The rankings, launched on June 10, mark the primary time Harvard has not ranked first since 2015, the earliest yr for which comparable Nature Index information is accessible.
Chinese establishments dominated this yr’s academic rankings, accounting for 9 of the highest 10 locations, up from eight a yr earlier. Zhejiang University ranked first, whereas Harvard fell to second.
China’s presence was additionally evident throughout the highest 20, with 17 Chinese universities and analysis establishments making the checklist. Among the few non-Chinese establishments have been Stanford University, ranked twelfth, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, ranked seventeenth.
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Harvard University’s brick facade with purple banners displaying the establishment’s coat of arms. Photo courtesy of Harvard |
The academic establishment rankings exclude authorities companies and firms. In the broader 2026 Nature Index Research Leaders rankings, which embody authorities and healthcare organizations, Harvard dropped to third place behind the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the world’s largest scientific group and the main establishment in the Nature Index, and Zhejiang University.
The Nature Index, a part of Nature Research Intelligence, measures analysis output primarily based on creator affiliations in 178 main journals protecting the pure sciences, well being sciences, utilized sciences and social sciences.
The newest version assessed about 125,000 main analysis papers printed in 2025, in accordance to the South China Morning Post.
Top 10 establishments in the 2026 Nature Index academic rankings
|
Rank |
Institution |
Rank |
Institution |
|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
Zhejiang University (ZJU), China |
6 |
Peking University (PKU), China |
|
2 |
Harvard University, U.S. |
7 |
University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS), China |
|
3 |
Tsinghua University, China |
8 |
Nanjing University (NJU), China |
|
4 |
Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU), China |
9 |
Sichuan University (SCU), China |
|
5 |
University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), China |
10 |
Fudan University, China |
Subject-specific rankings underscored China’s rising analysis power throughout a number of fields.
Chinese establishments occupied all 10 positions in each utilized sciences and chemistry. They additionally held 9 of the highest 10 locations in Earth and environmental sciences.
The China Meteorological Administration, the nation’s nationwide climate service, rose to second place in Earth and environmental sciences from sixth in 2024.
In organic sciences, Chinese establishments secured 5 of the highest 10 positions, whereas U.S. establishments claimed three.
In well being sciences, traditionally an space of power for the U.S., Harvard ranked first in 2025, however Chinese establishments accounted for seven of the highest 10 locations, led by the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
The U.S. remained dominant in social sciences, the place American establishments occupied 9 of the highest 10 positions. China’s Tsinghua University ranked fifth.
In bodily sciences, Chinese establishments held 5 of the highest 10 locations. The remaining positions went to European establishments and the University of Tokyo, which recorded Japan’s solely top-10 look throughout the topic rankings.