Times Higher Education (THE) once more drew on data from previous rankings to create its list of “Most International Universities in the World 2023.” It seems that geography, history, size, and linguistic factors all work together to make some countries’ universities particularly international, especially in Hong Kong.

English-speaking nations, or those having universities that teach in English, predominate across the 200 universities in the 2023 edition of the ranking, even though universities in Hong Kong, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and Singapore occupy the top 10 spots.

The rating includes information from 32 nations. An indication of the popularity of English language programs may be seen in the fact that 15 UK universities—all of which are among the top 50 universities—are joined by numerous schools from the Netherlands (seven), Australia (seven), and Canada (three).

There are 60 universities in the United States, but the percentages of international faculty, staff, and publications are fairly low; the majority range from 50 to 150. The number 128 represents the first of China’s 18 universities. Germany (12), Japan (11), the Russian Federation (8), France (7), and South Korea are among the nations with a sizable number of universities included (six).

The fact that institutions in smaller nations perform better in the ranking of the “most international universities” than they do in the overall THE World University Rankings 2023 is not surprising, according to Hans de Wit, distinguished fellow and professor emeritus at Boston College Center for International Higher Education in the United States.

The explanation is that because these universities are located in smaller nations with several international boundaries, they draw individuals from other countries.

The University of Hong Kong has topped the list of THE Most International Universities for three years running. Though in a different sequence from the previous year, Swiss universities ETH Zurich and École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) retained the second and third positions.

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, City University of Hong Kong, and Hong Kong Polytechnic University are ranked fourth, fifth, and sixth, respectively.

In the case of Hong Kong, the usage of English, history as a former colony that was highly internationalized, and geographical and historical linkages to China have combined to create universities that, by student, staff, and publication standards, are very international.