China’s Zhejiang University has surpassed Harvard University to take the top spot in the 2026 Nature Index academic rankings.
The rankings, released on June 10, mark the first time Harvard has not ranked first since 2015, the earliest year for which comparable Nature Index data is available.
Chinese institutions dominated this year's academic rankings, accounting for nine of the top 10 places, up from eight a year earlier. Zhejiang University ranked first, while Harvard fell to second.
China's presence was also evident across the top 20, with 17 Chinese universities and research institutions making the list. Among the few non-Chinese institutions were Stanford University, ranked 12th, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, ranked 17th.
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Harvard University's brick facade with red banners displaying the institution's coat of arms. Photo courtesy of Harvard |
The academic institution rankings exclude government agencies and companies. In the broader 2026 Nature Index Research Leaders rankings, which include government and healthcare organizations, Harvard dropped to third place behind the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the world's largest scientific organization and the leading institution in the Nature Index, and Zhejiang University.
The Nature Index, part of Nature Research Intelligence, measures research output based on author affiliations in 178 leading journals covering the natural sciences, health sciences, applied sciences and social sciences.
The latest edition assessed about 125,000 primary research papers published in 2025, according to the South China Morning Post.
Top 10 institutions in the 2026 Nature Index academic rankings
|
Rank |
Institution |
Rank |
Institution |
|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
Zhejiang University (ZJU), China |
6 |
Peking University (PKU), China |
|
2 |
Harvard University, U.S. |
7 |
University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS), China |
|
3 |
Tsinghua University, China |
8 |
Nanjing University (NJU), China |
|
4 |
Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU), China |
9 |
Sichuan University (SCU), China |
|
5 |
University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), China |
10 |
Fudan University, China |
Subject-specific rankings underscored China's growing research strength across multiple fields.
Chinese institutions occupied all 10 positions in both applied sciences and chemistry. They also held nine of the top 10 places in Earth and environmental sciences.
The China Meteorological Administration, the country’s national weather service, rose to second place in Earth and environmental sciences from sixth in 2024.
In biological sciences, Chinese institutions secured five of the top 10 positions, while U.S. institutions claimed three.
In health sciences, historically an area of strength for the U.S., Harvard ranked first in 2025, but Chinese institutions accounted for seven of the top 10 places, led by the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
The U.S. remained dominant in social sciences, where American institutions occupied nine of the top 10 positions. China's Tsinghua University ranked fifth.
In physical sciences, Chinese institutions held five of the top 10 places. The remaining positions went to European institutions and the University of Tokyo, which recorded Japan's only top-10 appearance across the subject rankings.
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