CWTS Leiden Ranking

The CWTS Leiden Ranking offers a unique perspective on global university rankings, focusing on bibliometric indicators. This system, developed by the Centre for Science and Technology Studies at Leiden University in the Netherlands, provides valuable insights for students selecting universities and courses abroad.

What is the CWTS Leiden Ranking?

The CWTS Leiden Ranking is an annual global university ranking based exclusively on bibliometric indicators. It utilises the Clarivate Analytics bibliographic database, Web of Science, as its source for publication and citation data. This ranking system is instrumental for students in identifying top-ranked institutions in their study abroad destinations, understanding the ranking of their desired institution, and finding the best institution in their field.

Key Features of the CWTS Leiden Ranking

• Annual Global University Ranking: The ranking includes universities worldwide that have produced at least 1,000 Web of Science indexed publications over four years.
• Bibliometric Indicators: These sophisticated indicators provide statistics at the university level on scientific impact, collaboration, open access publishing, and gender diversity.
• Methodology: The ranking employs full counting or fractional counting methods for publications, assigning weights based on the number of authors and their affiliations.
• Main Fields Covered: The ranking includes various fields such as Biomedical and Health Sciences, Life and Earth Sciences, Mathematics and Computer Science, Physical Sciences and Engineering, and Social Sciences and Humanities.

Top 20 Universities by Leiden Rankings

• Harvard University, US
• Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China
• Zhejiang University, China
• University of Toronto, Canada
• Tsinghua University, China
• University of Michigan, US
• Huazhong University of Science and Technology, China
• Sichuan University, China
• University São Paulo, Brazil
• Peking University, China
• Jilin University, China
• Johns Hopkins University, US
• Seoul National University, South Korea
• Xi'an Jiaotong University, China
• Sun Yat-sen University, China
• Central South University, China
• Fudan University, China
• Stanford University, US
• Harbin Institute of Technology, China
• University of Oxford, UK

The CWTS Leiden Ranking is a valuable tool for students and academics worldwide, offering a unique perspective on university performance based on scientific impact and collaboration. It helps students make informed decisions about their higher education choices abroad.