Zhejiang University tops academic institutions in Nature Index 2026 Research Leaders

Zhejiang University (ZJU) has been ranked first among academic institutions worldwide in the Nature Index 2026 Research Leaders rankings, released on June 10, 2026 — the first time ZJU has topped the ranking.

The Nature Index, published by Springer Nature, tracks institutional contributions to research published across 177 high-quality journals and one conference proceedings, spanning the natural, health, applied and social sciences. The 2026 edition features an expanded scope, incorporating for the first time 17 applied-sciences journals, one conference proceedings, and 15 social-sciences journals, broadening the disciplinary coverage of the rankings.

The university has demonstrated particular strength in chemistry, biological sciences, and applied sciences, with growing contributions in the health and social sciences.

ZJU's achievement comes amid a broader rise of Chinese universities on the world stage. Nine of the top ten academic institutions in the 2026 rankings are Chinese universities, with Harvard University the sole non-Chinese institution, in second place. Among Chinese peers, Tsinghua University ranked third, followed by Shanghai Jiao Tong University (4th), University of Science and Technology of China (5th), Peking University (6th), University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (7th), Nanjing University (8th), Sichuan University (9th), and Fudan University (10th). China as a whole recorded 22.4% growth in share from 2024 to 2025, the only country in the global top ten to achieve double-digit growth.

Written by: DING Chenwei
Reviewed by: YING Tianyu and HE Jiawen
Source: Nature Index