MADRID – How many Nobel laureates have Spanish universities produced and how many winners of other significant awards in various scientific disciplines? Moreover, how many articles have been published in reputable scientific journals over the past few years?
Another important consideration is the university’s number of ‘highly cited researchers. That means researchers whose articles are among the top 1% cited in their field. Furthermoe, the Shanghai Ranking, however, does not consider educational parameters. Moreover, this ranking solely focuses on awards and publications, accounting for 30% of the total score.
In the scientific world, great importance is attached to such international rankings – of which there are many – because a university’s international knowledge position benefits significantly from a high ranking.
Shanghai Ranking
Consequently, according to the 2023 Shanghai Ranking, nine Spanish universities are among the top 500 in the world. However, none have managed to break into the top hundred.
As per the list released on Tuesday, 38 Spanish universities rank among the top 1,000 worldwide – out of approximately 18,000. Furthermore, nine Spanish universities are in the top 500, but none are in the top 100.
In contrast to last year’s edition, Miguel Hernández University of Elche (Alicante) and the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria are not even listed in this year’s Shanghai Ranking.
Neighbouring countries
Compared to neighbouring countries, France, Switzerland, and Germany each have four campuses in the top hundred; the UK has eight, while the Netherlands and Sweden each have three.
Harvard tops for 21 consecutive years
Globally, for the 21st consecutive year, Harvard University (USA) takes the top spot, followed by Stanford University (2) and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (3). They are followed by Cambridge (4, UK), Berkeley (5) and Princeton (6), both from the USA, Oxford (7, UK), Columbia (8), California Institute of Technology (9), and University of Chicago (10), all from North America.
Full Ranking of Best Spanish Universities
Below are the Spanish results from the 2023 and 2022 Shanghai tables:
- University of Barcelona 201-300 | 151-200
- University of Granada 201-300 | 201-300
- Autonomous University of Barcelona 301-400 | 201-300
- Autonomous University of Madrid 301-400 | 301-400
- Complutense Madrid 301-400 | 201-300
- Pompeu Fabra Barcelona 301-400 | 301-400
- University of Valencia 301-400 | 201-300
- Technical University of Valencia 401-500 | 401-500
- University of Basque Country 401-500 | 301-400
- University of Alicante 501-600 | 601-700
- University of Navarra 501-600 | 501-600
- University of Salamanca 501-600 | 501-600
- University of Sevilla 501-600 | 401-500
- University of Vigo 501-600 | 501-600
- Technical University of Madrid 601-700 | 601-700
- University Jaume I Valencia 601-700 | 601-700
- University of La Laguna 601-700 | 701-800
- University of Oviedo 601-700 | 701-800
- University of Santiago de Compostela 601-700 | 401-500
- University of de Balearics 601-700 | 701-800
- University of Zaragoza 601-700 | 501-600
- Technical University of Catalonia 701-800 | 701-800
- University of Lleida 701-800 | 701-800
- University of Extremadura 701-800 | 601-800
- University of Malaga 701-800 | 701-800
- University of Murcia 701-800 | 701-800
- Rovira en Virgili in Tarragona 701-800 | 601-700
- University Pablo de Olavide 801-900 | 601-700
- University of Castilla-La Mancha 801-900 | 701-800
- University of Girona 801-900 | 801-900
- University of Jaén 801-900 | 701-800
- Carlos III of Madrid 901-1000 | 901-1000
- Koning Juan Carlos of Madrid 901-1000 | 901-1000
- University of Cadiz 901-1000 | 901-1000
- University of Alcalá 901-1000 | 801-900
- University of Cantabria 901-1000 | 901-1000
- University of Cordoba 901-1000 | 801-900
- University of Valladolid 901-1000 | 901-1000
- University of Salamanca
Notably, the University of Salamanca is ranked somewhere between the 500th and 600th positions. Founded in 1218 by King Alfonso IX, it is the oldest university in Spain and the fourth oldest in Europe, following the University of Bologna in Italy (1088), the University of Paris (1150), and Oxford University (1167).
