QS: ELTE leads in Hungary in the fields of Natural Sciences

On March 12, Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) published its 2025 subject rankings, the most extensive list ever compiled by the organization, featuring 171 new entries compared to the previous year. The ranking evaluated approximately 21,000 programs from 1,700 higher education institutions across 100 countries, covering 5 broad academic disciplines and 55 narrower fields. The assessment was based on academic and employer reputation, citation impact of scientific publications, the Hirsch index, and international research collaborations. You can read more about the ranking methodology in English here.

ACADEMIC DISCIPLINES 

Among the five broad academic disciplines, ELTE appears in the rankings for humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences & management. In the first two disciplines, it holds the top position in Hungary. 

Globally, QS ranked Eötvös Loránd University 233rd in the field of humanities, ahead of the University of Szeged (ranked 451-500 in the same category). In the physical sciences, ELTE ranked 331st, again making it the highest-ranked Hungarian university in this field, surpassing Budapest University of Technology and Economics (BME) that placed 383rd and the University of Szeged that placed 451-500. In social sciences, ELTE placed 501-550, making it the second-best university in Hungary behind Corvinus University.

NARROWER FIELDS OF STUDY

Among the 55 narrower fields of study, a total of 11 Hungarian universities appear in the rankings across 29 fields. ELTE, as the most successful Hungarian institution, is represented in 15 fields, and in eight of them (linguistics, psychology, archaeology, history, modern languages, English language and literature, education, and law), it is the only Hungarian university included. Among these, linguistics and archaeology secured an outstanding position in the 151-200 range globally. ELTE also holds the top ranking in Hungary for psychology, education, and law.

In mathematics and physics, Eötvös Loránd University shares the top position in Hungary with BME, while in international studies, it ranks alongside Corvinus University. ELTE secured second place in computer science and ranked third nationally in biology and chemistry, according to the QS ranking.

Compared to last year, ELTE improved its ranking in archaeology and appeared in two fields for the first time: medicine and political & international studies. A detailed breakdown of the rankings is provided in the table below.

*indicates a shared first place in Hungary

International Overview

This year’s subject rankings highlight remarkable achievements by higher education institutions in South Korea, China, and Hong Kong. Additionally, the number of ranked institutions has significantly increased in Western Asia and the Arab region. Meanwhile, universities in the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia, and Canada are facing increasing financial pressures, according to the QS report.

Despite these changes, the United States continues to lead the rankings, with its universities securing the top position in 32 out of 55 subject areas. The United Kingdom follows with 18 first-place rankings.

The detailed results of the QS 2025 Subject Rankings can be found here, and more ELTE news related to rankings is available on this link.

(Source: elte.hu)