2021 tables: Institutions - physical sciences - academic

The 2021 tables are based on Nature Index data from 1 January 2020 to 31 December 2020.

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# Institution Share 2019 Share 2020 Count 2020 Change in Adjusted Share* 2019–2020
1 Sorbonne University, France 53.54 55.26 555 -4.1%
2 University of Paris-Sud (UPSud), France 35.21 31.07 377 -18.0%
3 Paris Cité University, France 22.94 30.66 396 24.2%
4 Université PSL, France 25.89 24.64 335 -11.5%
5 University of Lyon, France 23.89 23.59 197 -8.2%
6 Grenoble Alpes University (UGA), France 22.52 19.25 292 -20.5%
7 University of Strasbourg, France 12.82 14.80 165 7.3%
8 École Polytechnique, France 11.78 12.90 280 1.8%
9 Aix-Marseille University (AMU), France 10.25 12.48 188 13.2%
10 University of Montpellier, France 9.02 9.54 70 -1.7%
11 University of Bordeaux, France 10.23 8.57 74 -22.1%
12 National Institute of Applied Sciences (INSA), France 8.74 8.56 100 -8.9%
13 Grenoble Institute of Technology (Grenoble INP), France 11.63 8.37 186 -33.1%
14 University of Toulouse, France 10.65 8.28 89 -27.7%
15 Collège de France, France 6.43 7.94 80 14.8%
16 University of Lorraine (UL), France 5.53 6.20 39 4.2%
17 University Institute of France (IUF), France 1.17 4.55 44 262.8%
18 University of Lille Nord de France, France 5.33 3.89 28 -32.1%
19 Institut d'Optique Graduate School (IOGS), France 4.34 3.68 144 -21.1%
20 University of Savoy (USMB), France 2.79 3.66 128 21.9%
21 Le Mans University, France 2.16 3.14 15 35.0%
22 University of Rennes 1, France 1.90 3.04 34 48.5%
23 CY Cergy Paris University, France 1.23 2.87 25 116.3%
24 Institut Mines-Télécom (IMT), France 1.38 2.72 181 83.6%
25 Institut Polytechnique de Bordeaux (Bordeaux INP), France 1.33 2.26 24 58.5%
26 University of Nantes, France 2.25 2.00 56 -17.1%
27 Superior National School of Advanced Techniques (ENSTA ParisTech), France 0.52 1.89 152 239.0%
28 University of Toulon (UTLN), France 1.43 1.81 16 18.1%
29 University of Burgundy, France 2.32 1.56 18 -37.5%
30 University of Technology of Belfort-Montbéliard (UTBM), France 2.95 1.45 15 -54.1%
31 École Normale Supérieure Paris-Saclay (ENS Paris-Saclay), France 1.01 1.43 134 31.2%
32 HESAM Université, France 1.62 1.35 90 -23.0%
33 University of Paris Nord (Paris 13), France 2.32 1.31 7 -47.6%
34 University Clermont Auvergne, France 2.54 1.30 111 -52.5%
35 University of Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (UVSQ), France 1.97 1.23 143 -41.9%
36 École Supérieure d'Électricité (Supélec), France 0.68 1.12 144 52.0%
37 University of Tours (UFR), France 0.81 1.11 8 26.9%
38 University of Rouen, France 0.61 1.11 11 69.8%
39 École Nationale de la Statistique et de l'Administration Economique (ENSAE ParisTech), France 0.16 1.07 146 533.8%
40 University of Picardie Jules Verne (UPJV), France 0.11 1.04 10 760.8%
41 Gustave Eiffel University, France 1.63 1.01 13 -42.4%
42 Caen University (UNICAEN), France 0.68 0.97 15 33.2%
43 University of Franche-Comté (UFC), France 1.25 0.87 14 -35.3%
44 University of Orléans, France 2.86 0.86 19 -71.9%
45 École Nationale Supérieure de Chimie de Montpellier (ENSCM), France 1.28 0.84 23 -39.4%
46 Centrale Lille, France 1.01 0.81 12 -25.0%
47 University of Paris Ouest (Paris 10), France – 0.81 4 N/A
48 École des Ponts ParisTech (ENPC), France 0.57 0.81 12 32.7%
49 Sustainable Design School (SDS), France 0.67 0.76 82 4.8%
49 École Supérieure de Réalisation Audiovisuelle (ESRA), France 0.67 0.76 82 4.8%
49 National School of Fine Arts at the Villa Arson, France 0.67 0.76 82 4.8%
49 École Supérieure de Danse de Cannes Rosella Hightower, France 0.67 0.76 82 4.8%
49 EDHEC Business School, France 0.67 0.76 82 4.8%
50 Centrale Graduate School, France 0.21 0.74 139 234.1%
51 University of Angers, France 0.03 0.66 8 1697.5%
52 Bretagne Loire University, France 0.67 0.63 48 -11.7%
53 National Engineering Institute in Mechanics and Microtechnologies (ENSMM), France 0.96 0.63 8 -39.1%
54 University of Poitiers, France 0.96 0.61 5 -40.5%
55 Lille Catholic University (Catho), France 0.72 0.58 8 -24.1%
56 École Centrale Lyon, France 0.74 0.56 8 -29.5%
57 University of New Caledonia (UNC), France – 0.41 1 N/A
58 Paris-Est Créteil University (UPEC), France 0.37 0.41 7 1.9%
59 AgroParisTech, France 0.36 0.39 128 -0.8%
60 University of Western Brittany (UBO), France 0.60 0.38 10 -41.8%
61 École Nationale Supérieure de Chimie de Rennes (ENSCR), France 0.39 0.37 9 -12.1%
62 University of Évry-Val d'Essonne (UEVE), France 0.17 0.35 5 93.5%
63 University of Haute-Alsace (UHA), France 0.27 0.32 42 10.0%
64 Higher Institute for Electronics and Digital Training (ISEN), France 0.20 0.31 4 47.4%
65 HEC Paris, France 0.07 0.29 125 306.2%
66 University of South Brittany (UBS), France 0.53 0.29 9 -49.5%
67 Institut Supérieur de l'Aéronautique et de l'Espace (ISAE-SUPAERO), France 0.32 0.26 4 -25.9%
68 University of Technology of Compiègne (UTC), France – 0.24 5 N/A
69 University of Le Havre, France 0.10 0.23 5 118.1%
70 National School for Water and Environmental Engineering of Strasbourg (ENGEES), France – 0.19 4 N/A
71 Pantheon-Sorbonne University (Paris 1), France – 0.19 2 N/A
72 SIGMA Clermont, France 0.69 0.19 2 -74.6%
73 École Nationale d'Ingénieurs de Brest (ENIB), France 0.36 0.18 4 -53.7%
74 University of the French West Indies (UAG), France 0.14 0.18 6 23.9%
75 École Supérieure de Chimie Physique Électronique de Lyon or (CPE Lyon), France 0.47 0.17 3 -66.1%
76 University of Technology of Troyes (UTT), France 1.17 0.17 2 -86.4%
77 ESIEA Group, France – 0.17 1 N/A
78 University of Pau and Pays de l'Adour (UPPA), France 0.11 0.17 6 37.7%
79 École Centrale de Nantes (EC Nantes), France – 0.15 2 N/A
80 University of La Rochelle, France 0.06 0.13 1 85.9%
80 School of Higher Studies in Social Sciences (EHESS), France – 0.13 1 N/A
81 Montpellier SupAgro, France 0.03 0.12 3 242.9%
82 Burgundy School of Business, France 0.14 0.11 8 -26.9%
83 Artois University, France 0.20 0.09 3 -57.8%
84 École Nationale Supérieure d’Architecture de Normandie (ENSA Normandie), France 0.10 0.07 4 -37.7%
85 Institut d'Enseignement Supérieur et de Recherche en Alimentation, Santé Animale, Sciences Agronomiques et de l'Environnement (VetAgro Sup), France 0.04 0.05 2 39.2%
86 École Nationale d'Ingénieurs de Saint-Etienne (ENISE), France 0.13 0.05 1 -64.5%
86 École Nationale des Travaux Publics de l'État (ENTPE), France 0.13 0.05 1 -64.5%
87 Pôle Supérieur d’Enseignement Artistique Paris Boulogne-Billancourt (PSPBB), France – 0.04 3 N/A
87 Institut Européen d'Administration des Affaires (INSEAD), France – 0.04 3 N/A
88 University of Rennes 2, France 0.04 0.04 4 -21.1%
88 French School of Public Health (EHESP), France 0.05 0.04 4 -34.0%
89 École Nationale de l'Aviation Civile (ENAC), France 0.01 0.01 1 48.7%
90 Paul Valéry University (Montpellier III), France 0.03 0.01 2 -73.1%
91 University of London Institute in Paris (ULIP), France 0.00 0.01 2 18375.9%

Footnote

Each year, the Nature Index publishes tables based on counts of high-quality research outputs in the previous calendar year. Users please note:

  1. The data behind the tables are based on a relatively small proportion of total research papers, they cover the natural sciences only and outputs are non-normalized (that is, they don’t reflect the size of the country or institution, or its overall research output).
  2. The Nature Index is one indicator of institutional research performance. The metrics of Count and Share used to order Nature Index listings are based on an institution’s or country’s publication output in 82 natural-science journals through 2022, in 2023 64 health-science journals were added to the Index. The 146 journals in the Nature Index were selected on reputation by an independent panel of leading scientists in their fields.
  3. Nature Index recognizes that many other factors must be taken into account when considering research quality and institutional performance; Nature Index metrics alone should not be used to assess institutions or individuals.
  4. Nature Index data and methods are transparent and available under a creative commons licence at nature.com/nature-index/.

The Nature Index database undergoes regular updating, corrections, adjustment of institutional hierarchies, and removal of retracted papers and thus the live website can differ from the frozen annual tables.

*The change in adjusted Share accounts for the small annual variation in the total number of articles in Nature Index journals. Share values have been adjusted to 2022 levels to calculate the percentage change. For more information on the adjustment, please see the Adjusted metric explainer.


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