International Rankings Place Heidelberg among Top German Universities
Second best university in Germany in 2012 QS World University Ranking and among the world’s top 100
In all three of the major international rankings, Heidelberg University is among the top three of German universities, therefore making it one of the world’s best 100 universities in each. In the QS World University Ranking for 2012 it was rated 55th in the world and placed second in Germany. In the 2012 Shanghai Ranking of World Universities, it ranked third of the four German universities included in the world’s 100 best. The 2012 Times Higher Education Ranking includes Heidelberg in the four German universities in the international top 100. The university library is once again a front runner among the major academic libraries in Germany for the year 2013.
The 2012 QS World University Ranking’s top 100 institutions included four German universities. At 55th in the international ranking list, Heidelberg is considered the second best university in Germany. The QS World University Ranking rates academic reputation, faculty/student ratio, citations per faculty, employer reputation and the proportion of international faculty and students. The analysis is based on statistics as well as surveys taken by academics and employers.
According to Academic Ranking of World Universities, known as the Shanghai Ranking, four German universities are among the international top 100 in 2012. As in the 2011 ranking, Heidelberg is 62nd and places third of the German universities, behind Munich’s Technical University (53rd) and Munich’s LMU (60th). Like last year, Ruperto Carola is ranked 16th in Europe. The Shanghai ranking especially measures an institution’s scientific influence, making research a key factor in the evaluation. Publications and citations in international scientific journals make up 40% of the total score, alumni and staff winning Nobel Prizes and Fields Medals 30%, most frequently cited researchers 20%, and academic performance based on the size of the university 10%.
In 2012, the Times Higher Education Ranking included eleven German universities among the international top 200, with only four making it into the ranks of the 100 best. Heidelberg is 78rd internationally. Among German universities, Heidelberg ranks third after Munich’s LMU and Göttingen. The analysis, conducted in cooperation with Thomson Reuters, takes into account 13 individual indicators that fall into five main categories. Citations were weighted the highest, along with teaching quality and research (each 30%). The percentage of international students, staff and co-authors of scientific publications (7.5%) was also considered. Research funding by industry was factored in as well (2.5%).
The Scimago Institutions Ranking (SIR) World Report 2012 cites Heidelberg University as one of three German universities among the 100 best research facilities in the world. The over 3,000 institutions evaluated include university and non-university as well as public and private organisations. Ruperto Carola ranks third of the three German research facilities, behind the Max Planck Society and LMU Munich. In international comparison, Heidelberg University places 85th. The ranking is prepared by a group of scientists coordinated from Madrid; the decisive criterion is the number of publications an institution produces.
In the renowned BIX Library Index, Heidelberg University Library has achieved the top spot for the fourth time in succession in 2013. Heidelberg is the only major German academic library to be up among the leaders in all four BIX categories: offerings, usage, efficiency and development. Especially outstanding are the number of library users, process efficiency and third-party and special funding. In all four categories service standards in Heidelberg are uniformly excellent. More than 2.1 million visitors, some 1.8 million loans and 3.4 million accesses to databases, e-journals, e-books, document servers and digitised material annually indicate just how attractive the Heidelberg offerings are.
