UK-based education network QS has released new statistics rating universities around the world for their courses in medicine, psychology and biological sciences. Universities from Australasia were able to demonstrate an upwards trend.

While most universities included in the listing were American institutions, universities from Australia, Singapore and Japan could also secure top positions in the medicine sector. The University of Melbourne rated 15th, while the National University of Singapore scored rank 18 and University of Tokyo made it to position 20. Five New Zealand Universities were ranked among the top 200. Auckland University ranked 27th for psychology and 39th for medicine and biological sciences. Wellington’s Victoria University ranked between 100 and 150 in psychology and 150 and 200 in biological sciences. Medicine is not offered at Victoria.

Harvard topped the list in all three categories, followed by British institution Cambridge and The Massachusetts Institute of Technology. University of Oxford made fourth, marking the second British faculty among the top 5. Stanford University came fifth.

"QS world university rankings for biomedical subjects show that not all the best work takes place in the UK and US. The top UK universities perform admirably in these rankings but Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the Netherlands and Hong Kong are all now offering a world-class English-language alternative", said John O'Leary, member of the QS academic advisory board.

The board’s rankings were based on teaching and research quality, graduate employability and internationality of staff and students.