Record 27% of global top 200 universities now led by women

In the THE World University Rankings 2025, 27% of institutions—55 universities—are led by a female vice-chancellor or president, setting a new record for the sector.

This figure represents an increase from 25% in 2024, when 50 universities were led by women, and 24% in 2023, when the number was 48. Since 2015, when data collection began with just 28 female leaders, the number has nearly doubled—a 96% increase over 11 years.

Top ten universities in the world's top 200 that are led by women in 2025. Photo by THE

These figures far exceed the proportion of female leaders in the corporate world, where only 5.4% of Fortune Global 500 companies have a woman at the helm.

Among the 55 universities with female leaders, 16 are in the United States, including the world’s No. 2 tech institution, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The United Kingdom follows with eight, including the world’s No. 1, the University of Oxford, while the Netherlands and Germany each have seven represented.

Of the 30 countries or territories represented in the top 200, 15—including China, Canada, and South Korea—have no female university leaders.