MONTREAL BEST CITY IN CANADA FOR UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

Montreal was just ranked the best city for university students in Canada, and the 10^th best in the world. The survey, conducted by the British firm QS, has Montreal beating out Chicago and New York City, and just behind Paris, London and Boston. Montreal scored so highly based heavily on its quality of life and number of international students.

Montreal has four universities and has a higher percentage of university students in its population than all other major North American cities.

What’s more, the average yearly tuition paid by Quebec students is the lowest in Canada. As well, the province offers a number of generous student aid programs.

While tuition for out-of-province and international students studying in Quebec is significantly higher, the children of new immigrants to the province can take advantage of the low in-province tuition rates.

IELTS TEST STRUCTURE

All candidates must complete four Modules - Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking - to obtain a band score, which is shown on the IELTS Test Report Form (TRF). All candidates take the same Listening and Speaking Modules, while the Reading and Writing Modules differ depending on whether the candidate is taking the Academic or General Training Versions of the Test.

Listening:

The listening module comprises four sections. Each section begins with a short introduction telling the candidates about the situation and the speakers. Then they have some time to look through the questions. The first three sections have a break in the middle allowing candidates to look at the remaining questions. Each section is heard only once.

Reading:

In the academic module the reading test comprises three sections, with 3 texts normally followed by 13 or 14 questions for a total of 40 questions overall. The General test also has 3 sections. However the texts are shorter, so there can be up to 5 texts to read.

Writing:

In the Academic module, there are two tasks: in Task 1 candidates describe a diagram, graph, process or chart, and in Task 2 they respond to an argument. In the General Training module, there are also two tasks: in Task 1 candidates write a letter or explain a situation, and in Task 2 they write an essay.

Speaking:

The speaking test contains three sections. The first section takes the form of an interview during which candidates may be asked about their hobbies, interests, reasons for taking IELTS exam as well as other general topics such as clothing, free time, computers and the internet or family. In the second section candidates are given a topic card and then have one minute to prepare after which they must speak about the given topic. The third section involves a discussion between the examiner and the candidate, generally on questions relating to the theme which they have already spoken about in part 2.

Duration

The total test duration is around 2 hours and 45 minutes for Listening, Reading and Writing modules.

• Listening: 40 minutes, 30 minutes for which a recording is played centrally and additional 10 minutes for transferring answers onto the OMR answer sheet.
• Reading: 60 minutes.
• Writing:  60 minutes.
• Speaking: 11–14 minutes.

(No additional time is given for transfer of answers in Reading and Writing modules)

The first three modules - Listening, Reading and Writing (always in that order) - are completed in one day, and in fact are taken with no break in between. The Speaking Module may be taken, at the discretion of the test centre, in the period seven days before or after the other Modules.

WHAT IS IELTS?

IELTS or 'International English Language Testing System', is an international standardised test of English language proficiency. It is jointly managed by University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations, The British Council and IDP Education Pty Ltd, was established in 1989.

Two Version of IELTS:
There are two versions of the IELTS:

1): The Academic Version and
2): The General Training Version


The Academic Version:
The Academic Version is intended for those who want to enrol in universities and other institutions of higher education and for professionals such as medical doctors and nurses who want to study or practise in an English-speaking country.

The General Training Version:

The General Training Version is intended for those planning to undertake non-academic training or to gain work experience, or for immigration purposes.

IELTS is accepted by most Australian, British, Canadian, Irish, New Zealand and South African academic institutions, over 3,000 academic institutions in the United States, and various professional organisations. It is also a requirement for immigration to Australia, New Zealand and Canada.

No minimum score is required to pass the test. An IELTS result or Test Report Form is issued to all candidates with a score from 1 (no knowledge) to 9 (expert user) and each institution sets a different threshold. Institutions are advised not to consider valid a report older than two years, unless the user proves that he has worked to maintain his level.

In 2007, IELTS tested over a million candidates in a single 12-month period for the first time ever, making it the world's most popular English language test for higher education and immigration.

AUSTRALIA EASE VISA PROCESSING FOR STUDENTS FROM 29 COUNTRIES

A statement released today by the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Chris Bowen MP, announced that the Government will make the visa application process easier for students from 29 countries by reducing assessment levels across a range of student visa subclasses. These changes go into effect from 24 March 2012. The news comes in response to the Department of Immigration and Citizenship’s (DIAC) 2011 review of student visa assessment level settings, which, as reported in a previous post, recommended that a number of assessment levels be changed.

“While it was recommended that some assessment levels be increased, I have decided to only implement the reductions in order to best support Australia’s international education sector,” Mr Bowen said.

“Lowering the minimum evidentiary requirement for the grant of a student visa for selected countries and visa subclasses is expected to help around 10,500 prospective students.These changes will particularly benefit the postgraduate research sector, English Language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students (ELICOS) and vocational education and training (VET) providers.” For example, South Koreans studying VET and ELICOS courses and postgraduate research students from China, India and Indonesia will now find it easier to apply for visas.

“The reduction in assessment levels builds on the measures implemented as a result of the Strategic Review of the Student Visa Program, undertaken by the Hon. Michael Knight, to ensure Australia remains an attractive study option for overseas students,” Mr Bowen said.

Assessment levels are an important tool in managing the student visa programme, as they ensure the efficient delivery of services to a diverse range of students while supporting the integrity of Australia’s immigration programme.

Universities Australia welcomed the changes to the student visa system, “It really is a terrific outcome not just for the higher education sector but for the Australian economy more broadly because at a time we’re seeing manufacturing struggling, tourism struggling, both primarily because of the strong Australian dollar, it’s really important for those industries that are strong to be able to step up to offset some of those economic implications,” said Universities Australia chief executive, Belinda Robinson.

STUDENT WORK VISA FOR CANADA

Many foreign students studying in Canada need to work to pay their bills while in Canada. Government has a visa for students to work while studying.

If you are a full time student (at least 15 hours a week) you can work on campus without a work visa. For students who want to work off campus, must have been studying in Canada for the past 6 months and be registered for the upcoming session. You will have to submit to Citizenship and Immigration Canada form IMM 5580. If you are approved, you will be allowed to work off campus.

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IN NETHERLANDS MASTERS SCHOLARSHIPS WILL BE TURNED IN TO LOANS

From 2013, Dutch students will no longer receive a scholarship during their masters studies. Legislation was recently passed to turn the scholarship into a loan. According to the student union LSVB this is the biggest budget cut ever for Dutch students.

The Dutch education authorities say students will face additional costs of up to EUR 3,200 (US$4,255) a year. They will be able to pay back the loan, provided by the government, over 20 years. The law is part of a EUR18 billion set of cuts introduced by the coalition cabinet.

Under-secretary of Education Halbe Zijlstra said: “It is not unreasonable to ask more of students financially. They will prosper in the future because of their education.”He added that the government – and thus the taxpayer – will keep on paying most of the costs of higher education programmes.The new law is controversial in The Netherlands.

According to the LSVB this is the biggest budget cut ever for Dutch students. Chair Pascal ten Have stressed that higher education will become less accessible for students. He fears that many will no longer pursue a masters because they do not want to end up with huge debts.Student organisation ISO emphasised that it is not fair for students to face higher costs without receiving a better education in return.

The law especially affects universities of science and technology, which have two-year masters programmes. Masters at most other universities are of one year’s duration. Anne Flierman, chair of Dutch Universities of Technology, thinks the law is odd because The Netherlands needs more science and technology postgraduates in the future. 

SCHOLARSHIPS FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

The UK government and other organisations in the UK offer a range of international student scholarships and awards.

Here is a brief look at some of the major scholarships and awards.

British Chevening Scholarships

The British Chevening Scholarship scheme aims to bring future leaders, decision-makers and opinion-formers to the UK for a period of postgraduate study. To be eligible, you should have a proven record of success and have the potential to rise to a position of power and influence in your chosen career.

Chevening awards are given annually to students from a wide variety of countries. They cover all or part of the cost of a one-year postgraduate course in the UK. Once you have completed the course, you will be expected to return to your home country. 

Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan (CSFP)

The CSFP is aimed at Commonwealth citizens who can make a significant contribution to their home country after studying in the UK. If you are from a developing country in the Commonwealth, your chosen area of work is expected to contribute directly to development objectives. If you are from a developed Commonwealth country, you should have the potential to become a leader in your chosen profession.

CSFP Scholarships are usually for between one and three years. They cover the cost of travel to and from the UK, tuition fees and living expenses. In some cases an allowance is paid to help with the cost of maintaining your spouse and family in the UK.

Commonwealth Shared Scholarship Scheme

The Commonwealth Shared Scholarship scheme assists students from developing Commonwealth countries who would benefit from higher education in the UK. If you are unable to study in the UK for financial reasons and are outside the scope of other British government support schemes, you may be eligible.

To apply for a Commonwealth Shared Scholarship you should be:

• of high academic calibre
• intending to study subjects of developmental relevance to your home country
• under 35 years old at the time your course starts
• able to speak fluent English
• not employed by your government or an international organisation
• resident in a developing Commonwealth country

Royal Society Fellowships

The Royal Society offers incoming fellowships for researchers from North America and Asia. The aim is to attract outstanding post-doctoral scientists to undertake high-quality research at a UK laboratory. 

Scotland's Saltire Scholarships

Under this scheme, 200 awards are available to postgraduate master’s students from Canada, China, India and the USA. This is part of the Scottish government's continuing support for the 'brightest and best' students to come and study in Scotland.

AUSTRALIA DOORS OPEN FOR FOREIGN STUDENTS

Australia's 39 universities are preparing for a brand new day in 2012: not only will government quotas on the number of local students they enrol be lifted, but they will also be able to recruit as many foreigners as they wish as a result of a new fast-track visa system.

In an unexpectedly generous move that surprised even sceptical vice-chancellors, the federal government decided to lift most restrictions on the issuing of student visas to overseas students applying for a university place, opening the way for a likely flood of new applications from China, India, Pakistan and other Asian countries.

Universities that agree to meet certain requirements regarding the students they admit will also have access to a new streamlined system that will speed up visa processing.

Australia Awards ___ Development Awards

Australia Awards are an Australian Government initiative designed to promote knowledge, education links and enduring ties between Australia, our neighbours and the global community. Australia Awards include Development Awards administered by AusAID and the Endeavour Awards administered by the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations.Development Awards are an important component of Australia’s investment in education They provide a range of opportunities for study, research and professional development in Australia. 

Australia's Development Awards provide opportunities for all.They are targeted to provide enhanced leadership, knowledge and technical skills to partner governments, tertiary institutions and strategic organisations that are driving sustainable development. Australia's Development Awards have been an important component of the Australian Government’s efforts to reduce poverty and achieve sustainable development since the 1950s.

They aim to:

• develop capacity and leadership skills so that individuals can contribute to development in their home country
• build people-to-people linkages at the individual, institutional and country levels.

Long term awards include

1. Australian Development Scholarships (ADS),
2. Australian Leadership Award Scholarships (ALA Scholarships) for high achieving applicants and
3. Australian Regional Development Scholarships (ARDS).
4. Australian Leadership Awards Fellowships (ALA Fellowships),
5. Prime Minister's Pacific-Australia Awards and short courses.

To ensure equity and broad participation, AusAID encourages women, people with disability, ethnic minorities, people living in rural areas and members of socio-economically disadvantaged groups to apply.

WHY STUDY IN CANADA?

Canada's Education System

Excellent and ranks among the best in the world. Moreover Canadian tuition fees are among the lowest as compared to other English-speaking countries.

Internationally Recognized Degrees

Canada boasts a wide range of quality educational institutions for both degrees and diplomas in technical and professional disciplines. 

Possibility To Work In Canada After Graduation

A foreign graduate from a Canadian post-secondary institution with at least one year of full-time (or equivalent) skilled work experience in Canada can apply for permanent immigration while living there.

A Safe, Stable Country

Canada is a peaceful, politically stable, and safe country. 

Excellent Health Care

Compared to other countries, medical insurance is inexpensive in Canada.

Canada Two Official Languages

Canada's two official languages (English and French) . 

A Multicultural Country

Over the past century and a half, Canada has welcomed 15 million immigrants. Canada has a national policy for multiculturalism and works to ensure that people's customs and traditions are preserved and respected. 

Spends More On Education

The country spends more on education (as a percentage of GDP) compared to the OECD average, and is the second highest among G-8 countries.

For further details about study in Canada Contact us on info@sourcesint.com

Barrier lifted to jobs for foreign graduates:

French officials have instructed the local authorities to review work permit applications from foreign college graduates following criticism from students, heads of universities and companies that immigration rules were forcing highly qualified graduates to leave the country, reports The New York Times.

AUSTRALIA AS AN ACADEMIC DESTINATION

AUSTRALIA AS AN ACADEMIC DESTINATION


The six states and two territories of Australia are responsible for providing higher education to their residents, but the federal government pays about 40 percent of the costs. In 2007 nearly one-million students were enrolled in the country’s 42 public and two private universities. 

Most students pay a portion of their tuition. The amount they pay is determined by the cost of instruction and their likely future earnings. 

The country offers six post secondary degrees: the diploma, advanced diploma, bachelor’s degree, graduate certificate/graduate diploma, master’s degree, and doctoral degree. The diploma and advanced diploma require two and three years of study, respectively. The bachelor’s degree requires three or four years; additional study of up to one year can result in a graduate certificate /graduate diploma. The master’s and doctoral degrees require an additional two and three years, respectively. 
  
The education ministry intends by 2012 to give a national agency the power to regulate accreditation and auditing of education providers. 

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HIGHER EDUCATION IN UK

Approximately 1.8 million students are currently enrolled in the UK higher education system; about one third of young people go on to higher education at age 18 (with almost 50% of students in Scotland), and an increasing number of "mature" students are studying either full-time or part-time for university degrees. Higher education is a current policy priority for the government, with a target set to attract 50% of 18- to 30-year-olds to higher education.

Undergraduate degrees take three years to complete in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, while at Scottish universities they last four years. At the graduate level, a master's degree is normally earned in a single year, a research master's degree takes two years and a doctoral degree is often completed in three years.

Professional courses, such as medicine, veterinary medicine, law and teaching, usually are undertaken as five-year undergraduate degrees.

For further details regarding admission in UK institutions contact us on info@sourcesint.com

CANADA AS ACADEMIC DESTINATION

The Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC), an organisation composed of Canadian universities, defines two distinct types of post-secondary institutions in Canada: universities and colleges. Universities grant university degrees, which include bachelor's degrees, master's degrees, and doctoral degrees; and colleges, also known as community colleges, provide diplomas. In some cases, universities must be a member of AUCC to be able to grant university degrees. However, in other provinces membership is no guarantee of university status. Provincial and territorial governments provide the majority of funding to their public universities, with the remainder of funding coming from the federal government, tuition fees, and research grants. The primary variation between universities in the provinces is the amount of funding they receive. Universities in Quebec receive the most funding and have the lowest tuition fees, while universities in Atlantic Canada generally receive the least funding. Among G7 countries, Canada has the highest proportion of post-secondary education graduates in the workforce. It also has one of the highest percentage of university graduates in the workforce, with 22%.


There are 83 universities in Canada that are independent post-secondary education institutions with degree-granting authority. Seven of these universities are in Montreal, Quebec. Since 2008, there are also five recognized universities within Metro Vancouver. Six are in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Five of these universities have campuses in Toronto, Ontario, the most populous city in the country. Three universities are in Ottawa, the country's capital city. The oldest university in Canada, Université Laval, was established in 1663. The Quest University is the smallest university in the country, with 80 students, and the University of Quebec is the largest, with 87,000 students.

For further details about admission services for Canada contact us on info@sourcesint.com

Why Students Use Agents?

There are big differences around the world in the reasons why students turn to education agents for university and student visa applications, with use of agents highest in regions and countries where there is less familiarity with the target education system. Language issues are also important, a new study by the British Council has found.

Analysis of 131,000 student responses, or 30,000 responses each year since 2007 gathered by the British Council for its just-released Student Insight report , found students in Europe were the least likely to use an education agent for assistance in applying for a university place while students in East Asia are most likely to commission their services.In Latin America and Africa, use of education agents varies more broadly from country to country.

"Prospective students and their parents view agents differently, depending on where in the world they live," said Elizabeth Shepherd, research manager for the British Council's education intelligence unit in Hong Kong.

However, in all countries they sought an agent only once they were seriously considering overseas study."They see it as a final stage of the process," Shepherd said.

"A big part of it is confidence. Study abroad is such a complicated issue and the perception is that it's an in-depth process to go through with a number of hurdles to cross," Shepherd said

"There will always be, especially for students entering an education system for the first time, a lot of them who have never been outside their own country."

Above all they want a time-saving and trustworthy source of guidance. "Students may seek an agent if they or their parents have never studied overseas before, or if they intend to study a newly popular subject and do not have an easily accessible reference point, or for many practical reasons, including needing someone to submit an application on their behalf or identify suitable accommodation," the study said.

"Agents have got a bad reputation. There are many awful stories. The purpose of our study was to look at students perception to gain an insight into how they have been treated," said Shepherd.

African students and students in China turn to agents to get information about universities themselves, while in South Asia the most sought after service is assistance in obtaining a student visa - possibly because there is already some familiarity with education systems in countries like Britain and the US.

Mobile Applications Use Exploding On Campus

Colleges and universities have made significant gains in deploying mobile applications over the past year, according to the 2011 Campus Computing Survey, the largest continuing study of higher-education technology use in the United States. But the survey also suggests that colleges have been slow to move key operational and research functions to cloud computing, and budget constraints continue to affect campus ed-tech services.

The 2011 survey shows big gains in the percentage of schools deploying mobile apps, and these gains appear across all types of institutions.More than half (55 percent) of public universities have activated mobile apps or plan to do so in the coming year, compared to a third (33 percent) in fall 2010. Public four-year colleges also posted good gains (44 percent in 2011, up from 18 percent in fall 2010), while the numbers more than tripled among community colleges (41 percent this year vs. 12 percent last fall).

Private institutions also saw gains in mobile app deployment. The number of private universities deploying mobile apps rose to 50 percent from 42 percent in fall 2010, and among private four-year colleges, the number rose from 25 percent to 44 percent.

“Several factors explain these dramatic gains,” said Kenneth C. Green, founding director of the Campus Computing Project. “Students come to campus expecting to use mobile apps on their smart phones and tablets to navigate campus resources and use campus services. Also important is that compared to a year ago, more firms—both LMS and ERP providers—now offer mobile options for their campus clients.”

Green, who unveiled the 2011 survey’s findings during the EDUCAUSE educational technology conference in Philadelphia, noted that some ed-tech providers now offer free mobile apps, which means the cost of going mobile has changed dramatically in the past year.

Other ed-tech providers have launched services to help colleges and universities create their own campus apps. For instance, AT&T demonstrated a service called MEAP during EDUCAUSE. MEAP, which stands for “Mobile Enterprise Application Platform,” helps colleges tie their back-office systems together and make these services available as a mobile app.

WHAT MOTIVATES INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS?

Overseas students head to Britain for quality, to the United States for career improvement and to Germany for low tuition, according to a new study. The British Council’s Student Decision Making Survey includes information gathered from around 115,000 students, from 200 countries, who hope to study abroad. The poll has been conducted over the past three and a half years.

The introduction to the report notes that the market for overseas students is becoming "more sophisticated," with domestic higher education investment in many countries making overseas study less attractive, and courses taught in English increasingly being offered in non-English-speaking countries.

The survey found that when choosing a country, just over half of students put quality of education in their top three priorities. Just over a quarter (26.3 per cent) see the reputation of a country’s universities as a key factor. Of students naming Britain as their ideal destination, 59 percent said they considered quality of education the top priority – the highest rating of any destination country on that criterion.

Prospective students aiming to study in the U.S. were most likely to focus on enhancing their career prospects (38 percent). Those with their eyes on Australia or Canada were more inclined than others to see the opportunity to work while studying as a key consideration (24 percent), while those seeking a place in Germany were most likely to mention low tuition fees as a priority (25 percent).

But overall the "cost of studying overseas does not feature strongly when students are choosing a study destination," according to the survey, with only one in 10 citing low tuition as one of the three most important factors.The survey found that when asked to identify three factors that most influenced their initial decision to study abroad – before choice of destination – higher quality is cited by 54.2 percent, followed by career improvement (53.8 percent) and the chance to live overseas (51.5 per cent).

The survey report notes changes in the market. "Having traditionally drawn students who are comfortable with the English language, the UK is now competing with non-English speaking countries offering tuition in English," it says. "In addition, some of the key countries for international students are investing heavily in their domestic higher education systems, making study abroad less attractive at undergraduate level."

According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, five countries attract a combined 50 percent of all students studying outside their home nations: the United States (19 percent), Britain (10 percent), Germany (7 percent), France (7 percent) and Australia (7 percent). But the market shares of most of these countries have dropped over the past eight years.

The OECD’s recent Education at a Glance 2010 report found that the US share of the overseas student market fell from 26 to 19 percent over an eight-year period, and Britain's share dropped by two percentage points. The shares of Australia, Korea and New Zealand rose by one percentage point and Russia’s by two percentage points.The OECD also noted that "an increasing number of institutions in non-English-speaking countries now offer courses in English to overcome their linguistic disadvantage in terms of attracting foreign students," a trend identified with the Nordic countries in particular.

Cambridge English test recognized by UK and Australia:

The Cambridge University's Certificate of Advanced English is now recognized by the UK Border Agency (UKBA) and Australia's Department.

Cambridge said that the decision by UK immigration and Australia immigration was made in a bid to attract more students to higher education establishments both in Australia and the UK. Both countries have recently come under fire for bringing in stricter student immigration rules.

The UK recently brought in more restrictions on foreign students working in the UK. The UK also intends to axe the popular Tier 1 Post Study Work visa scheme. Australia had made English language requirements somewhat tougher for foreign students; More recently, following concerns from the country's education sector, Australia immigration eased some of the requirements for those applying for student visas. UKBA now recognizes Cambridge's Key English Test, Preliminary English Test, Business English Certificate, Certificated Version of Business Language Testing Service, Certificate of Advanced English, Certificate of Proficiency in English, International Legal English Certificate and International Certificate of Financial English as suitable tests to confirm English language ability.

In the past, the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) was the main test used for assessing English language ability. However, it is not always easy for students to find places on IELTS courses due to the high demand for these tests.

CANADA: Colleges see surge in Indian applicants

Canadian colleges opened their doors last week to accommodate a huge surge of new students coming from the Indian subcontinent. The Association of Canadian Community Colleges, or ACCC, is projecting about 12,000 Indian students.

At one institution, Centennial College in Toronto, staff members have been greeting students at a welcome booth at Pearson International Airport for the past two weeks.

The popularity of Canada as a higher education destination for Indians has been growing over the past several years. Statistics from the Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) office in India recorded a 511% increase in the number of students coming to study between 2007 and 2010 - from 1,503 students in 2007 to 9,176 in 2010.

Established in April 2009 with 20 participating member colleges, it has since grown to encompass 43 colleges in six provinces across Canada.

Indian students are attracted to Canada for its business and engineering programmes. One-third of the students are high school graduates, while the rest are three-year university graduates who hope that postgraduate diplomas will improve their employment chances.

Many are also interested in taking advantage of the immigration pathway Canada offers international students who wish to become permanent residents.

Cambridge still top in QS university ranking

The University of Cambridge has retained the leading place in the 2011 QS World University Rankings after displacing Harvard University in 2010. But Oxford University, which was fifth last year, dropped a place as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology continued its move up the rankings to third place. MIT was in ninth place in 2009, and fifth last year.

Harvard's failure to recapture first place from Cambridge was despite its domination of the series of subject tables published by QS over the past few months. Observers attributed this to the continuing impact of the decline in staffing levels that cost it the top place in 2010.

Ben Sowter, QS head of research, said: "The gap between Cambridge and Harvard is very small, but Cambridge's superior student-faculty ratio helped tip the balance.

"Individual attention is one of the key attractions of the Oxbridge tutorial system."

Writing for QS, John O'Leary, former education editor of The Times, pointed out that both the 33,000-plus academics from 141 countries and the 16,785 employers responding to the surveys, had placed Harvard top.

"But Cambridge's superiority on other indicators gave it the overall lead."

Universities from 38 countries appear in the top 300, and from 32 in the top 200, three up on 2010. Almost 3,000 institutions were included in the research that produced the latest rankings, with 712 featuring in the results.

North America and the United Kingdom continue to dominate the rankings. US universities occupy 13 of the top 20 and 70 of the top 300 places. Despite higher rankings from McGill (up two places at 17th, the highest ranked university outside the US and the UK) and Toronto (up six to 23rd), 14 of 19 Canadian universities ranked lower than in 2010. In the UK, four universities made the top 10 and 18 were in the top 100.

In 18th place, ETH Zurich remains the leading university in continental Europe, ahead of the École Normal Supérieur (33rd), the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (35th) and l'Institut des Sciences et Technologies Paris (36th).

No German university makes the top 50 despite the federal government's EUR1.9 billion (US$2.7 billion) Excellence Initiative. Heidelberg and the Technische Universität München are placed 53rd and 54th respectively, trailing the leading Danish university (Copenhagen) at 52nd. The highest placed Swedish university, Uppsala, falls from 62nd to 83rd.

Australian universities again performed strongly, with all G8 universities in the top 100. The Australian National University (26th) ranked highest, with Melbourne (31st) closing the gap from 18 places to five, while Sydney is placed 38th.

Top universities in Asia are also highly placed with Hong Kong University (22nd) ahead of Tokyo (25th), the National University of Singapore (28th) and Kyoto (32th). India's difficulties in making an impact continue, with the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, dropping out of the top 200. But in China, Tsinghua (47th) has joined Peking (46th) in the top 50.

Ten universities are represented in the top 200 for the first time, including the Universidad Nacional Autóma de Mexico and the Universidade de São Paulo in Brazil (169th).

In 200th place King Saud University, in Saudi Arabia, makes the top 200 for the first time, with six other Middle Eastern universities in the top 300. The University of Cape Town, the only African institution to make the top 200, is in 156th place, up five places from last year.

For the first time this year the QS results are published alongside comparative data for international tuition fees.

Nunzio Quacquarelli, QS managing director, said: "Since students are generally being charged more than ever before for their education, QS is publishing for the first time ever comparative course fees of ranked universities