Cornell is ranked No. 15 in the new Times Higher Education-QS World University Rankings 2008, up from being 20th last year. The list, compiled by the British publication Times Higher Education, ranks 500 universities worldwide each year.

U.S. News & World Report published the results online Nov. 20 in an article titled "World's Best College & Universities."

The results are derived from surveys submitted by a record number of 6,354 academics (compared with 5,101 in 2007) and 2,339 employers (up from 1,482 in 2007) that rate universities from around the world.

Now in its fifth year, the research is conducted and compiled by QS Quacquarelli Symonds and is featured in print in the Oct. 9 Times Higher Education.

This latest rankings reflect the increasing profile of technology-based universities, with many of the world's top technical universities improving their position, according to Times Higher Education. "As demand by international employers for more technology-literate graduates has grown, the importance of these universities has risen in the rankings," writes the publication.

Topping the list are U.S. universities Harvard and Yale (No. 1 and No. 2, respectively), followed by England's Cambridge (No. 3) and Oxford (No. 4).

"These rankings use an unprecedented amount of data to deliver the most accurate measure available of the world's best universities and of the strength of different nations' university systems," said Ann Mroz, editor of Times Higher Education.