Reflecting the increasing degree of quality and international influence among Hainan's educational institutions, the September 30 release of the 2027 Times Higher Education World University Rankings includes both Hainan University and Hainan Medical University for the first time.

Respectively listed in the global 801st-1000th and 1401st-1600th bands, this demonstrates how both Hainan University and Hainan Medical University have consistently improved their standards in education and research.

This year's THE Rankings include 2,297 universities from 118 countries and regions, of which 102 are universities in the Chinese mainland. Published by the UK's Times Higher Education magazine, the evaluation critertia of the annual THE Rankings are based on per staff amount of research income from industry, international diversity, the learning environment, and the quantity and quality of research done. As a comprehensive ranking examining the performance of universities across a wide range of categories, the THE Rankings are usually considered one of the four major international university rankings, along with the QS World University Rankings, US News & World Report Best Global Universities Rankings, and the Academic Ranking of World Universities.