Band 9: The table below shows the number of universities ranked in the top 200 in the world (2011) for three subjects in five countries. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

The table compares the number of universities from five countries that were placed in the world’s top 200 for Biology, Medicine and Psychology in 2011.

Overall, the United States had the largest share of highly ranked universities in all three subjects, while New Zealand had the fewest. The United Kingdom was a clear second, whereas Australia and Canada showed relatively modest figures.

In detail, the USA dominated, with 69 universities in Biology, 54 in Medicine and 58 in Psychology. By contrast, the United Kingdom had less than half of these totals, at 28, 30 and 29 respectively, showing almost equal numbers across the three fields.

Turning to the other countries, Australia and Canada each had under 20 universities in every subject. Australia performed slightly better in Psychology with 17 compared to Canada’s 14, while Canada had a marginal advantage in Medicine. Finally, New Zealand’s contribution was minimal, with just 6 in Biology, 2 in Medicine and 4 in Psychology, much lower than in all other countries.