The Shanghai ranking 2022 confirms the scientific influence of France

The promotion of French research

“The rankings are obviously not the only benchmark to rely on, and we must not make them say more than they do, but we must rejoice that our universities are included”. In an interview with the newspaper Le Monde, Sylvie Retailleau, Minister of Higher Education and Research, commented on these results, which highlight “the contribution of researchers and teacher-researchers”. In concrete terms, the Minister noted that four French institutions are ranked in the Top 100, including one in the Top 20 and three in the Top 50, as in 2021.

Four universities therefore stand out this year:

• The University of Paris-Saclay (in 16th position, 1st French university and 3rd European university). This position places France as 3rd best represented country, after the United States and the United Kingdom;
• PSL University (40th);
• Sorbonne University (43rd);
• University of Paris Cité (78th).

Institutions ranked everywhere in the country

In total, the Shanghai 2022 ranking highlights 28 French institutions spread across the country. These results, says the Minister, “are above all the result of the investment made by researchers, teacher-researchers and all the staff who have been supporting research for years”. In fact, apart from the four universities ranked in the Top 100, there are 24 other establishments that represent the diversity of French higher education.

Institutions ranked in the TOP 200

• Aix Marseille University (101-150),
• University of Grenoble Alpes (101-150),
• University of Strasbourg (101-150),
• University of Montpellier (151-200).

Institutions ranked in the TOP 500

• University of Claude Bernard - Lyon 1 (201-300),
• Toulouse 3 Paul Sabatier University (201-300), 
• University of Bordeaux (201-300),
• University of Lorraine (201-300),
• École Normale Supérieure - Lyon (301-400),
• Institut Polytechnique - Paris (301-400),
• University of Lille (301-400),
• University of Toulouse 1 (301-400).

12 other institutions in the Top 1,000

Universities: University of Burgundy, University of Clermont-Auvergne, University of Côte d’Azur, University of Nantes, University of Rennes 1, University of Versailles - Saint Quentin en Yvelines, University of Paris-Est Créteil, University of Savoie, University of Tours 

Schools: INSA Toulouse, École des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales (EHESS), Montpellier Business School.

Quantitative criteria

The Shanghai ranking is based on six quantitative criteria, all of which aiming to assess higher education institutions in their research activities. The 1,000 universities that make up the ranking list are assessed using six weighted criteria:

• the number of Nobel Prize and Fields Medal alumni;
• the number of Nobel Prize and Fields Medal-winning professors;
• the number of most cited teachers in their discipline;
• the number of publications in scientific journals or indexed in the Science Citation Index-Expanded and the Social Science Citation Index;
• the academic performance of professors.

The Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) was first published in 2003 by the Center for World-Class Universities (CWCU) of Shanghai Jiao Tong University in China. This general ranking follows the thematic ranking (by discipline) published a month ago, which already placed France in an enviable position: 43 French institutions were indeed listed in at least one of the Top 100 themes of this ranking.