research, it looks at the measure of a university’s research volume, income and reputation. Citations refer to research influence, and teaching is about the learning environment. The last criteria, industry income, evaluates the university according to its ability to reinforce industry with innovations. For the following categories, POSTECH was evaluated with research 64.7, citations 85.7, teaching 65.4, international outlook 33.8,  and industry income 100.0. Apart from the international outlook category, POSTECH was evaluated highly in all fields, especially in industry income. President Young Min Kim said, “Today’s announcement results from the active support of the Korean government, the public, and POSCO, as well as the tireless efforts of our faculty, researchers, students, and staff. We are proud to have been recognized for 3 consecutive years, and we will continue to strive for world-class excellence in education and in research as a young university.”
In the Times Higher Education 100 Under 50, Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (68.3) ranked second, followed by KAIST (67.4), Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (65.3), and Nanyang Technological University (61.7). It was noted that older universities may have dominated traditional global rankings due to “rich tradition and culture”, and an “enduring network of loyal and successful alumni”. However in modern times, other factors may prevail. The universities under 50 share the common traits of having a clear vision, strategic focus, dynamic culture, strong leadership, and support.