2022 Research Leaders: Leading academic institutions

The 2022 Research Leaders are based on Nature Index data from 1 January 2021 to 31 December 2021.

Table criteria

Position Institution Share 2020 Share 2021 Count 2021 Change in Adjusted Share* 2020–2021
1 University of Valencia (UV), Spain 54.99 68.53 354 21.2% Increase
2 Autonomous University of Madrid (UAM), Spain 70.67 60.83 377 -16.3% Decrease
3 University of Barcelona (UB), Spain 77.66 58.38 369 -26.9% Decrease
4 University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Spain 60.61 52.03 291 -16.5% Decrease
5 University of Santiago de Compostela (USC), Spain 36.21 35.08 159 -5.8% Decrease
6 Complutense University of Madrid (UCM), Spain 41.55 33.75 203 -21.0% Decrease
7 Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB), Spain 24.91 25.74 261 0.6% Increase
8 University of Oviedo (UniOvi), Spain 24.54 19.65 128 -22.1% Decrease
9 University of Granada (UGR), Spain 21.09 19.00 144 -12.4% Decrease
10 Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC), Spain 14.50 18.80 107 26.1% Increase
11 University of Seville (US), Spain 12.84 18.51 112 40.3% Increase
12 University of La Laguna (ULL), Spain 12.67 14.63 112 12.3% Increase
13 Rovira i Virgili University (URV), Spain 15.21 14.36 47 -8.1% Decrease
14 University of Zaragoza (Unizar), Spain 17.25 14.04 104 -20.8% Decrease
15 Pompeu Fabra University (UPF), Spain 14.80 13.95 103 -8.3% Decrease
16 Jaume I University (UJI), Spain 9.53 13.93 58 42.2% Increase
17 Polytechnic University of Valencia (UPV), Spain 14.77 11.24 62 -26.0% Decrease
18 University of Valladolid (UVa), Spain 8.83 10.11 22 11.4% Increase
19 University of Alicante (UA), Spain 7.74 9.13 44 14.8% Increase
20 University of Salamanca (USAL), Spain 15.62 8.97 32 -44.1% Decrease
21 University of the Balearic Islands (UIB), Spain 8.31 8.50 46 -0.5% Decrease
22 University of Alcalá (UAH), Spain 10.05 8.24 48 -20.2% Decrease
23 University of Girona (UdG), Spain 16.66 7.87 38 -54.0% Decrease
24 University of Murcia (UMU), Spain 14.30 7.55 34 -48.6% Decrease
25 Pablo de Olavide University (UPO), Spain 7.33 5.63 39 -25.3% Decrease
26 Charles III University of Madrid (UC3M), Spain 4.65 5.43 31 13.6% Increase
27 University of Vigo (UVIGO), Spain 8.79 5.12 20 -43.4% Decrease
28 Technical University of Madrid (UPM), Spain 5.37 5.06 25 -8.3% Decrease
29 University of Navarra (UNAV), Spain 5.27 4.89 29 -9.8% Decrease
30 University of Málaga (UMA), Spain 7.61 4.83 38 -38.3% Decrease
31 University of Cádiz (UCA), Spain 1.95 4.59 25 129.3% Increase
32 University of La Rioja (UR), Spain 4.87 4.41 15 -12.0% Decrease
33 University of Castilla-La Mancha (UCLM), Spain 7.96 4.39 38 -46.3% Decrease
34 University of Cantabria (UC), Spain 6.82 3.59 89 -48.8% Decrease
35 University of Extremadura (UEx), Spain 2.61 3.42 8 27.6% Increase
36 Miguel Hernández University of Elche (UMH), Spain 4.81 3.22 18 -34.9% Decrease
37 King Juan Carlos University (URJC), Spain 6.34 2.75 18 -57.7% Decrease
38 Technical University of Cartagena (UPCT), Spain 1.84 2.68 10 42.1% Increase
39 University of A Coruña (UDC), Spain 5.22 2.15 14 -59.9% Decrease
40 University of Burgos (UBU), Spain 6.20 2.12 8 -66.7% Decrease
41 San Pablo CEU University (USPCEU), Spain 3.71 2.02 8 -47.0% Decrease
42 Ramon Llull University (URL), Spain 1.02 1.99 39 90.0% Increase
43 Public University of Navarre (UPNA), Spain 0.61 1.57 15 148.6% Increase
44 University of Lleida (UDL), Spain 1.77 1.50 9 -17.4% Decrease
45 University of Almeria (UAL), Spain 3.29 1.47 11 -56.5% Decrease
46 University of Cordoba (UCO), Spain 1.30 1.31 14 -2.2% Decrease
47 University of Huelva (UHU), Spain 3.07 1.05 5 -66.9% Decrease
48 University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC), Spain 0.96 0.68 4 -31.0% Decrease
49 Open University of Catalonia (UOC), Spain 0.23 0.65 4 178.5% Increase
50 Universidad Católica San Antonio de Murcia (UCAM), Spain 0.17 0.56 4 230.2% Increase
51 CEU Cardinal Herrera University, Spain 0.37 0.48 5 23.9% Increase
52 Comillas Pontifical University (UPCO), Spain 0.30 0.46 5 48.8% Increase
53 National University of Distance Education (UNED), Spain 1.02 0.44 4 -57.6% Decrease
54 HM Hospitales, Spain 0.10 0.39 3 260.1% Increase
55 University of Vic - Central University of Catalonia (UVic-UCC), Spain 0.34 0.39 5 10.9% Increase
56 European University of Madrid (UEM), Spain 0.38 0.36 16 -9.4% Decrease
57 Francisco de Vitoria University (UFV), Spain 0.18 0.32 6 68.8% Increase
58 Hospitales de Granada, Spain 0.08 0.31 11 251.5% Increase
59 Universitat Internacional de Catalunya (UIC), Spain 0.46 0.27 5 -43.0% Decrease
60 University of Jaén (UJU), Spain 0.63 0.24 2 -63.3% Decrease
61 Barcelona Graduate School of Economics (Barcelona GSE), Spain 0.42 0.20 1 -53.3% Decrease
62 USC University Hospital Complex (CHUS), Spain 0.27 0.19 8 -32.2% Decrease
63 Universidad Católica Santa Teresa de Jesús de Ávila (UCAV), Spain 0.00 0.13 1 0.0% Increase
64 European University of the Atlantic (UNEATLANTICO), Spain 0.01 0.12 2 1,962.2% Increase
65 Loyola University Andalusia, Spain 0.00 0.11 1 0.0% Increase
66 University of León (ULE), Spain 1.20 0.05 2 -95.7% Decrease
67 Nebrija University, Spain 0.00 0.05 1 0.0% Increase
68 Valencia Catholic University Saint Vincent Martyr (UCV), Spain 0.05 0.04 1 -23.6% Decrease
69 Colegio Huerta de la Cruz, Spain 0.00 0.03 1 0.0% Increase
70 Casa de Velàzquez, Spain 0.00 0.01 1 0.0% Increase

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 and health 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 145 natural-science and health-science journals. The journals were selected on reputation by an independent panel of leading scientists in their fields. The list is reviewed periodically and journals may be removed or added. Articles from eLife were no longer included in the Nature Index from 2023 after the journal changed its publishing model.
  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/.
  5. Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

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 research leaders.