International Rankings
THE World University Rankings
Results of the current ranking
In the 2025 edition of the THE (Times Higher Education) World University Rankings, the University of Freiburg came in at 128th worldwide and 11th in national comparison. The University of Freiburg stands out particularly in the ‘Industry’ category, where it achieved the maximum score of 100 points. The indicators of this category are ‘Industry Income’ and ‘Patents’. ‘Industry Income’ rates performance in knowledge transfer, specifically through innovations, inventions, and consultancy. The ‘Patents’ metric evaluates performance in technology transfer and measures the number of patents citing research published by a particular institution.
Methodology
The THE Rankings originated in an educational supplement of the British daily newspaper The Times and has been conducted on a worldwide basis since 2004. The rankings are based on 18 performance indicators in the areas of teaching, research environment, research quality, international outlook, and industry.
QS World University Rankings
Results of the current ranking
The QS World University Rankings currently (2025 edition) list the University of Freiburg as the tenth best German university (212th worldwide).
Methodology
The British agency Quacquarelli Symonds conducted the THE Rankings from 2004 to 2010 and has published its own rankings since 2010. The rankings are compiled on the basis of nine differently weighted indicators, taking into account reputation as well as key figures on research, international aspects, employability, and sustainability.
Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU)
Results of the current ranking
In the Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU), also known as the Shanghai Ranking, the University of Freiburg comes in at 101st to 150th internationally. (The ranking does not allow for a more precise breakdown of the results.) Nationally, the University of Freiburg is ranked 5th.
Methodology
Published since 2003, the Shanghai Ranking is among the oldest and most renowned research rankings. Since 2009 it has been published annually by Shanghai Ranking Consultancy, an independent organization for information on higher education. The ranking compares universities on the basis of six indicators that consider various aspects to measure the research performance of universities.
Highly Cited Researchers
Results of the current ranking
Eight University of Freiburg researchers are among the ‘Highly Cited Researchers’ for 2023. A survey by Clarivate Analytics reveals that they are among the most frequently cited authors worldwide in their fields of research over the past decade. With nine entries (one researcher is recognized for two disciplines), the University of Freiburg holds fifth place among German universities alongside Bonn and Düsseldorf.
Methodology
Clarivate Analytics identifies the Highly Cited Researchers from an analysis of the most-cited papers in the Web of Science literature database. The list ranks the authors of research papers that are among the top one per cent in their field in the Web of Science citations index. For 2023, the survey looked at papers that were published and cited in the period from January 2012 to December 2022. In total, the list includes more than 6,800 researchers from more than 1,300 institutions across 67 countries and regions.
CWTS Leiden Ranking
Results of the current ranking
In the research field of ‘Biomedical and Health Sciences’, the University of Freiburg is ranked sixth in terms of the total number of publications. In terms of the number of top 10% and top 1% of the most cited publications, it ranks fifth in this area, seventh and ninth in terms of its share of all publications. In terms of the number of collaborative, international and Open Access publications, it ranks eighth.
The ‘Life and Earth Sciences’ at the University of Freiburg are ranked sixth in terms of the number of top 10% most cited publications, and seventh in terms of their share of all publications.
In the research field ‘Mathematics and Computer Sciences’, the University of Freiburg is ranked eighth in terms of citation rate according to the specific subject.
In terms of the proportion of publications with industry collaboration, the research fields of Mathematics and Computer Science, Physical Sciences and Engineering, and Social Sciences and Humanities rank fifth, 10th and eighth.
Methodology
The newly introduced Open Edition of the renowned CWTS Leiden Ranking focuses on data from freely available sources, such as the bibliographic database OpenAlex or the Research Organization Registry (ROR), and exclusively uses open source algorithms to calculate bibliometric indicators. The open source CWTS Ranking is published alongside the traditional ranking, which, as in previous years, is based on bibliographic data from Clarivate Analytics’ proprietary Web of Science database.
National Rankings
CHE Ranking
Results of the current ranking
The 2024 edition of the CHE Ranking included new evaluations of universities in the fields of biochemistry, biology/bioscience, chemistry, geography, earth science, computer science, mathematics, medicine, nursing, pharmacy, physics, political science, sociology, physical education/sports science, and dentistry. Particularly noteworthy are the positive assessments by students in the areas of organization of studies, introduction to academic work, IT infrastructure, and available space, with marks of at least 3.8 stars across many fields. The CHE Ranking also illustrates the strong support students receive when they begin their studies at the University of Freiburg. Here, the University of Freiburg is placed in the top group in many fields of study.
Methodology
The CHE Ranking allows comprehensive comparison of colleges and universities in different fields of study. Facts as well as assessments are collected. The fact indicators are presented in ranking groups, including classification into top, midfield, and bottom of the group. Student assessments are presented as stars, with five stars representing the best and one star the worst score.
DFG Funding Atlas
Results of the current ranking
The Funding Atlas of the German Research Foundation (DFG) has been published in its tenth edition. It highlights the University of Freiburg’s consistently strong research performance. During the observation period from 2020 to 2022, researchers at the University of Freiburg secured a total of €287.8 million in DFG funding. This places the University of Freiburg 8th among 229 higher education institutions.
The University of Freiburg also achieved several top 10 rankings:
University-wide Level:
- DFG approvals relative to the field-structure-adjusted statistical expectations per faculty: Rank 1
- DFG approvals relative to the field-structure-adjusted statistical expectations per scientific staff: Rank 6
- Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize winners (1986 to 2024) by institutional affiliation: Rank 5
University Medicine:
- Absolute DFG approvals for university medical institutions: Rank 3
- DFG approvals per faculty member at university medical institutions: Rank 1
Life Sciences:
- Total DFG funding in the scientific field: Rank 2
- DFG funding per faculty member in the scientific field: Rank 2
- AvH-funded researchers (2018-2022): Rank 7
- DAAD-funded researchers (2018-2022): Rank 7
- DFG approvals in the field of Biology: Rank 2
- DFG approvals in the field of Medicine: Rank 3
- DFG approvals in the field of Agricultural, Forestry, and Veterinary Sciences: Rank 3
Humanities and Social Sciences:
- DFG funding per faculty member in the scientific field: Rank 8
- AvH-funded researchers (2018-2022): Rank 9
- DFG approvals in the field of Humanities: Rank 10
Natural Sciences:
- DFG funding per faculty member in the scientific field: Rank 10
Engineering:
- DFG approvals in the field of Materials Science and Engineering: Rank 9
Observation Period: 2020–2022, unless otherwise noted. Rankings in specific DFG fields are based on the 20 universities with the highest DFG approvals in the respective scientific field.
Methodology
The DFG Funding Atlas has been a well-established source of reliable information since 1997, offering comprehensive analyses of publicly funded research in Germany. Every three years, the German Research Foundation publishes institution-specific and field-specific metrics in the Funding Atlas, focusing on external funding approvals from the DFG, the federal government, and the European Union.
Humboldt Ranking
Results of the current ranking
The University of Freiburg comes in at tenth place nationally in the current Humboldt Ranking. A total of 113 holders of Humboldt Foundation fellowships and awards conducted research at the University of Freiburg in the past years.
Methodology
The ranking of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation shows where in Germany international visiting scholars conducted research on fellowships or awards from the foundation in the past five years. To avoid statistical biases arising from the different sizes of the host institutions, the ranking puts the stays in relation to the number of professorships at the respective institution.
Starting with the 2023 edition, the ranking considers higher education institutions (universities, universities of applied sciences, universities of music and art) separately from non-university research institutes and other institutions for better comparability.
Sustainability Rankings
THE Impact Rankings
Results of the current ranking
Every year, the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings (THE Impact Rankings) investigate the impact of higher education institutions worldwide on the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations. In 2024, the University of Freiburg ranks among the top 100 internationally in four SDGs: SDG 6 (rank 81), SDG 9 (rank 32), SDG 13 (rank 92), SDG 16 (rank 42). In SDG 16, it achieves 1st place nationwide.
Methodology
The methodology of the rankings is built around the individual SDGs. Higher education institutions receive a score and ranking for their activities in the SDGs for which they provide data. To participate in the overall rankings, higher education institutions must submit data for at least four SDGs, one of which must be SDG 17.
The overall ranking score is calculated on the basis of the score on SDG 17 (which accounts for 22 per cent of the overall ranking) and the three strongest other SDGs for which a university provided data (each of these accounts for 26 per cent of the overall ranking).
QS World University Rankings: Sustainability
Results of the current ranking
In a nationwide comparison with 50 other universities, the University of Freiburg took seventh place in the overall ranking of the ‘QS World University Rankings: Sustainability 2025’. The University of Freiburg scored particularly well in the ‘Environmental Impact’ category. It is ranked third in Germany in this category. In this category, the top rankings in the areas of ‘Environmental Education’ and ‘Environmental Research’ should be emphasised. In the area of ‘Environmental Education’, the University of Freiburg achieved second place nationally and 47th place internationally, while in the area of ‘Social Impact’, the University of Freiburg achieved fourth place nationally and 32nd place internationally in the area of ‘Health and Wellbeing’. In the overall ranking, the University of Freiburg is in 104th place worldwide.
Methodology
The ‘QS World University Rankings: Sustainability’ rate universities with regard to their commitment to sustainability in research, teaching, and society in an overall ranking as well as in three categories: ‘Social Impact’, ‘Environmental Impact’, and ‘Governance’. The ‘Social Impact’ and ‘Environmental Impact’ categories each account for 45 per cent of the overall ranking, and the ‘Governance’ category is weighted at 10 per cent.
Subject Rankings
THE World University Rankings by Subject
Results of the current ranking
The current ‘World University Rankings 2024 by subject’ from Times Higher Education (THE) include ratings in eleven subject groups. In several of these, the University of Freiburg is among the top 100 or 200 universities in international comparison. At the national level, it is ranked among the 10 best universities in multiple subjects:
- Life Sciences: 6th place nationally, 65th place internationally
- Arts and Humanities: 6th place nationally, 76th place internationally
- Clinical and Health: 6th place nationally, 98th place internationally
- Computer Science: 8th place nationally, 101st–125th place internationally
- Engineering: 9th place nationally, 176th–200th place internationally
- Social Sciences: 10th place nationally, 176th–200th place internationally
Methodology
In accordance with the methodology of the ‘THE World University Rankings’, 18 indicators in the areas of teaching, research environment, research quality, international orientation, and industry are taken into account. Their weighting varies depending on the subject group.
QS World University Rankings by Subject
Results of the current ranking
The current QS World University Rankings by Subject 2024 include a total of 55 subject-specific rankings in the following five broad subject areas: ‘Arts & Humanities’, ‘Engineering & Technology’, ‘Life Sciences & Medicine’, ‘Natural Sciences’, and ‘Social Sciences & Management’. The University of Freiburg is listed in 33 subject rankings.
In the QS World University Rankings by Subject, the University of Freiburg secured several top 100 and top 200 spots at the international level and top 10 spots at the national level, such as:
- Dentistry: 1st place nationally, 51st–100th place internationally
- Anatomy and Physiology: 2nd place nationally, 51st–100th place internationally
- Agriculture and Forestry: 5th place nationally, 101st–150th place internationally
- Law and Legal Studies: 6th place nationally, 101st–150th place internationally
- History: 6th place nationally, 101st–150th place internationally
- Modern Languages: 6th place nationally, 101st–150th place internationally
- Classic and Ancient History: 7th place nationally, 51st–100th place internationally
- Biological Sciences: 7th place nationally, 101st place internationally
- Medicine: 7th place nationally, 135th place internationally
- Environmental Sciences: 7th place nationally, 151st–200th place internationally
- Geography: 7th place nationally, 151st–200th place internationally
Methodology
The rankings are based on five indicators: ‘Academic Reputation’, ‘Employer Reputation’, ‘Research Citations per Paper’, ‘H-Index’ (key figure for the global perception of researchers in specialist circles), and ‘International Research Network’. The degree to which the indicators are weighted varies from subject area to subject area.
ShanghaiRanking’s Global Ranking of Academic Subjects
Results of the current ranking
The ‘Global Ranking of Academic Subjects’ includes assessments in 55 subjects from natural sciences, engineering, life sciences, and medical and social sciences. In many subjects, the University of Freiburg is ranked in the top 100 and top 200. At the national level, it achieved numerous top-10 placements:
- Computer Science and Engineering: 2nd–3rd place nationally, 151st–200th place internationally
- Dentistry and Oral Sciences: 3rd–7th place nationally, 76th–100th place internationally
- Water Resources: 4th–7th place nationally, 101st–150th place internationally
- Geography: 5th–9th place nationally, 151st–200th place internationally
- Biomedical Engineering: 6th–10th place nationally, 151st–200th place internationally
- Ecology: 7th–8th place nationally, 76th–100th place internationally
- Statistics: 7th–11th place nationally, 151st–200th place internationally
- Psychology: 7th–12th place nationally, 101st–150th place internationally
- Human Biological Sciences: 8th–9th place nationally, 76th–100th place internationally
- Biotechnology: 8th–9th place nationally, 151st–200th place internationally
- Medical Technology: 8th–10th place nationally, 51st–75th place internationally
- Biological Sciences: 8th–12th place nationally, 101st–150th place internationally
- Mathematics: 10th–13th place nationally, 151st–200th place internationally
Methodology
The ranking takes various aspects into account in measuring the research performance of universities, such as publications, citations, and academic awards. The ‘Global Ranking of Academic Subjects’ compares five key indicators, which are weighted differently depending on the subject.