2022 Shanghai Ranking: The University of Montpellier Solidifies Its Position in the Global Top 200
The University of Montpellier has solidified its position among the world’s top 200 universities in the Shanghai Ranking, published on August 15, 2022, by Shanghai Jiao Tong University (Shanghai, China). Already recognized for the past six years as a global leader in ecology, these strong results demonstrate its ability to make an impact worldwide and meet international standards of excellence in research and education.
Eagerly anticipated each year, the Shanghai Ranking (also known as the Academic Ranking of World Universities) has been a global ranking of higher education institutions since 2003. An essential reference in the academic world, it ranks the best universities globally (among 1,800 institutions) based on a single index calculated from six quantitative criteria, including the number of publications in prestigious scientific journals (Nature and Science), the number of citations of researchers, the number of Nobel Prize winners in science and Fields Medalists, the renown of alumni and faculty, and more. The Shanghai Ranking thus ranks the top 100 universities individually; beyond that, it groups them in “bands” of 50 up to the200th position, then in bands of 100 up to the500th position, which concludes the list.
The University of Montpellier: a very positive overall trend since 2016!
The 2022 edition of the Shanghai Ranking once again highlights the University of Montpellier’s overall positive momentum, confirming its place among the world’s top 200 universities for the fourth consecutive year. Having risen steadily since 2016, when UM was ranked in the top 400, these strong results demonstrate that the University of Montpellier, thanks in particular to its I-SITE Excellence Program—extended in March 2022—and its network of partner institutions, is a major player in higher education, Research innovation in France.
“I am delighted to see, once again, the University of Montpellier rank among the world’s best universities. These strong results in the Shanghai Ranking, as well as in all other global rankings, reflect an ambitious policy of excellence that has been in place for several years, one that relies on the talent and significant dedication of our entire community, whom I would like to congratulate. These results also stem from the exceptional resources allocated to research and education under the I-SITE Excellence Program, a project carried out in collaboration with all our partners. They also attest to the strength of our scientific community in our region, which enables us both to address the major global challenges of the 21st century and to act on these critical issues with greater effectiveness, thereby nourishing, caring for, and protecting populations and ecosystems. “We are proud to contribute to promoting French research on the global stage,” declared Philippe Augé, President of the University of Montpellier.
UM is consolidating its position as a global leader in environmental science and making strides in many disciplines
UM had already achieved excellent results on July 19 when the Shanghai subject rankings were released, placing in the global top 100 in five subject areas—including oceanography, earth sciences, veterinary sciences, statistics, and remote sensing. It also ranks in the global top 50 in six subject areas—geography (47th), water resources (45th), food sciences (49th), agricultural sciences (17th), and biotechnology (35th)—and, for the fourth consecutive year, ranks among the world’s top three in ecology (3rd).
In addition to its strong showing in the Shanghai Ranking, UM also stands out in other international rankings
According to the “Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Ranking” on sustainable development, UM ranks first among French institutions and is among the top 200 worldwide. More specifically, UM ranks in the global top 100 for four Sustainable Development Goals and holds the top spot in France for two of them; it is the top French institution for goals related to health, well-being, and reducing inequalities, as well as the third-ranked French institution for goals related to decent work and economic growth, and quality education.
The University of Montpellier continues to climb in the CWTS Leiden Ranking. This ranking, which provides key insights into the scientific performance of more than 1,300 leading universities worldwide, is based on scientific publications and their citations. In the 2022 global ranking of the most cited publications (+10%), published on June 22, the University of Montpellier moved up 16 places compared to 2021, ranking151st globally. Another notable indicator in this ranking is that UM has climbed to16th place globally in the “Life & Earth Sciences” category.
The University of Marseille’s strong showing across all these rankings attests to its contribution to the global influence of French research.
Practical information:
The Shanghai Ranking: https://www.shanghairanking.com/
See also: Shanghai, Leiden, Reuters: UM tops international rankings