Universität Heidelberg with Top Placings in latest Shanghai Subject Ranking
Clinical medicine in position 17 internationally, medical technology ranked 21 – three subjects take top place in Germany
With clinical medicine and medical technology Heidelberg University is again among the best players in Medical Sciences worldwide. In the Global Ranking of Academic Subjects 2026 clinical medicine rose by one place over last year to rank 17th internationally in clinical medicine and so leads the field in Germany. Medical technology is in 21st place internationally and continues to be ranked third in Germany. Public health comes out top nation-wide this year, having clearly improved its international position by jumping from the 76 to 100 ranking group to 44th place. The biological sciences likewise take top position Germany-wise, and are placed 41st at the global level.
Heidelberg human biology is also among the 50 best representatives of the subject. Like the biological sciences, it is classified under Life Sciences and takes 47th place, which means position three in Germany. The Top 100 subjects in the field of Natural Sciences include physics at Heidelberg University, which is in the 51 to 75 ranking group and takes second position nationally. A subject from the Social Sciences is new on the list of the best 100 subjects − psychology, which is now in 76 to 100 ranking group (2025: 101 to 150). Remote sensing from the field of Engineering has improved from the 76 to 100 ranking group last year to the 51 to 75 ranking group.
The subject ranking list – part of the Academic Ranking of World Universities, also known as Shanghai Ranking – appeared in September 2026. The subjects are grouped in five academic fields and assessed according to nine indicators. These mainly include the numbers of journal papers and award laureates at a university, as well as highly cited researchers or chief editors in international journals. The individual indicators in the five different categories are weighted differently depending on the subjects.
In the whole of the Shanghai Ranking published in August this year, Heidelberg University comes third in Germany. Europe-wide Ruperto Carola is in 18th place. Internationally it holds 59th position.
