1.California Institute of Technology
                                     

                                       

At number one position is California Institute of Technology, USA.

It was founded in 1981 by a local businessman and politician Amos G Throop as a vocational school of education. Today, it has over 2,000 students in its roll ably supported by an academic staff of close to 300 members.

Among its notable alumni includes astronaut and US senator Harrison Schmitt, the only geologist who has walked on the moon and Gordon Moore, co-founder of Intel.

2. Harvard University

At number two is Harvard University, USA.

Established in 1636, it is one of the oldest universities in United States of America.

It has over 21,000 students enrolled in its various undergraduate and post graduate courses. It has a strong academic support of about 2,100 faculty members.

Among its notable alumni include politicians like Franklin Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, Al Gore, George W Bush and Barack Obama, actors Conan O'Brien, Natalie Portman, Matt Damon and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg among others.

Indian economist and Nobel prize winner Amartya Sen was also a student of Harvard.

3. Stanford University

Stanford University, US is ranked third.

Established in 1891 by a businessman and politician Leland Stanford, it is also known as Leland Stanford Junior University or Stanford.

It has an annual enrollment of about 15,000 students in its undergraduate and post graduate programmes ably supported by an academic staff of about 1,900 members.

Among its notable alumni include entrepreneurs like William Hewlett and David Packard, founders of Hewlett-Packard and Azim Premji of Wipro Technologies among others. 

4. University of Oxford

At number four is University of Oxford, UK.

One of the oldest colleges in Britain, it is believed that the history of teaching at Oxford dates back to the 11th century.

It currently enrolls about 20,000 students annually across various programmes at undergraduate and post graduate levels.

Among its notable alumni include leaders like former British prime ministers like Clement Atlee, Margaret Thatcher, Tony Blair, and current and former Indian prime ministers Manmohan Singh and Indira Gandhi respectively.

Writers like Lewis Carol, Oscar Wilde, Prof. JRR Tolkein, scientist Stephen Hawking, actor Hugh Grant also sudied at Oxford.

5. Princeton University

At number five is Princeton University, USA.

Founded in 1746, it has an annual enrollment of 7,500 students.

Among its notable alumni include ex-US Presidents James Madison and Woodrow Wilson, besides Michelle Obama, wife of President Barack Obama.

6. University of Cambridge

In the sixth place is University of Cambridge, UK.

Established in 1209, it is also one of the oldest universities in world.

It has an annual enrollment of about 18,000 students.

Cambridge alumni have excelled in all walks of life with 61 of them being Nobel laureates.

Among its other notable alumni also include eminent Indians like journalist Karan Thapar and economist Amartya Sen.

7. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

At number seven is Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA.

It was founded in 1861 and emphasised on applied technology-based curriculum in education.

It has 168-acre campus and has an annual enrollment of about 10,000 students across its various graduate and research programmes.

About 24 of MIT's alumni have been Nobel laureates, besides others being entrepreneurs, achievers and leaders heading institutions of higher education.

Among its notable alumni include Nobel prize winning economist Paul Krugman and former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan.

8. Imperial College London

In the eighth position is Imperial College London, UK.

Established in 1907, it currently has about 13,000 students under its roll and has faculty strength of about 6,000 members.

Among its notable alumni include pharmacologist Sir Alexander Fleming and noted investment banker Mehraj Mattoo, founder of Commonwealth Asset Management.

9. University of Chicago

At number nine is University of Chicago, USA.

It was founded in the year 1890 and has student strength of about 15,000 students across its undergraduate and post graduate programmes.

It houses the University of Chicago Press, reportedly, the largest university press in the United States.

Among its notable alumni include L Gordon Crovitz, publisher of Wall Street Journal and Sherry Lansing, chairman and CEO of Paramount Pictures.

10. University of California, Berkeley

And finally at number ten is University of California, Berkeley, USA

Established in 1868, it has well over 35,000 students on its roll (as of 2010).

Among its faculty members, 21 have been Nobel Prize winners, of which eight are current faculty members. It also has produced 4 Pulitzer Prize winners.

Among its other notable alumni include late Pakistani Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Academy award winning actor Gregory Peck among others.