Best Surgeons Medical Schools 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 Surgery. A graph of 85.6M citations received by 3.12M academic papers made by 1,045 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 Surgery

#1 in the United Kingdom

#6 in the World

Enrollment: 42,000
Founded: 1826

2. Heidelberg University - Germany

Germany | Baden-Wurttemberg

For Surgery

#16 in the World

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

3. Karolinska Institute

Sweden | Stockholm

For Surgery

#1 in Sweden

#25 in the World

Enrollment: 8,070
Founded: 1861

4. University of Oxford

United Kingdom | England

For Surgery

#2 in the United Kingdom

#30 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 22%
Founded: 1096

5. Lund University

For Surgery

#2 in Sweden

#31 in the World

Enrollment: 40,000
Founded: 1666

6. Charite - Medical University of Berlin

Germany | Brandenburg

For Surgery

#37 in the World

Enrollment: 8,877
Founded: 1710

7. Radboud University

Netherlands | Nijmegen

For Surgery

#1 in the Netherlands

#38 in the World

Founded: 1923

8. Pierre and Marie Curie University

France | Ile-de-France

For Surgery

#1 in France

#40 in the World

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

9. Catholic University of Leuven

Belgium | Leuven

For Surgery

#41 in the World

Enrollment: 62,693
Founded: 1425

10. University of Amsterdam

Netherlands | Amsterdam

For Surgery

#2 in the Netherlands

#51 in the World

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

11. University of Milan

Italy | Lombardy

For Surgery

#1 in Italy

#56 in the World

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

12. Imperial College London

United Kingdom | England

For Surgery

#3 in the United Kingdom

#62 in the World

Enrollment: 17,565
Founded: 1907

13. University of Copenhagen

Denmark | Copenhagen

For Surgery

#64 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 37%
Founded: 1479

14. University of Munich

Germany | Bavaria

For Surgery

#65 in the World

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

15. University of Padua

For Surgery

#2 in Italy

#69 in the World

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

16. Medical University of Vienna

Austria | Vienna

For Surgery

#71 in the World

Enrollment: 7,915
Founded: 2004

17. University of Liverpool

United Kingdom | England

For Surgery

#4 in the United Kingdom

#72 in the World

Enrollment: 28,693
Founded: 1881

18. Hannover Medical School

Germany | Lower Saxony

For Surgery

#74 in the World

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

19. Sapienza University of Rome

For Surgery

#3 in Italy

#78 in the World

Enrollment: 100,155
Founded: 1303

20. University of Bern

Switzerland | Bern

For Surgery

#1 in Switzerland

#84 in the World

Enrollment: 18,576

21. University of Hamburg

Germany | Hamburg State

For Surgery

#96 in the World

Enrollment: 43,957
Founded: 1919

22. University of Manchester

United Kingdom | England

For Surgery

#5 in the United Kingdom

#97 in the World

Founded: 1824

23. University of Cambridge

United Kingdom | England

For Surgery

#6 in the United Kingdom

#99 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 21%
Founded: 1209

24. University of Barcelona

Spain | Barcelona

For Surgery

#1 in Spain

#102 in the World

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

25. Erasmus University Rotterdam

Netherlands | Rotterdam

For Surgery

#3 in the Netherlands

#103 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 53%
Founded: 1913

26. King's College London

United Kingdom | England

For Surgery

#7 in the United Kingdom

#104 in the World

Founded: 1829

27. University of Gothenburg

Sweden | Gothenburg

For Surgery

#3 in Sweden

#110 in the World

Enrollment: 36,003
Founded: 1891

28. University of Bologna

Italy | Emilia-Romagna

For Surgery

#4 in Italy

#113 in the World

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

29. Polytechnic University of Bari

For Surgery

#5 in Italy

#115 in the World

Founded: 1990

30. University of Groningen

Netherlands | Groningen

For Surgery

#4 in the Netherlands

#116 in the World

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

31. National and Kapodistrian University of Athens

Greece | Athens

For Surgery

#1 in Greece

#120 in the World

Enrollment: 70,461
Founded: 1837

32. Goethe University of Frankfurt am Main

Germany | Hesse

For Surgery

#123 in the World

Enrollment: 43,461
Founded: 1914

33. Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz

Germany | Rhineland-Palatinate

For Surgery

#124 in the World

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

34. University of Zurich

Switzerland | Zurich

For Surgery

#2 in Switzerland

#126 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 19%
Enrollment: 25,732

35. Catholic University of the Sacred Heart

Italy | Lombardy

For Surgery

#6 in Italy

#127 in the World

Founded: 1921

36. University of Helsinki

Finland | Helsinki

For Surgery

#129 in the World

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

37. Heinrich Heine University of Dusseldorf

Germany | North Rhine-Westphalia

For Surgery

#131 in the World

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

38. University of Edinburgh

United Kingdom | Scotland

For Surgery

#8 in the United Kingdom

#138 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 51%
Founded: 1583

39. University of Erlangen Nuremberg

Germany | Bavaria

For Surgery

#139 in the World

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

40. University of Birmingham

United Kingdom | England

For Surgery

#9 in the United Kingdom

#143 in the World

Founded: 1900

41. University of Bristol

United Kingdom | England

For Surgery

#10 in the United Kingdom

#144 in the World

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

42. Maastricht University

Netherlands | Maastricht

For Surgery

#5 in the Netherlands

#147 in the World

Enrollment: 18,000
Founded: 1976

43. University of Turin

Italy | Piedmont

For Surgery

#7 in Italy

#148 in the World

Founded: 1404

44. Technical University of Munich

Germany | Bavaria

For Surgery

#10 in Germany

#149 in the World

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

45. University of Tubingen

Germany | Baden-Wurttemberg

For Surgery

#11 in Germany

#154 in the World

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

46. University of Oslo

For Surgery

#1 in Norway

#155 in the World

Enrollment: 26,650
Founded: 1811

47. University of Vienna

Austria | Vienna

For Surgery

#162 in the World

Enrollment: 93,628
Founded: 1365

48. University of Cologne

Germany | North Rhine-Westphalia

For Surgery

#12 in Germany

#163 in the World

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

49. Claude Bernard University Lyon 1

France | Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes

For Surgery

#2 in France

#165 in the World

Enrollment: 38,007
Founded: 1809

50. University of Glasgow

United Kingdom | Scotland

For Surgery

#11 in the United Kingdom

#168 in the World

Founded: 1451

51. University of Florence

Italy | Tuscany

For Surgery

#8 in Italy

#171 in the World

Founded: 1321

52. Federico II University of Naples

Italy | Campania

For Surgery

#9 in Italy

#172 in the World

Enrollment: 73,553
Founded: 1224

53. Autonomous University of Barcelona

Spain | Cerdanyola del Valles

For Surgery

#2 in Spain

#175 in the World

Enrollment: 30,926

54. University of Leeds

United Kingdom | England

For Surgery

#12 in the United Kingdom

#179 in the World

Founded: 1904

55. Uppsala University

Sweden | Uppsala

For Surgery

#4 in Sweden

#181 in the World

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

56. University of Nottingham

United Kingdom | England

For Surgery

#13 in the United Kingdom

#182 in the World

Founded: 1948

57. Leiden University

Netherlands | Leiden

For Surgery

#6 in the Netherlands

#186 in the World

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

58. Utrecht University

Netherlands | Utrecht

For Surgery

#7 in the Netherlands

#187 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 22%
Founded: 1636

59. Newcastle University

United Kingdom | England

For Surgery

#14 in the United Kingdom

#189 in the World

Founded: 1963

60. University of Verona

For Surgery

#10 in Italy

#190 in the World

Enrollment: 23,000
Founded: 1959

61. University of Freiburg

Germany | Baden-Wurttemberg

For Surgery

#13 in Germany

#191 in the World

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

62. University of Lubeck

Germany | Schleswig-Holstein

For Surgery

#14 in Germany

#192 in the World

Enrollment: 5,968
Founded: 1964

63. Umea University

For Surgery

#5 in Sweden

#195 in the World

Enrollment: 34,237
Founded: 1965

64. University of Ulm

Germany | Baden-Wurttemberg

For Surgery

#15 in Germany

#201 in the World

Enrollment: 10,164
Founded: 1967

65. University of Sheffield

United Kingdom | England

For Surgery

#15 in the United Kingdom

#202 in the World

Founded: 1905

66. University of Pisa

Italy | Tuscany

For Surgery

#11 in Italy

#203 in the World

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

67. Humboldt University of Berlin

Germany | Brandenburg

For Surgery

#16 in Germany

#206 in the World

Enrollment: 36,378
Founded: 1809

68. Charles University

Czech Republic | Prague

For Surgery

#1 in the Czech Republic

#211 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 35%
Enrollment: 49,508
Founded: 1348

69. University of Liege

Belgium | Liege

For Surgery

#214 in the World

Enrollment: 25,421
Founded: 1817

70. RWTH Aachen University

Germany | North Rhine-Westphalia

For Surgery

#17 in Germany

#218 in the World

Enrollment: 47,521
Founded: 1870

71. University of Bonn

Germany | North Rhine-Westphalia

For Surgery

#18 in Germany

#224 in the World

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

72. Free University Amsterdam

Netherlands | Amsterdam

For Surgery

#8 in the Netherlands

#226 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 45%
Founded: 1880

73. University of Gottingen

Germany | Lower Saxony

For Surgery

#19 in Germany

#228 in the World

Enrollment: 31,619
Founded: 1734

74. University of Southampton

United Kingdom | England

For Surgery

#16 in the United Kingdom

#229 in the World

Enrollment: 21,335
Founded: 1952

75. University of Munster

Germany | North Rhine-Westphalia

For Surgery

#20 in Germany

#230 in the World

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

76. Vita-Salute San Raffaele University

Italy | Lombardy

For Surgery

#12 in Italy

#232 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 13%
Founded: 1996

77. Free University of Berlin

Germany | Brandenburg

For Surgery

#21 in Germany

#234 in the World

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

78. Medical University of Innsbruck

Austria | Innsbruck

For Surgery

#236 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 15%
Enrollment: 3,134
Founded: 2004

79. Catholic University of Louvain

Belgium | Louvain-la-Neuve

For Surgery

#238 in the World

Enrollment: 40,000
Founded: 1425

80. University of Pavia

Italy | Lombardy

For Surgery

#13 in Italy

#239 in the World

Enrollment: 23,849
Founded: 1361

81. St George's, University of London

United Kingdom | England

For Surgery

#17 in the United Kingdom

#240 in the World

Founded: 1733

82. University of Wurzburg

Germany | Bavaria

For Surgery

#22 in Germany

#244 in the World

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

83. Aristotle University of Thessaloniki

Greece | Thessaloniki

For Surgery

#2 in Greece

#246 in the World

Enrollment: 92,090
Founded: 1925

84. University of Tampere

Finland | Tampere

For Surgery

#248 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 12%
Enrollment: 30,000
Founded: 1925

85. University of Genoa

Italy | Liguria

For Surgery

#14 in Italy

#249 in the World

Enrollment: 36,728
Founded: 1481

86. University of Bergen

Norway | Bergen

For Surgery

#2 in Norway

#251 in the World

Enrollment: 16,900
Founded: 1946

87. Aarhus University

Denmark | Aarhus

For Surgery

#253 in the World

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

88. University of Lausanne

Switzerland | Lausanne

For Surgery

#3 in Switzerland

#255 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 31%
Enrollment: 16,919

89. Queen Mary University of London

United Kingdom | England

For Surgery

#18 in the United Kingdom

#257 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 18%
Founded: 1989

90. University of Aberdeen

United Kingdom | Scotland

For Surgery

#19 in the United Kingdom

#258 in the World

Founded: 1495

91. Medical University of Graz

For Surgery

#260 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 9%
Enrollment: 4,346
Founded: 2004

92. Free University of Brussels

Belgium | Brussels

For Surgery

#267 in the World

Enrollment: 31,606
Founded: 1834

93. University of Basel

Switzerland | Basel

For Surgery

#4 in Switzerland

#269 in the World

Enrollment: 12,896

94. University of Giessen

Germany | Hesse

For Surgery

#23 in Germany

#272 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 70%
Enrollment: 27,184
Founded: 1607

95. Paris-Sud University

France | Ile-de-France

For Surgery

#3 in France

#275 in the World

Enrollment: 31,400
Founded: 2014

96. University of Perugia

For Surgery

#15 in Italy

#276 in the World

Enrollment: 26,732
Founded: 1308

97. Saarland University

Germany | Saarland

For Surgery

#24 in Germany

#277 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 36%
Enrollment: 16,604
Founded: 1948

98. University of Bari

For Surgery

#16 in Italy

#282 in the World

Founded: 1924

99. University of Geneva

Switzerland | Geneva

For Surgery

#5 in Switzerland

#283 in the World

Enrollment: 17,744

100. University of Marburg

Germany | Hesse

For Surgery

#25 in Germany

#286 in the World

Enrollment: 22,612
Founded: 1527

Medicine subfields in Europe

Anatomy and Physiology980

Anesthesiology688

Bioethics/Medical Ethics358

Biomedical Engineering528

Clinical Psychology751

Critical Care Nursing561

Epidemiology390

Family medicine634

Forensic Science309

Gastroenterology and Hepatology538

Health Science842

Healthcare Management (MHA)705

Medical Physics371

Neurosurgery318

Obstetrics and Gynecology (OB-GYN)711

Occupational Therapy408

Oncology and Cancer research752

Ophthalmology480

Orthodontics618

Paramedicine and Emergency medicine594

Pharmacology757

Physical Therapy885

Plastic Surgery319

Public Health1106

Radiation Therapy440

Radiology and Nuclear medicine1017

Respiratory Therapy333

Sonography and Ultrasound329

Sports / Exercise science394

Sports Medicine690