A public university is a university that is predominantly funded by public means through a national or subnational government, as opposed to private universities. Whether a national university is considered public varies from one country to another, largely depending on the specific education landscape. In some parts of the world, public universities usually enjoy higher reputation domestically and they are often among the most influential research institutions in the world. Many of the prominent public universities are ranked among the best in the world by THES - QS World University Rankings and the Academic Ranking of World Universities