2021 tables: Institutions - physical sciences

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 Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), China 529.53 572.71 2074 0.5%
2 University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), China 167.53 183.79 615 2.0%
3 Peking University (PKU), China 150.91 166.78 668 2.7%
4 Tsinghua University, China 184.09 165.16 698 -16.6%
5 University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS), China 130.81 143.25 908 1.8%
6 Nanjing University (NJU), China 128.27 134.53 411 -2.5%
7 Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU), China 84.10 117.06 374 29.4%
8 Zhejiang University (ZJU), China 90.76 114.27 352 17.0%
9 Fudan University, China 95.29 90.35 302 -11.9%
10 Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech), China 44.60 83.02 247 73.0%
11 Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST), China 86.80 79.81 215 -14.5%
12 Soochow University, China 94.38 78.64 205 -22.6%
13 Nankai University (NKU), China 46.83 61.10 182 21.3%
14 Sun Yat-sen University (SYSU), China 64.38 60.86 216 -12.1%
15 Xi'an Jiaotong University (XJTU), China 60.10 59.37 157 -8.2%
16 Tianjin University (TJU), China 57.77 56.04 175 -9.8%
17 Harbin Institute of Technology (HIT), China 44.04 54.31 138 14.6%
18 Beihang University (BUAA), China 54.29 54.25 278 -7.1%
19 Wuhan University (WHU), China 61.18 53.70 186 -18.4%
20 Jilin University (JLU), China 49.92 52.04 143 -3.1%
21 Xiamen University (XMU), China 33.96 50.93 114 39.4%
22 The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), China 47.06 49.04 177 -3.1%
23 Sichuan University (SCU), China 40.45 47.46 102 9.1%
24 Shandong University (SDU), China 32.64 43.26 163 23.2%
25 City University of Hong Kong (CityU), China 35.87 42.73 139 10.7%
26 South China University of Technology (SCUT), China 43.19 41.75 117 -10.2%
27 Hunan University (HNU), China 31.41 40.00 118 18.4%
28 Beijing Institute of Technology (BIT), China 33.86 38.84 118 6.6%
29 University of Electronic Science and Technology of China (UESTC), China 24.91 37.52 99 40.0%
30 Beijing Normal University (BNU), China 23.53 36.88 117 45.7%
31 Shenzhen University (SZU), China 35.17 33.32 110 -11.9%
32 East China Normal University (ECNU), China 23.06 32.98 98 33.0%
33 Lanzhou University (LZU), China 18.73 32.75 100 62.6%
34 Southeast University (SEU), China 33.02 32.70 104 -7.9%
35 University of Science and Technology Beijing (USTB), China 29.40 32.03 86 1.3%
36 The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU), China 16.57 30.87 103 73.1%
37 Central South University (CSU), China 20.33 29.50 86 34.9%
38 The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), China 33.72 28.37 144 -21.8%
39 ShanghaiTech University, China 16.42 27.48 103 55.6%
40 Zhengzhou University (ZZU), China 21.27 26.20 139 14.5%
41 Tongji University, China 24.52 26.06 84 -1.2%
42 Chongqing University (CQU), China 16.78 25.69 62 42.3%
43 Beijing University of Chemical Technology (BUCT), China 23.99 25.58 71 -0.9%
44 Donghua University (DHU), China 23.23 25.53 59 2.1%
45 Northwestern Polytechnical University (NPU), China 15.53 23.01 95 37.7%
46 Dalian University of Technology (DUT), China 20.55 20.84 56 -5.7%
47 Wuhan University of Technology (WUT), China 14.85 20.44 55 27.9%
48 China Academy of Engineering Physics (CAEP), China 22.68 20.17 75 -17.3%
49 The University of Hong Kong (HKU), China 27.22 19.26 134 -34.2%
50 Nanjing University of Science and Technology (NUST), China 17.20 19.14 48 3.4%
51 Jinan University (JNU), China 16.94 19.06 47 4.6%
52 Nanjing Tech University (NanjingTech), China 20.96 18.63 50 -17.4%
53 Shanghai University (SHU), China 20.39 17.80 52 -18.9%
54 Hunan Normal University (HUNNU), China 7.02 17.70 48 134.4%
55 Shanxi University (SXU), China 8.29 16.79 100 88.3%
56 South China Normal University (SCNU), China 23.86 16.28 95 -36.6%
57 Central China Normal University (CCNU), China 13.96 16.16 106 7.6%
58 People's Liberation Army (PLA), China 10.03 13.39 105 24.1%
59 Guangdong University of Technology (GDUT), China 7.02 13.30 39 76.2%
60 Hebei University (HBU), China 7.56 13.28 27 63.2%
61 Yangzhou University (YZU), China 10.16 13.20 38 20.7%
62 Anhui University (AHU), China 3.44 12.64 47 241.2%
63 Xidian University, China 10.19 12.36 35 12.7%
64 Beijing University of Technology (BJUT), China 9.55 11.69 41 13.8%
65 Northeastern University (NEU), China 3.33 11.52 37 221.4%
66 Nanchang University (NCU), China 15.36 11.08 26 -33.0%
67 Southwest Jiaotong University (SWJTU), China 6.27 10.62 21 57.5%
68 Henan University (HENU), China 9.23 10.60 32 6.7%
69 East China University of Science and Technology (ECUST), China 13.22 10.35 30 -27.2%
70 Hefei University of Technology (HFUT), China 10.51 10.33 25 -8.6%
71 Renmin University of China (RUC), China 11.59 10.18 36 -18.3%
72 Hubei University (HUBU), China 4.79 10.10 23 96.0%
73 Shaanxi Normal University (SNNU), China 10.29 9.60 31 -13.3%
74 Zhejiang University of Technology (ZJUT), China 11.38 9.54 34 -22.1%
75 Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics (NUAA), China 10.34 9.37 30 -15.8%
76 Nanjing Normal University (NNU), China 15.46 9.30 53 -44.1%
77 Northeast Normal University (NENU), China 7.94 9.16 17 7.2%
78 Northwest University (NWU), China 5.51 9.13 37 54.2%
79 Yanshan University (YSU), China 9.27 9.12 29 -8.6%
80 Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications (NUPT), China 8.35 9.08 29 1.1%
81 Southwest University (SWU), China 6.85 8.53 20 15.7%
82 Jiangnan University, China 3.51 8.48 23 124.8%
83 Henan Normal University, China 7.08 8.40 40 10.3%
84 Fuzhou University (FZU), China 9.69 8.37 19 -19.8%
85 Qingdao University (QU), China 8.83 8.27 28 -13.0%
86 Center for High Pressure Science and Technology Advanced Research (HPSTAR), China 6.27 8.11 26 20.2%
87 National University of Defense Technology (NUDT), China 8.31 7.87 35 -11.9%
88 China Pharmaceutical University (CPU), China 9.60 7.87 13 -23.9%
89 Southern Medical University (SMU), China 0.86 7.71 24 731.9%
90 Tianjin University of Technology (TJUT), China 2.50 7.63 23 183.1%
91 FiberHome Technologies Group, China 8.23 7.06 70 -20.2%
92 Westlake University, China 4.03 7.02 30 62.1%
93 Jiangsu University (JSU), China 4.60 6.84 20 38.3%
94 Shandong Normal University (SDNU), China 4.80 6.66 38 29.1%
95 China State Shipbuilding Corporation Limited (CSSC), China 8.28 6.65 76 -25.4%
96 Jiangxi Normal University (JXNU), China 2.57 6.21 20 124.3%
97 Capital Normal University (CNU), China 7.24 6.04 16 -22.5%
98 Ocean University of China (OUC), China 2.10 5.92 18 162.4%
99 Xiangtan University (XTU), China 4.74 5.88 24 15.2%
100 China University of Mining and Technology (CUMT), China 1.30 5.87 15 319.4%

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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