Best Universities for Optical Engineering in Europe

Updated: March 02, 2025

Ranking by academic field

Below is a list of best universities in Europe ranked based on their research performance in Optical Engineering. A graph of 120M citations received by 4.15M academic papers made by 1,260 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 of Cambridge

United Kingdom | England

For Optical Engineering

#1 in the United Kingdom

#9 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 21%
Founded: 1209

2. University of Oxford

United Kingdom | England

For Optical Engineering

#2 in the United Kingdom

#16 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 22%
Founded: 1096

3. University College London

United Kingdom | England

For Optical Engineering

#3 in the United Kingdom

#19 in the World

Enrollment: 42,000
Founded: 1826

4. Imperial College London

United Kingdom | England

For Optical Engineering

#4 in the United Kingdom

#21 in the World

Enrollment: 17,565
Founded: 1907

5. Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne

Switzerland | Lausanne

For Optical Engineering

#1 in Switzerland

#24 in the World

Enrollment: 12,576

6. Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich

Switzerland | Zurich

For Optical Engineering

#2 in Switzerland

#39 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 8%
Enrollment: 23,420

7. Pierre and Marie Curie University

France | Ile-de-France

For Optical Engineering

#1 in France

#48 in the World

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

8. University of Manchester

United Kingdom | England

For Optical Engineering

#5 in the United Kingdom

#52 in the World

Founded: 1824

9. Catholic University of Leuven

Belgium | Leuven

For Optical Engineering

#1 in Belgium

#53 in the World

Enrollment: 62,693
Founded: 1425

10. University of Southampton

United Kingdom | England

For Optical Engineering

#6 in the United Kingdom

#54 in the World

Enrollment: 21,335
Founded: 1952

11. Delft University of Technology

Netherlands | Delft

For Optical Engineering

#1 in the Netherlands

#58 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 50%
Enrollment: 24,703
Founded: 1842

12. Technical University of Munich

Germany | Bavaria

For Optical Engineering

#1 in Germany

#69 in the World

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

13. University of Munich

Germany | Bavaria

For Optical Engineering

#2 in Germany

#79 in the World

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

14. Lund University

Sweden | Lund

For Optical Engineering

#1 in Sweden

#82 in the World

Enrollment: 40,000
Founded: 1666

15. Vienna University of Technology

Austria | Vienna

For Optical Engineering

#1 in Austria

#84 in the World

Enrollment: 29,341
Founded: 1872

16. Karlsruhe Institute of Technology

Germany | Baden-Wurttemberg

For Optical Engineering

#3 in Germany

#86 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 26%
Enrollment: 23,321
Founded: 2009

17. Moscow State University

Russia | Moscow

For Optical Engineering

#1 in Russia

#87 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 12%
Founded: 1755

18. Heidelberg University - Germany

Germany | Baden-Wurttemberg

For Optical Engineering

#4 in Germany

#90 in the World

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

19. Technical University of Denmark

Denmark | Kongens Lyngby

For Optical Engineering

#1 in Denmark

#92 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 38%
Founded: 1829

20. University of Erlangen Nuremberg

Germany | Bavaria

For Optical Engineering

#5 in Germany

#97 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 46%
Enrollment: 39,658
Founded: 1743

21. Friedrich Schiller University of Jena

Germany | Thuringia

For Optical Engineering

#6 in Germany

#103 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 60%
Enrollment: 17,345
Founded: 1558

22. Paris-Sud University

France | Ile-de-France

For Optical Engineering

#2 in France

#114 in the World

Enrollment: 23,270
Founded: 2014

23. Sapienza University of Rome

Italy | Lazio

For Optical Engineering

#1 in Italy

#122 in the World

Enrollment: 100,155
Founded: 1303

24. University of Hamburg

Germany | Hamburg State

For Optical Engineering

#7 in Germany

#123 in the World

Enrollment: 43,957
Founded: 1919

25. Chalmers University of Technology

Sweden | Gothenburg

For Optical Engineering

#2 in Sweden

#125 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 79%
Enrollment: 10,773
Founded: 1829

26. University of Amsterdam

Netherlands | Amsterdam

For Optical Engineering

#2 in the Netherlands

#126 in the World

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

27. University of Bristol

United Kingdom | England

For Optical Engineering

#7 in the United Kingdom

#127 in the World

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

28. KTH Royal Institute of Technology

Sweden | Stockholm

For Optical Engineering

#3 in Sweden

#130 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 41%
Enrollment: 14,278
Founded: 1827

29. University of Glasgow

United Kingdom | Scotland

For Optical Engineering

#8 in the United Kingdom

#131 in the World

Founded: 1451

30. University of Gottingen

Germany | Lower Saxony

For Optical Engineering

#8 in Germany

#133 in the World

Enrollment: 31,619
Founded: 1734

31. Polytechnic University of Milan

Italy | Lombardy

For Optical Engineering

#2 in Italy

#137 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 28%
Enrollment: 48,645
Male:Female: 65:35
Founded: 1863

32. University of Sheffield

United Kingdom | England

For Optical Engineering

#9 in the United Kingdom

#138 in the World

Founded: 1905

33. Utrecht University

Netherlands | Utrecht

For Optical Engineering

#3 in the Netherlands

#139 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 22%
Founded: 1636

34. University of Edinburgh

United Kingdom | Scotland

For Optical Engineering

#10 in the United Kingdom

#140 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 51%
Founded: 1583

35. Eindhoven University of Technology

Netherlands | Eindhoven

For Optical Engineering

#4 in the Netherlands

#142 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 50%
Enrollment: 13,069
Founded: 1956

36. University of Stuttgart

Germany | Baden-Wurttemberg

For Optical Engineering

#9 in Germany

#143 in the World

Enrollment: 22,616
Founded: 1829

37. Uppsala University

Sweden | Uppsala

For Optical Engineering

#4 in Sweden

#148 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 69%
Founded: 1477

38. RWTH Aachen University

Germany | North Rhine-Westphalia

For Optical Engineering

#10 in Germany

#150 in the World

Enrollment: 47,521
Founded: 1870

39. Ghent University

Belgium | Ghent

For Optical Engineering

#2 in Belgium

#151 in the World

Enrollment: 41,669
Founded: 1817

40. University of Nottingham

United Kingdom | England

For Optical Engineering

#11 in the United Kingdom

#153 in the World

Founded: 1948

41. Technical University of Berlin

Germany | Brandenburg

For Optical Engineering

#11 in Germany

#154 in the World

Enrollment: 34,842
Founded: 1946

42. University of Padua

Italy | Veneto

For Optical Engineering

#3 in Italy

#159 in the World

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

43. University of Copenhagen

Denmark | Copenhagen

For Optical Engineering

#2 in Denmark

#160 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 37%
Founded: 1479

44. Claude Bernard University Lyon 1

France | Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes

For Optical Engineering

#3 in France

#162 in the World

Enrollment: 38,007
Founded: 1809

45. University of Leeds

United Kingdom | England

For Optical Engineering

#12 in the United Kingdom

#166 in the World

Founded: 1904

46. University of Birmingham

United Kingdom | England

For Optical Engineering

#13 in the United Kingdom

#168 in the World

Founded: 1900

47. University of Bologna

Italy | Emilia-Romagna

For Optical Engineering

#4 in Italy

#169 in the World

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

48. University of Munster

Germany | North Rhine-Westphalia

For Optical Engineering

#12 in Germany

#170 in the World

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

49. University of Helsinki

Finland | Helsinki

For Optical Engineering

#1 in Finland

#171 in the World

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

50. University of Vienna

Austria | Vienna

For Optical Engineering

#2 in Austria

#172 in the World

Enrollment: 93,628
Founded: 1365

51. University of Groningen

Netherlands | Groningen

For Optical Engineering

#5 in the Netherlands

#177 in the World

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

52. University of Twente

Netherlands | Enschede

For Optical Engineering

#6 in the Netherlands

#179 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 51%
Founded: 1961

53. Polytechnic School

France | Ile-de-France

For Optical Engineering

#4 in France

#184 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 11%
Enrollment: 2,316
Founded: 1794

54. Radboud University

Netherlands | Nijmegen

For Optical Engineering

#7 in the Netherlands

#186 in the World

Founded: 1923

55. University of Zurich

Switzerland | Zurich

For Optical Engineering

#3 in Switzerland

#188 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 19%
Enrollment: 25,732

56. Leiden University

Netherlands | Leiden

For Optical Engineering

#8 in the Netherlands

#189 in the World

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

57. University of Wurzburg

Germany | Bavaria

For Optical Engineering

#13 in Germany

#190 in the World

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

58. University of Geneva

Switzerland | Geneva

For Optical Engineering

#4 in Switzerland

#201 in the World

Enrollment: 17,744

59. Ruhr University Bochum

Germany | North Rhine-Westphalia

For Optical Engineering

#14 in Germany

#202 in the World

Enrollment: 42,954
Founded: 1962

60. University of Liverpool

United Kingdom | England

For Optical Engineering

#14 in the United Kingdom

#206 in the World

Enrollment: 28,693
Founded: 1881

61. Durham University

United Kingdom | England

For Optical Engineering

#15 in the United Kingdom

#207 in the World

Enrollment: 19,520
Founded: 1832

62. Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz

Germany | Rhineland-Palatinate

For Optical Engineering

#15 in Germany

#209 in the World

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

63. University of Bonn

Germany | North Rhine-Westphalia

For Optical Engineering

#16 in Germany

#213 in the World

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

64. Dresden University of Technology

Germany | Saxony

For Optical Engineering

#17 in Germany

#214 in the World

Enrollment: 31,517
Founded: 1828

65. Grenoble Alpes University

France | Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes

For Optical Engineering

#5 in France

#217 in the World

Enrollment: 57,000
Founded: 1339

66. University of Freiburg

Germany | Baden-Wurttemberg

For Optical Engineering

#18 in Germany

#219 in the World

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

67. Complutense University of Madrid

Spain | Madrid

For Optical Engineering

#1 in Spain

#220 in the World

Enrollment: 71,806
Founded: 1508

68. King's College London

United Kingdom | England

For Optical Engineering

#16 in the United Kingdom

#222 in the World

Founded: 1829

69. University of Milan

Italy | Lombardy

For Optical Engineering

#5 in Italy

#223 in the World

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

70. Autonomous University of Madrid

Spain | Madrid

For Optical Engineering

#2 in Spain

#225 in the World

Founded: 1968

71. University of Florence

Italy | Tuscany

For Optical Engineering

#6 in Italy

#229 in the World

Founded: 1321

72. University of Bordeaux

France | Nouvelle-Aquitaine

For Optical Engineering

#6 in France

#230 in the World

Enrollment: 54,000
Founded: 1441

73. Goethe University of Frankfurt am Main

Germany | Hesse

For Optical Engineering

#19 in Germany

#231 in the World

Enrollment: 43,461
Founded: 1914

74. Karolinska Institute

Sweden | Stockholm

For Optical Engineering

#5 in Sweden

#232 in the World

Enrollment: 8,070
Founded: 1861

75. Aarhus University

Denmark | Aarhus

For Optical Engineering

#3 in Denmark

#233 in the World

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

76. University of Valencia

Spain | Valencia

For Optical Engineering

#3 in Spain

#235 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 51%
Enrollment: 58,390

77. University of Tubingen

Germany | Baden-Wurttemberg

For Optical Engineering

#20 in Germany

#236 in the World

Enrollment: 28,238
Male:Female: 41:59
Founded: 1477

78. Linkoping University

Sweden | Linkoping

For Optical Engineering

#6 in Sweden

#238 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 41%
Enrollment: 22,441
Founded: 1975

79. University of Oslo

Norway | Oslo

For Optical Engineering

#1 in Norway

#242 in the World

Enrollment: 26,650
Founded: 1811

80. University of Bern

Switzerland | Bern

For Optical Engineering

#5 in Switzerland

#243 in the World

Enrollment: 18,576

81. Technical University of Catalonia

Spain | Barcelona

For Optical Engineering

#4 in Spain

#244 in the World

Enrollment: 29,812

82. University of Barcelona

Spain | Barcelona

For Optical Engineering

#5 in Spain

#245 in the World

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

83. University of Pisa

Italy | Tuscany

For Optical Engineering

#7 in Italy

#249 in the World

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

84. University of Strathclyde

United Kingdom | Scotland

For Optical Engineering

#17 in the United Kingdom

#252 in the World

Founded: 1964

85. Free University of Berlin

Germany | Brandenburg

For Optical Engineering

#21 in Germany

#255 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 15%
Enrollment: 37,908
Founded: 1948

86. Norwegian University of Science and Technology

Norway | Trondheim

For Optical Engineering

#2 in Norway

#258 in the World

Enrollment: 42,031
Founded: 1996

87. Darmstadt University of Technology

Germany | Hesse

For Optical Engineering

#22 in Germany

#259 in the World

Enrollment: 24,969
Founded: 1877

88. University of St Andrews

United Kingdom | Scotland

For Optical Engineering

#18 in the United Kingdom

#260 in the World

Enrollment: 10,425
Founded: 1413

89. University of Regensburg

Germany | Bavaria

For Optical Engineering

#23 in Germany

#268 in the World

Enrollment: 20,702
Founded: 1962

90. University of Bath

United Kingdom | England

For Optical Engineering

#19 in the United Kingdom

#269 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 67%
Enrollment: 18,857
Male:Female: 53:47
Founded: 1966

91. Polytechnic University of Valencia

Spain | Valencia

For Optical Engineering

#6 in Spain

#271 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 50%
Enrollment: 28,450
Founded: 1968

92. Normal Superior School

France | Ile-de-France

For Optical Engineering

#7 in France

#272 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 10%
Enrollment: 2,536
Founded: 1794

93. Polytechnic University of Turin

Italy | Piedmont

For Optical Engineering

#8 in Italy

#273 in the World

Founded: 1859

94. Queen's University Belfast

United Kingdom | Northern Ireland

For Optical Engineering

#20 in the United Kingdom

#276 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 31%
Founded: 1849

95. University of Warwick

United Kingdom | England

For Optical Engineering

#21 in the United Kingdom

#277 in the World

Enrollment: 27,278
Founded: 1965

96. Queen Mary University of London

United Kingdom | England

For Optical Engineering

#22 in the United Kingdom

#281 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 18%
Founded: 1989

97. Humboldt University of Berlin

Germany | Brandenburg

For Optical Engineering

#24 in Germany

#282 in the World

Enrollment: 36,232
Founded: 1809

98. University of Exeter

United Kingdom | England

For Optical Engineering

#23 in the United Kingdom

#284 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 73%
Founded: 1955

99. Paul Sabatier University - Toulouse III

France | Occitanie

For Optical Engineering

#8 in France

#294 in the World

Enrollment: 29,680
Founded: 1960

100. University of Innsbruck

Austria | Innsbruck

For Optical Engineering

#3 in Austria

#295 in the World

Enrollment: 28,278
Male:Female: 47:53
Founded: 1669

Engineering subfields in Europe

Acoustical Engineering1182

Aerospace Engineering1129

Agricultural Engineering255

Applied/Engineering Physics461

Architectural Engineering553

Architecture514

Automation and Control engineering541

Automotive Engineering650

Aviation379

Biochemical Engineering453

Biomedical Engineering558

Biotechnology755

Chemical Engineering1037

Civil Engineering966

Computer Engineering589

Computer Networking1122

Construction Management444

Electrical Engineering1212

Electronic Engineering877

Engineering Management468

Environmental Engineering726

Firefighting and Fire Science287

Geotechnical Engineering849

Human-Computer Interaction849

Industrial Engineering399

Landscape Architecture404

Marine Engineering336

Materials Science1347

Mechanical Engineering1304

Metallurgical Engineering1147

Mining Engineering286

Nanotechnology987

Nuclear Engineering360

Operations Research665

Petroleum Engineering414

Polymer science and Plastics engineering353

Product and Industrial Design348

Reliability and Quality Engineering615

Remote Sensing670

Renewable Energy Engineering617

Robotics488

Structural Engineering1036

Systems Engineering991

Technical Drawing361

Telecommunications1141

Transportation Engineering576