There is little secret to Harvard’s predictable success on every major ranking of universities. For one thing, the Cambridge, Mass., university boasts an endowment that is larger than the GDP of nearly half the world’s countries — and a slate of prestigious faculty and alumni to match. The current UN secretary-general, US chief justice, and US president all attended Harvard, which QS also ranks first in the world in 11 academic disciplines.
Elise Amendola/AP/File
People are led on a tour on the campus of Harvard.