The University of Barcelona has improved its position as one of the world’s top universities, according to the QS World University Rankings 2020. The university has been ranked 165^th in the world, an improvement of on position since the edition of 2019 and 22 positions since 2012. This contrasts with the overall trend among the Spanish universities, many of which have seen their position worsen. The UB has been ranked the top university in Spain, overtaking the Autonomous University of Madrid, which held that position last year.

Fourteen out of the twenty-seven Spanish universities in the ranking have lost positions, while just four universities have improved their position. Three are in Barcelona, these being the University of Barcelona, the Autonomous University of Barcelona (from 193^rd to 188^th) and the Pompeu Fabra University (from 298^th to 285^th). The top 3 universities in Spain are the University of Barcelona, the Autonomous University of Barcelona and the Autonomous University of Madrid.

According to the QS World University Rankings 2020, the top universities in the world are the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, Harvard University, University of Oxford, California Institute of Technology, ETH Zurich, University of Cambridge, University College of London, Imperial College London and the University of Chicago.