UNLV’s William F. Harrah Hotel College was recently ranked the world’s best for hospitality and leisure.

The annual QS World University Rankings highlight top-performing programs in 46 disciplines and this year added Hospitality & Leisure Management as one of four new “by subject” categories. The Harrah Hotel College took the top spot in the inaugural subject ranking and was followed by Switzerland’s Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne and Hong Kong Polytechnic University.

Based on an assessment of academic reputation, employer reputation, and research impact, the QS World University Rankings are designed to help prospective students identify the world’s top programs in their fields of interest.

“Our strong global industry partnerships and location in the entertainment and hospitality capital of the world offer unparalleled opportunities for our students and alumni,” said Harrah Hotel College dean Stowe Shoemaker. “The Harrah Hotel College’s high ranking illustrates our commitment to really doubling down on hospitality and educating the future leaders of the industry.”

Momentum is at an all-time high for Harrah Hotel College students, faculty, donors, and alumni as the college prepares to celebrate its 50th anniversary and experience the grand opening of Hospitality Hall, in which classes will begin spring of 2018.  The resort-like academic building will feature numerous unique amenities including a student-run café, a state-of-the-art teaching kitchen, technology labs, and a golf center.

The annual rankings, released March 7, were compiled by the British firm Quacquarelli Symonds and are considered among the most widely read international university rankings.