Heidelberg University Rankings have been consistently improving over the decades. Its success in the Excellence Initiative and partnership with organizations like the German Cancer Research Centre, all have significantly contributed in making the university a prime choice for students planning to commence studies in Germany.

The university’s par excellence standing is not just limited to Germany. With more than 20 courses ranked in the top 100 by QS, THE, and others, Heidelberg University world rankings have been highly satisfactory. The university is globally acknowledged for its educational programs and research in the areas of history, biological sciences, and Medicine. Heidelberg University is ranks #1 in Germany for its medicine and clinical medicine program. 

Heidelberg University World Rankings

Every year, different ranking agencies review 1500+ universities in the world, based on their performance across different factors ranging from teaching outlook to citations, from international student presence to employment.

In the ranking lists of all these agencies, Heidelberg University invariably ranks in the Top 100. Latest rankings of the university are given in the following table:

Ranking Agency Heidelberg University Ranking 2020 Heidelberg University Ranking 2019
QS Rankings #66 #64
THE Rankings #44 #47
CWUR Rankings #70 #72
ARWU Rankings - #47
US News Rankins #56 -
NTU Rankings - #56

Heidelberg University Rankings: THE

Times Higher Education World Rankings 2020 for the University of Heidelberg is #44, its best till date and as per any other ranking agency. In the last few years, the university has witnessed consistent improvement in THE rankings:

Heidelberg University Rankings by THE

In THE 2020 ranking parameters, the university obtained the following scores:

Parameter Weightage THE Score
Teaching 30% 67.7
Research 30% 60//3
Citations 30% 96.2
Industry Income 7.5% 54.6
International Outlook 2.5% 67.5

After being stringently evaluated on five parameters listed above, the University of Heidelberg obtained an overall score of 73.5.

Heidelberg University Rankings: QS

As per Quacquelli Symonds, Heidelberg University has majorly improved its standing globally. While there was a slight dip in the university’s 2020 ranking (an increase from #64 to #66), it regained its best ranking #64 in QS Rankings 2021.

Heidelberg University Rankings by QS

This year’s University of Heidelberg ranking is based on its overall score of 68.6. The breakdown of the ranking parameters used are mentioned in the following table:

Parameter Weightage QS Score
Academic Reputation 40% 80
Employer Reputation 10% 41.8
Faculty: Student 20% 99.1
Citations per Faculty 20% 34.2
International Faculty 5% 52.3
International Students 5% 49.5

Heidelberg University Rankings: ARWU

Unlike other ranking agencies, ARWU or Shanghai Rankings for Heidelberg University are quite consistent in the last few years.

Since 2003, the university has ranked in Top 100 universities to study abroad. Furthermore, in the last 5 years, this German university has managed to make its place in Top 50 ARWU ranking universities:

Heidelberg University Ranking by ARWU

Heidelberg University Rankings: US News

The US News & World Report 2020 ranking for Heidelberg University is #56, with a global score of 71.4. The score and ranking are calculated after weighing different factors such as publications, research, citations, etc.

The breakdown of all US News ranking indicators and their respective ranks for Heidelberg University are tabulated below:

Ranking Indicators Weightage Relative Ranks
Global research reputation 12.5% #103
Regional research reputation 12.5% #30
Publications 10% #68
Books 2.5% #114
Conferences 2.5% #448
Normalized citation impact 10% #88
Total Citations 7.5% #50
Number of publications among 10% most cited 12.5% #57
Percentage of total publication that is among 10% most cited 10% #120
International collaboration- relative to country 5% #435
International collaboration 5% #243
Number of highly cited papers among top 1% of the field 5% #44
Percentage of total publications that are among top 1% most highly cited papers 5% #96

Heidelberg University Rankings: CWUR

In CWUR rankings, Heidelberg University invariably ranks in the top 100 universities in the world. The last five Center for World University Rankings for the university are depicted in the graph below:

Heidelberg University Ranking by CWUR

Apart from world rankings, CWUR ranks the universities on various factors. Other Heidelberg University CWUR 2020 rankings are:

  • Quality of Education: #132
  • Alumni Employment: #866
  • Quality of Faculty: #80
  • Research Performance: #5

Based on these rankings, the overall score of 83 is assigned to the university.

Heidelberg University National Rankings

As demonstrated, Heidelberg University has established itself as one of the leading universities across the globe. While its world rankings are quite good, its national rankings are outright impressive.

For the last decade, the university has been consistently ranked in the top 5 universities in Germany. The latest Heidelberg University rankings in Germany are tabulated below:

Ranking Agency Rank
QS Rankings 2021 #3
THE Rankings 2020 #3
CWUR Rankings 2020 #4
US News Rankings 2020 #2
ARWU Rankings 2019 #1

These national rankings are an indication of the university’s success story in terms of world-class education and research opportunities, for both new and continuing students.

Heidelberg University Rankings: Subject Wise

Every student’s choice of university depends on their choice of course/program. Heidelberg University around 180 degree programs, in its 50+ subject areas, to international students.

Some of the high ranking Heidelberg University courses are tabulated below:

Course QS 2021 Rankings US News 2020 Rankings NTU 2019 Rankings
Classics & Ancient History #4 - -
Physics & Astronomy #28 #34 #86
Medicine #31 #33 #35
Life Sciences #33 - #42
Biology #37 #41 #45
History #45 - -
Pharmacy & Pharmacology #47 #78 #91
Natural Sciences #55 - #77
Psychology #101-150 #71 #60
Immunology #101-150 #88 #63

Heidelberg University rankings, globally and nationally, are a testament of why every year 5000+ international students from 130 nationalities enroll in different programs. With top-notch curriculum, educational, and research experience, university graduates go on to make a successful career for themselves.