Best Intellectual Property (IP/Patent Law) Schools in Europe

Updated: March 15, 2026

Ranking by academic field

Below is a list of best universities in Europe ranked based on their research performance in Intellectual Property and Patent Law. A graph of 260K citations received by 17.4K academic papers made by 153 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 Oxford

United Kingdom | England

For Intellectual Property and Patent Law

#1 in the United Kingdom

#8 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 22%
Founded: 1096

2. Catholic University of Leuven

Belgium | Leuven

For Intellectual Property and Patent Law

#1 in Belgium

#12 in the World

Enrollment: 62,693
Founded: 1425

3. Queen Mary University of London

United Kingdom | England

For Intellectual Property and Patent Law

#2 in the United Kingdom

#21 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 18%
Founded: 1989

4. London School of Economics and Political Science

United Kingdom | England

For Intellectual Property and Patent Law

#3 in the United Kingdom

#24 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 8%
Enrollment: 9,218
Founded: 1895

5. University of Cambridge

United Kingdom | England

For Intellectual Property and Patent Law

#4 in the United Kingdom

#25 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 21%
Founded: 1209

6. University of Copenhagen

Denmark | Copenhagen

For Intellectual Property and Patent Law

#1 in Denmark

#26 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 37%
Founded: 1479

7. University of Nottingham

United Kingdom | England

For Intellectual Property and Patent Law

#5 in the United Kingdom

#28 in the World

Founded: 1948

8. Maastricht University

Netherlands | Maastricht

For Intellectual Property and Patent Law

#1 in the Netherlands

#40 in the World

Enrollment: 18,000
Founded: 1976

9. University of Amsterdam

Netherlands | Amsterdam

For Intellectual Property and Patent Law

#2 in the Netherlands

#41 in the World

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

10. King's College London

United Kingdom | England

For Intellectual Property and Patent Law

#6 in the United Kingdom

#45 in the World

Founded: 1829

11. University College London

United Kingdom | England

For Intellectual Property and Patent Law

#7 in the United Kingdom

#47 in the World

Enrollment: 42,000
Founded: 1826

12. University of St. Gallen

Switzerland | St. Gallen

For Intellectual Property and Patent Law

#1 in Switzerland

#55 in the World

Enrollment: 7,666

13. Utrecht University

Netherlands | Utrecht

For Intellectual Property and Patent Law

#3 in the Netherlands

#64 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 22%
Enrollment: 40,000
Founded: 1636

14. Technical University of Munich

Germany | Bavaria

For Intellectual Property and Patent Law

#1 in Germany

#65 in the World

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

15. University of Bologna

Italy | Emilia-Romagna

For Intellectual Property and Patent Law

#1 in Italy

#68 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 73%
Enrollment: 96,945
Founded: 1088

16. Copenhagen Business School

Denmark | Frederiksberg

For Intellectual Property and Patent Law

#2 in Denmark

#74 in the World

Founded: 1917

17. Carlos III University, Madrid

Spain | Getafe

For Intellectual Property and Patent Law

#1 in Spain

#78 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 27%
Founded: 1989

18. University of Sussex

United Kingdom | England

For Intellectual Property and Patent Law

#8 in the United Kingdom

#79 in the World

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

19. University of Glasgow

United Kingdom | Scotland

For Intellectual Property and Patent Law

#9 in the United Kingdom

#80 in the World

Founded: 1451

20. University of Zurich

Switzerland | Zurich

For Intellectual Property and Patent Law

#2 in Switzerland

#88 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 19%
Enrollment: 25,732

21. Erasmus University Rotterdam

Netherlands | Rotterdam

For Intellectual Property and Patent Law

#4 in the Netherlands

#89 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 53%
Founded: 1913

22. University of Munich

Germany | Bavaria

For Intellectual Property and Patent Law

#2 in Germany

#96 in the World

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

23. University of London

United Kingdom | England

For Intellectual Property and Patent Law

#10 in the United Kingdom

#99 in the World

Enrollment: 50,000
Founded: 1836

24. University of Manchester

United Kingdom | England

For Intellectual Property and Patent Law

#11 in the United Kingdom

#103 in the World

Founded: 1824

25. University of Strasbourg

France | Grand Est

For Intellectual Property and Patent Law

#1 in France

#105 in the World

Enrollment: 10,077
Founded: 1621

26. University of Helsinki

Finland | Helsinki

For Intellectual Property and Patent Law

#1 in Finland

#107 in the World

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

27. Tilburg University

Netherlands | Tilburg

For Intellectual Property and Patent Law

#5 in the Netherlands

#111 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 57%
Enrollment: 19,178
Founded: 1927

28. Chalmers University of Technology

Sweden | Gothenburg

For Intellectual Property and Patent Law

#1 in Sweden

#113 in the World

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

29. Bocconi University

Italy | Lombardy

For Intellectual Property and Patent Law

#2 in Italy

#116 in the World

Founded: 1902

30. Lancaster University

United Kingdom | England

For Intellectual Property and Patent Law

#12 in the United Kingdom

#119 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 22%
Founded: 1964

31. Bournemouth University

United Kingdom | England

For Intellectual Property and Patent Law

#13 in the United Kingdom

#120 in the World

Enrollment: 14,293
Founded: 1992

32. University of Edinburgh

United Kingdom | Scotland

For Intellectual Property and Patent Law

#14 in the United Kingdom

#122 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 51%
Founded: 1583

33. University of Groningen

Netherlands | Groningen

For Intellectual Property and Patent Law

#6 in the Netherlands

#125 in the World

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

34. University of Turin

Italy | Piedmont

For Intellectual Property and Patent Law

#3 in Italy

#128 in the World

Founded: 1404

35. Imperial College London

United Kingdom | England

For Intellectual Property and Patent Law

#15 in the United Kingdom

#134 in the World

Enrollment: 17,565
Founded: 1907

36. Lund University

Sweden | Lund

For Intellectual Property and Patent Law

#2 in Sweden

#137 in the World

Enrollment: 40,000
Founded: 1666

37. Eindhoven University of Technology

Netherlands | Eindhoven

For Intellectual Property and Patent Law

#7 in the Netherlands

#140 in the World

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

38. Pompeu Fabra University

Spain | Barcelona

For Intellectual Property and Patent Law

#2 in Spain

#142 in the World

Enrollment: 15,801

39. City, University of London

United Kingdom | England

For Intellectual Property and Patent Law

#16 in the United Kingdom

#143 in the World

Founded: 1966

40. University of Leeds

United Kingdom | England

For Intellectual Property and Patent Law

#17 in the United Kingdom

#146 in the World

Founded: 1904

41. University of Geneva

Switzerland | Geneva

For Intellectual Property and Patent Law

#3 in Switzerland

#154 in the World

Enrollment: 17,744

42. Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies

Italy | Tuscany

For Intellectual Property and Patent Law

#4 in Italy

#156 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 39%
Enrollment: 1,000
Founded: 1987

43. Goethe University of Frankfurt am Main

Germany | Hesse

For Intellectual Property and Patent Law

#3 in Germany

#158 in the World

Enrollment: 43,461
Founded: 1914

44. LUISS University

Italy | Lazio

For Intellectual Property and Patent Law

#5 in Italy

#159 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 77%
Enrollment: 9,080
Founded: 1974

45. University of Bristol

United Kingdom | England

For Intellectual Property and Patent Law

#18 in the United Kingdom

#173 in the World

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

46. WHU - Otto Beisheim School of Management

Germany | Rhineland-Palatinate

For Intellectual Property and Patent Law

#4 in Germany

#174 in the World

Enrollment: 1,669
Founded: 1984

47. University of Bern

Switzerland | Bern

For Intellectual Property and Patent Law

#4 in Switzerland

#175 in the World

Enrollment: 19,608

48. Free University Amsterdam

Netherlands | Amsterdam

For Intellectual Property and Patent Law

#8 in the Netherlands

#178 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 45%
Founded: 1880

49. University of Oslo

Norway | Oslo

For Intellectual Property and Patent Law

#1 in Norway

#183 in the World

Enrollment: 26,650
Founded: 1811

50. University of Warwick

United Kingdom | England

For Intellectual Property and Patent Law

#19 in the United Kingdom

#184 in the World

Enrollment: 27,278
Founded: 1965

51. Free University of Brussels

Belgium | Brussels

For Intellectual Property and Patent Law

#2 in Belgium

#186 in the World

Enrollment: 31,606
Founded: 1834

52. Catholic University of Louvain

Belgium | Louvain-la-Neuve

For Intellectual Property and Patent Law

#3 in Belgium

#196 in the World

Enrollment: 40,000
Founded: 1425

53. Aston University

United Kingdom | England

For Intellectual Property and Patent Law

#20 in the United Kingdom

#200 in the World

Founded: 1895

54. University of Exeter

United Kingdom | England

For Intellectual Property and Patent Law

#21 in the United Kingdom

#205 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 73%
Founded: 1955

55. Loughborough University

United Kingdom | England

For Intellectual Property and Patent Law

#22 in the United Kingdom

#208 in the World

Enrollment: 19,449
Founded: 1966

56. Wageningen University

Netherlands | Wageningen

For Intellectual Property and Patent Law

#9 in the Netherlands

#213 in the World

Enrollment: 12,819
Founded: 1918

57. Lappeenranta University of Technology

Finland | Lappeenranta

For Intellectual Property and Patent Law

#2 in Finland

#215 in the World

Enrollment: 5,300
Founded: 1969

58. Brunel University London

United Kingdom | England

For Intellectual Property and Patent Law

#23 in the United Kingdom

#217 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 54%
Founded: 1966

59. University of Essex

United Kingdom | England

For Intellectual Property and Patent Law

#24 in the United Kingdom

#218 in the World

Founded: 1964

60. University of Turku

Finland | Turku

For Intellectual Property and Patent Law

#3 in Finland

#219 in the World

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

61. Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne

Switzerland | Lausanne

For Intellectual Property and Patent Law

#5 in Switzerland

#222 in the World

Enrollment: 12,576

62. National Research University Higher School of Economics

Russia | Moscow

For Intellectual Property and Patent Law

#1 in Russia

#225 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 19%
Founded: 1992

63. University of Sheffield

United Kingdom | England

For Intellectual Property and Patent Law

#25 in the United Kingdom

#230 in the World

Founded: 1905

64. Ghent University

Belgium | Ghent

For Intellectual Property and Patent Law

#4 in Belgium

#232 in the World

Enrollment: 50,000
Founded: 1817

65. University of Zagreb

Croatia | Zagreb

For Intellectual Property and Patent Law

#1 in Croatia

#233 in the World

Enrollment: 65,436
Founded: 1874

66. Newcastle University

United Kingdom | England

For Intellectual Property and Patent Law

#26 in the United Kingdom

#234 in the World

Founded: 1963

67. Trinity College Dublin, University of Dublin

Ireland | Dublin

For Intellectual Property and Patent Law

#1 in Ireland

#235 in the World

Enrollment: 20,430
Founded: 1592

68. Polytechnic University of Milan

Italy | Lombardy

For Intellectual Property and Patent Law

#6 in Italy

#237 in the World

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

69. Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich

Switzerland | Zurich

For Intellectual Property and Patent Law

#6 in Switzerland

#238 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 8%
Enrollment: 23,420

70. University of Southampton

United Kingdom | England

For Intellectual Property and Patent Law

#27 in the United Kingdom

#246 in the World

Enrollment: 21,335
Founded: 1952

71. Humboldt University of Berlin

Germany | Brandenburg

For Intellectual Property and Patent Law

#5 in Germany

#247 in the World

Enrollment: 36,232
Founded: 1809

72. University of Milan

Italy | Lombardy

For Intellectual Property and Patent Law

#7 in Italy

#250 in the World

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

73. Durham University

United Kingdom | England

For Intellectual Property and Patent Law

#28 in the United Kingdom

#255 in the World

Enrollment: 19,520
Founded: 1832

74. Aarhus University

Denmark | Aarhus

For Intellectual Property and Patent Law

#3 in Denmark

#257 in the World

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

75. University of Vienna

Austria | Vienna

For Intellectual Property and Patent Law

#1 in Austria

#261 in the World

Enrollment: 93,628
Founded: 1365

76. University of Florence

Italy | Tuscany

For Intellectual Property and Patent Law

#8 in Italy

#265 in the World

Founded: 1321

77. Birkbeck, University of London

United Kingdom | England

For Intellectual Property and Patent Law

#29 in the United Kingdom

#267 in the World

Founded: 1823

78. University of Surrey

United Kingdom | England

For Intellectual Property and Patent Law

#30 in the United Kingdom

#268 in the World

Enrollment: 16,900
Founded: 1966

79. London Business School

United Kingdom | England

For Intellectual Property and Patent Law

#31 in the United Kingdom

#270 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 25%
Founded: 1964

80. Stockholm University

Sweden | Stockholm

For Intellectual Property and Patent Law

#3 in Sweden

#271 in the World

Enrollment: 37,484
Founded: 1878

81. Polytechnic University of Turin

Italy | Piedmont

For Intellectual Property and Patent Law

#9 in Italy

#273 in the World

Founded: 1859

82. University of Leicester

United Kingdom | England

For Intellectual Property and Patent Law

#32 in the United Kingdom

#274 in the World

Enrollment: 24,409
Male:Female: 46:54
Founded: 1957

83. Free University of Brussels - VUB

Belgium | Brussels

For Intellectual Property and Patent Law

#5 in Belgium

#278 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 22%
Enrollment: 11,101
Founded: 1970

84. University of Bremen

Germany | Bremen State

For Intellectual Property and Patent Law

#6 in Germany

#281 in the World

Enrollment: 17,984
Founded: 1971

85. Hanken School of Economics

Finland | Helsinki

For Intellectual Property and Patent Law

#4 in Finland

#287 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 20%
Enrollment: 2,815
Founded: 1909

86. Northumbria University

United Kingdom | England

For Intellectual Property and Patent Law

#33 in the United Kingdom

#290 in the World

Founded: 1992

87. University of Gottingen

Germany | Lower Saxony

For Intellectual Property and Patent Law

#7 in Germany

#293 in the World

Enrollment: 31,619
Founded: 1734

88. Claude Bernard University Lyon 1

France | Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes

For Intellectual Property and Patent Law

#2 in France

#294 in the World

Enrollment: 38,007
Founded: 1809

89. National Graduate School of Engineering, Paris

France | Ile-de-France

For Intellectual Property and Patent Law

#3 in France

#296 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 15%
Enrollment: 1,500
Founded: 1783

90. Athens University of Economics and Business

Greece | Athens

For Intellectual Property and Patent Law

#1 in Greece

#300 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 20%
Founded: 1920

91. Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv

Ukraine | Kyiv

For Intellectual Property and Patent Law

#1 in Ukraine

#304 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 60%
Enrollment: 30,000
Founded: 1834

92. University of Eastern Piedmont

Italy | Piedmont

For Intellectual Property and Patent Law

#10 in Italy

#306 in the World

Enrollment: 5,000
Founded: 1998

93. University of Paris 1 Pantheon-Sorbonne

France | Ile-de-France

For Intellectual Property and Patent Law

#4 in France

#307 in the World

Enrollment: 42,700
Founded: 1971

94. Cardiff University

United Kingdom | Wales

For Intellectual Property and Patent Law

#34 in the United Kingdom

#308 in the World

Founded: 1997

95. Aristotle University of Thessaloniki

Greece | Thessaloniki

For Intellectual Property and Patent Law

#2 in Greece

#310 in the World

Enrollment: 92,090
Founded: 1925

96. University of Reading

United Kingdom | England

For Intellectual Property and Patent Law

#35 in the United Kingdom

#311 in the World

Founded: 1892

97. Paris Institute of Political Studies

France | Ile-de-France

For Intellectual Property and Patent Law

#5 in France

#313 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 9%
Enrollment: 11,196
Founded: 1872

98. Queen's University Belfast

United Kingdom | Northern Ireland

For Intellectual Property and Patent Law

#36 in the United Kingdom

#316 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 31%
Founded: 1849

99. Radboud University

Netherlands | Nijmegen

For Intellectual Property and Patent Law

#10 in the Netherlands

#319 in the World

Founded: 1923

100. University of Hertfordshire

United Kingdom | England

For Intellectual Property and Patent Law

#37 in the United Kingdom

#321 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 70%
Founded: 1992

Liberal Arts & Social Sciences subfields in Europe

Broadcast Journalism338

Classics and Ancient History811

Communications and Public Relations954

Criminology and Criminal Justice468

Demography1127

Early Childhood Education336

International Relations and Diplomacy342

Journalism and Digital Media544

Law1438

Law Enforcement340

Library and Information science875

Linguistics1387

Media Studies498

Military science359

Negotiation and Conflict Resolution389

Occupational Safety and Health299

Philosophy1452

Political Economy474

Political Science1450

Public Policy / Administration603

Publishing391

Radio and Television broadcasting364

Social Work346

Sociology1423

Special Education375

Sports / Exercise science460

Theology / Divinity / Religious studies1075

Urban and Regional planning668