According to The Guardian University Guide, 2009:
| Rank | University |
| 1 | University of Oxford |
| 2 | University of Cambridge |
| 3 | London School of Economics |
| 4 | University of Warwick |
| 5 | University of St. Andrews |
| 6 | Imperial College London |
| 7 | University College London |
| 8 | School of Oriental and African Studies, London |
| 9 | University of Edinburgh |
| 10 | Loughborough University |
According to Good University Guide, Times Online, 2009:
| Rank | University |
| 1 | University of Oxford |
| 2 | University of Cambridge |
| 3 | Imperial College London |
| 4 | London School of Economics |
| 5 | University of St. Andrews |
| 6 | University of Warwick |
| 7 | University College London |
| 8 | Durham University |
| 9 | The University of York |
| 10 | Bristol University |
According to America’s Best Colleges, US News, 2009:
| Rank | University |
| 1 | Harvard University |
| 2 | Princeton University |
| 3 | Yale University |
| 4 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| 4 | Stanford University |
| 6 | California Institute of Technology |
| 6 | University of Pennsylvania |
| 8 | Columbia University |
| 8 | Duke University |
| 8 | The University of Chicago |