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Eh, I don’t know about that. I think most people would agree that Cambridge is their peer in math, for example, and Oxford in philosophy. Both outperform HYPSM in some humanities and social sciences like classics, archaeology, Oriental studies, and geography. Law takes about 3 years, and medicine 6, a significant advantage over the American system in both time and money. Let’s also not forget the tutorial system, which even Williams (considered one of the most undergraduate-focused colleges in the US) has striven to emulate. Many of the museums and resources – Oxford’s Ashmolean, natural history museum, and Bodleian, for example – compare favorably with the holdings of any American university. </p>
<p>Princeton, MIT, and Stanford are stronger in engineering, and most/all of HYPSM may be a bit stronger in the sciences in general, but overall, I think Oxford and Cambridge perform quite well.</p>
<p>That said, I agree that there is a noticeable drop in quality and reputation after Cambridge and Oxford, and UK universities do seem to be a bit overranked in the QS ranking. UCL is arguably the third best university in the UK, and even it is probably closer to Toronto or Wisconsin than Stanford and Harvard.</p>