Best Universities for Neuroscience in Europe

Updated: February 29, 2024

Ranking by academic field

Below is a list of best universities in Europe ranked based on their research performance in Neuroscience. A graph of 79.6M citations received by 2.61M academic papers made by 1,184 universities in Europe was used to calculate publications' ratings, which then were adjusted for release dates and added to final scores.

We don't distinguish between undergraduate and graduate programs nor do we adjust for current majors offered. You can find information about granted degrees on a university page but always double-check with the university website.

1. University College London

United Kingdom | England

For Neuroscience

#1 in the United Kingdom

#2 in the World

Enrollment: 42,000
Founded: 1826

2. University of Oxford

United Kingdom | England

For Neuroscience

#2 in the United Kingdom

#15 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 22%
Founded: 1096

3. University of Cambridge

United Kingdom | England

For Neuroscience

#3 in the United Kingdom

#18 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 21%
Founded: 1209

4. Karolinska Institute

Sweden | Stockholm

For Neuroscience

#1 in Sweden

#19 in the World

Enrollment: 8,070
Founded: 1861

5. King's College London

United Kingdom | England

For Neuroscience

#4 in the United Kingdom

#27 in the World

Founded: 1829

6. Heidelberg University - Germany

Germany | Baden-Wurttemberg

For Neuroscience

#34 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 45%
Enrollment: 28,413
Male:Female: 45:55
Founded: 1386

7. Pierre and Marie Curie University

France | Ile-de-France

For Neuroscience

#1 in France

#41 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 20%
Enrollment: 35,114
Founded: 1150

8. Radboud University

Netherlands | Nijmegen

For Neuroscience

#1 in the Netherlands

#54 in the World

Founded: 1923

9. University of Zurich

Switzerland | Zurich

For Neuroscience

#1 in Switzerland

#55 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 19%
Enrollment: 25,732

10. Lund University

For Neuroscience

#2 in Sweden

#58 in the World

Enrollment: 40,000
Founded: 1666

11. University of Amsterdam

Netherlands | Amsterdam

For Neuroscience

#2 in the Netherlands

#59 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 51%
Enrollment: 41,000
Founded: 1632

12. University of Edinburgh

United Kingdom | Scotland

For Neuroscience

#5 in the United Kingdom

#61 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 51%
Founded: 1583

13. University of Munich

Germany | Bavaria

For Neuroscience

#62 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 55%
Enrollment: 52,418
Founded: 1472

14. Catholic University of Leuven

Belgium | Leuven

For Neuroscience

#66 in the World

Enrollment: 62,693
Founded: 1425

15. University of Manchester

United Kingdom | England

For Neuroscience

#6 in the United Kingdom

#70 in the World

Founded: 1824

16. Charite - Medical University of Berlin

Germany | Brandenburg

For Neuroscience

#75 in the World

Enrollment: 8,877
Founded: 1710

17. University of Tubingen

Germany | Baden-Wurttemberg

For Neuroscience

#76 in the World

Enrollment: 27,770
Male:Female: 41:59
Founded: 1477

18. University of Copenhagen

Denmark | Copenhagen

For Neuroscience

#81 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 37%
Founded: 1479

19. Imperial College London

United Kingdom | England

For Neuroscience

#7 in the United Kingdom

#82 in the World

Enrollment: 17,565
Founded: 1907

20. University of Milan

Italy | Lombardy

For Neuroscience

#1 in Italy

#89 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 21%
Enrollment: 65,234
Founded: 1924

21. University of Groningen

Netherlands | Groningen

For Neuroscience

#3 in the Netherlands

#91 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 50%
Enrollment: 34,000
Founded: 1614

22. University of Gothenburg

Sweden | Gothenburg

For Neuroscience

#3 in Sweden

#92 in the World

Enrollment: 36,003
Founded: 1891

23. University of Bristol

United Kingdom | England

For Neuroscience

#8 in the United Kingdom

#93 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 63%
Enrollment: 27,513
Founded: 1909

24. University of Helsinki

Finland | Helsinki

For Neuroscience

#95 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 12%
Enrollment: 31,312
Founded: 1640

25. Sapienza University of Rome

For Neuroscience

#2 in Italy

#99 in the World

Enrollment: 100,155
Founded: 1303

26. Goethe University of Frankfurt am Main

Germany | Hesse

For Neuroscience

#101 in the World

Enrollment: 43,461
Founded: 1914

27. Utrecht University

Netherlands | Utrecht

For Neuroscience

#4 in the Netherlands

#102 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 22%
Founded: 1636

28. University of Gottingen

Germany | Lower Saxony

For Neuroscience

#103 in the World

Enrollment: 31,619
Founded: 1734

29. Maastricht University

Netherlands | Maastricht

For Neuroscience

#5 in the Netherlands

#107 in the World

Enrollment: 18,000
Founded: 1976

30. University of Hamburg

Germany | Hamburg State

For Neuroscience

#108 in the World

Enrollment: 43,957
Founded: 1919

31. University of Oslo

For Neuroscience

#1 in Norway

#110 in the World

Enrollment: 26,650
Founded: 1811

32. Heinrich Heine University of Dusseldorf

Germany | North Rhine-Westphalia

For Neuroscience

#111 in the World

Enrollment: 37,473
Male:Female: 42:58
Founded: 1965

33. University of Birmingham

United Kingdom | England

For Neuroscience

#9 in the United Kingdom

#112 in the World

Founded: 1900

34. University of Padua

For Neuroscience

#3 in Italy

#116 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 40%
Enrollment: 62,876
Founded: 1222

35. University of Freiburg

Germany | Baden-Wurttemberg

For Neuroscience

#117 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 33%
Enrollment: 23,938
Founded: 1457

36. University of Bonn

Germany | North Rhine-Westphalia

For Neuroscience

#10 in Germany

#118 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 36%
Enrollment: 38,043
Founded: 1818

37. University of Liverpool

United Kingdom | England

For Neuroscience

#10 in the United Kingdom

#121 in the World

Enrollment: 28,693
Founded: 1881

38. Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne

Switzerland | Lausanne

For Neuroscience

#2 in Switzerland

#122 in the World

Enrollment: 12,576

39. University of Geneva

Switzerland | Geneva

For Neuroscience

#3 in Switzerland

#125 in the World

Enrollment: 17,744

40. University of Barcelona

Spain | Barcelona

For Neuroscience

#1 in Spain

#127 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 69%
Enrollment: 64,236
Male:Female: 86:14

41. Uppsala University

Sweden | Uppsala

For Neuroscience

#4 in Sweden

#131 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 69%
Enrollment: 35,556
Founded: 1477

42. University of Bologna

Italy | Emilia-Romagna

For Neuroscience

#4 in Italy

#134 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 73%
Enrollment: 79,999
Founded: 1088

43. Free University Amsterdam

Netherlands | Amsterdam

For Neuroscience

#6 in the Netherlands

#137 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 45%
Founded: 1880

44. University of Glasgow

United Kingdom | Scotland

For Neuroscience

#11 in the United Kingdom

#139 in the World

Founded: 1451

45. University of Nottingham

United Kingdom | England

For Neuroscience

#12 in the United Kingdom

#140 in the World

Founded: 1948

46. Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz

Germany | Rhineland-Palatinate

For Neuroscience

#11 in Germany

#141 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 28%
Enrollment: 33,132
Founded: 1946

47. University of Wurzburg

Germany | Bavaria

For Neuroscience

#12 in Germany

#144 in the World

Enrollment: 27,149
Male:Female: 41:59
Founded: 1402

48. Technical University of Munich

Germany | Bavaria

For Neuroscience

#13 in Germany

#147 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 46%
Enrollment: 44,000
Male:Female: 63:37
Founded: 1868

49. University of Liege

Belgium | Liege

For Neuroscience

#152 in the World

Enrollment: 25,421
Founded: 1817

50. Claude Bernard University Lyon 1

France | Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes

For Neuroscience

#2 in France

#154 in the World

Enrollment: 38,007
Founded: 1809

51. University of Sheffield

United Kingdom | England

For Neuroscience

#13 in the United Kingdom

#156 in the World

Founded: 1905

52. University of Bern

Switzerland | Bern

For Neuroscience

#4 in Switzerland

#157 in the World

Enrollment: 18,576

53. University of Bordeaux

France | Nouvelle-Aquitaine

For Neuroscience

#3 in France

#159 in the World

Enrollment: 54,000
Founded: 1441

54. Free University of Berlin

Germany | Brandenburg

For Neuroscience

#14 in Germany

#161 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 15%
Enrollment: 37,608
Founded: 1948

55. Cardiff University

United Kingdom | Wales

For Neuroscience

#14 in the United Kingdom

#162 in the World

Founded: 1997

56. University of Erlangen Nuremberg

Germany | Bavaria

For Neuroscience

#15 in Germany

#164 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 46%
Enrollment: 38,878
Founded: 1743

57. Leiden University

Netherlands | Leiden

For Neuroscience

#7 in the Netherlands

#165 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 30%
Enrollment: 27,713
Founded: 1575

58. Newcastle University

United Kingdom | England

For Neuroscience

#15 in the United Kingdom

#166 in the World

Founded: 1963

59. Aarhus University

Denmark | Aarhus

For Neuroscience

#168 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 42%
Enrollment: 33,020
Founded: 1928

60. Ruhr University Bochum

Germany | North Rhine-Westphalia

For Neuroscience

#16 in Germany

#174 in the World

Enrollment: 42,954
Founded: 1962

61. University of Lausanne

Switzerland | Lausanne

For Neuroscience

#5 in Switzerland

#175 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 31%
Enrollment: 16,919

62. University of Cologne

Germany | North Rhine-Westphalia

For Neuroscience

#17 in Germany

#178 in the World

Enrollment: 52,204
Male:Female: 39:61
Founded: 1388

63. Erasmus University Rotterdam

Netherlands | Rotterdam

For Neuroscience

#8 in the Netherlands

#180 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 53%
Founded: 1913

64. Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich

Switzerland | Zurich

For Neuroscience

#6 in Switzerland

#181 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 8%
Enrollment: 23,420

65. Humboldt University of Berlin

Germany | Brandenburg

For Neuroscience

#18 in Germany

#183 in the World

Enrollment: 36,378
Founded: 1809

66. Medical University of Vienna

Austria | Vienna

For Neuroscience

#185 in the World

Enrollment: 7,915
Founded: 2004

67. University of Vienna

Austria | Vienna

For Neuroscience

#189 in the World

Enrollment: 93,628
Founded: 1365

68. University of Basel

Switzerland | Basel

For Neuroscience

#7 in Switzerland

#190 in the World

Enrollment: 12,896

69. University of Florence

Italy | Tuscany

For Neuroscience

#5 in Italy

#193 in the World

Founded: 1321

70. University of Southampton

United Kingdom | England

For Neuroscience

#16 in the United Kingdom

#201 in the World

Enrollment: 21,335
Founded: 1952

71. University of Marburg

Germany | Hesse

For Neuroscience

#19 in Germany

#204 in the World

Enrollment: 22,612
Founded: 1527

72. University of Turin

Italy | Piedmont

For Neuroscience

#6 in Italy

#205 in the World

Founded: 1404

73. Trinity College Dublin, University of Dublin

Ireland | Dublin

For Neuroscience

#206 in the World

Enrollment: 20,430
Founded: 1592

74. University of Lubeck

Germany | Schleswig-Holstein

For Neuroscience

#20 in Germany

#209 in the World

Enrollment: 5,968
Founded: 1964

75. University of Munster

Germany | North Rhine-Westphalia

For Neuroscience

#21 in Germany

#210 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 14%
Enrollment: 43,728
Founded: 1780

76. University of Leeds

United Kingdom | England

For Neuroscience

#17 in the United Kingdom

#213 in the World

Founded: 1904

77. University of Ulm

Germany | Baden-Wurttemberg

For Neuroscience

#22 in Germany

#214 in the World

Enrollment: 10,164
Founded: 1967

78. University of Pisa

Italy | Tuscany

For Neuroscience

#7 in Italy

#215 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 39%
Enrollment: 49,108
Founded: 1343

79. Autonomous University of Barcelona

Spain | Cerdanyola del Valles

For Neuroscience

#2 in Spain

#220 in the World

Enrollment: 30,926

80. Complutense University of Madrid

For Neuroscience

#3 in Spain

#221 in the World

Enrollment: 71,806
Founded: 1508

81. Umea University

For Neuroscience

#5 in Sweden

#222 in the World

Enrollment: 34,237
Founded: 1965

82. Ghent University

Belgium | Ghent

For Neuroscience

#224 in the World

Enrollment: 41,669
Founded: 1817

83. University of Leipzig

Germany | Saxony

For Neuroscience

#23 in Germany

#227 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 10%
Enrollment: 31,088
Founded: 1409

84. Hannover Medical School

Germany | Lower Saxony

For Neuroscience

#24 in Germany

#228 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 10%
Enrollment: 3,843
Founded: 1965

85. University of London

United Kingdom | England

For Neuroscience

#18 in the United Kingdom

#235 in the World

Enrollment: 50,000
Founded: 1836

86. RWTH Aachen University

Germany | North Rhine-Westphalia

For Neuroscience

#25 in Germany

#237 in the World

Enrollment: 47,521
Founded: 1870

87. Norwegian University of Science and Technology

Norway | Trondheim

For Neuroscience

#2 in Norway

#238 in the World

Enrollment: 42,031
Founded: 1996

88. University of Aberdeen

United Kingdom | Scotland

For Neuroscience

#19 in the United Kingdom

#243 in the World

Founded: 1495

89. University of Bergen

Norway | Bergen

For Neuroscience

#3 in Norway

#245 in the World

Enrollment: 16,900
Founded: 1946

90. University of Antwerp

Belgium | Antwerp

For Neuroscience

#248 in the World

Founded: 2003

91. Catholic University of the Sacred Heart

Italy | Lombardy

For Neuroscience

#8 in Italy

#249 in the World

Founded: 1921

92. University of Sussex

United Kingdom | England

For Neuroscience

#20 in the United Kingdom

#250 in the World

Enrollment: 17,319
Male:Female: 44:56
Founded: 1961

93. Autonomous University of Madrid

For Neuroscience

#4 in Spain

#251 in the World

Founded: 1968

94. Dresden University of Technology

Germany | Saxony

For Neuroscience

#26 in Germany

#252 in the World

Enrollment: 31,517
Founded: 1828

95. Free University of Brussels

Belgium | Brussels

For Neuroscience

#257 in the World

Enrollment: 31,606
Founded: 1834

96. University of Cagliari

Italy | Sardinia

For Neuroscience

#9 in Italy

#259 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 20%
Enrollment: 26,069
Founded: 1620

97. University of Parma

Italy | Emilia-Romagna

For Neuroscience

#10 in Italy

#262 in the World

Founded: 1117

98. Federico II University of Naples

Italy | Campania

For Neuroscience

#11 in Italy

#264 in the World

Enrollment: 73,553
Founded: 1224

99. University of Turku

Finland | Turku

For Neuroscience

#265 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 18%
Enrollment: 20,800
Male:Female: 38:62
Founded: 1920

100. University of Genoa

Italy | Liguria

For Neuroscience

#12 in Italy

#267 in the World

Enrollment: 36,728
Founded: 1481