Free University of Brussels: Rankings

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The Free University of Brussels ranked 5th in Belgium, 332nd in the global 2024 rating, and scored in the TOP 50% across 205 research topics. The Free University of Brussels ranking is based on 3 factors: research output (EduRank's index has 71,646 academic publications and 1,989,488 citations attributed to the university), non-academic reputation, and the impact of 127 notable alumni.

Ranking Category
#332 of 14,131 In the World
#127 of 2,785 In Europe
#5 of 63 In Belgium
#1 of 19 In Brussels
#67 of 2,119 For Theoretical Physics
#103 of 1,498 For Robotics
#139 of 1,054 For Intellectual Property and Patent Law
#495 of 7,738 For Alumni Impact
#438 of 14,131 For Non-academic Prominence
Top50% For 202 other topics

Jump to topical rankings below

Acceptance rate and other statistics

Biology rankings

The Free University of Brussels ranked 5th for Biology in Belgium and 305th in the World with 39,935 publications made and 1,372,900 citations received. Main research topics: Genetics, Biochemistry, Paleontology, Immunology, Neuroscience.

Biology ranking Location
#5 of 17 In Belgium
#109 of 1,445 In Europe
#305 of 6,770 In the World

Free University of Brussels
Biology Publications & Citations

Year Biology publications Biology citations
1991 417 5113
1992 412 5662
1993 410 5753
1994 445 6400
1995 451 6884
1996 509 7437
1997 521 8710
1998 517 9701
1999 535 11288
2000 547 11885
2001 541 12503
2002 570 13934
2003 598 15494
2004 680 17104
2005 681 18879
2006 726 21630
2007 865 24387
2008 923 26529
2009 1039 30129
2010 1026 34670
2011 1076 38646
2012 1271 43585
2013 1352 48801
2014 1345 53110
2015 1550 57368
2016 1627 60773
2017 1630 64626
2018 1682 70224
2019 1798 78350
2020 2175 95778
2021 2285 111504
2022 2120 114554
2023 2052 114521

The following table provides academic rankings for The Free University of Brussels in various areas of Biology.

Biology subfield Belgium ranking Europe ranking World rank
Molecular Biology 4 62 188
Oncology and Cancer research 2 62 210
Entomology 4 81 214
Biotechnology 6 83 226
Immunology 4 85 228
Evolutionary Biology 4 85 233
Bioinformatics and Computational biology 4 91 239
Genetics 4 83 239
Zoology 5 92 245
Neuroscience 5 95 257
Biochemistry 5 96 275
Astrobiology 5 112 280
Virology 6 88 281
Microbiology 5 102 284
Biophysics 4 110 303
Paleontology 5 124 327
Bioethics/Medical Ethics 3 121 347
Botany 6 132 351
Pharmacology 6 134 370
Forestry 6 134 376
Wildlife and Fisheries Management & Conservation 7 131 386
Toxicology 7 170 532
Agricultural Science 7 188 583
Horticulture 6 200 605
Nanotechnology 9 236 700
Animal Science 7 256 850
Nutrition and Food Science 7 294 871

Chemistry rankings

The Free University of Brussels ranked 5th for Chemistry in Belgium and 322nd in the World with 34,168 publications made and 1,171,734 citations received. Main research topics: Biochemistry, Organic Chemistry, Materials Science, Physical chemistry, Chemical Engineering.

Chemistry ranking Location
#5 of 16 In Belgium
#116 of 1,401 In Europe
#322 of 6,447 In the World

Free University of Brussels
Chemistry Publications & Citations

Year Chemistry publications Chemistry citations
1991 402 5366
1992 404 5737
1993 410 5885
1994 466 6586
1995 418 6916
1996 510 7571
1997 535 8750
1998 515 9758
1999 551 11057
2000 549 11569
2001 569 12127
2002 595 13283
2003 603 14850
2004 672 16088
2005 676 17904
2006 695 20093
2007 810 22247
2008 839 24307
2009 891 27058
2010 901 30368
2011 906 33592
2012 1102 38076
2013 1052 41997
2014 1137 45513
2015 1176 48978
2016 1240 51158
2017 1214 53440
2018 1272 57856
2019 1318 63158
2020 1442 75041
2021 1507 85809
2022 1407 86475
2023 1439 87011

The following table provides academic rankings for The Free University of Brussels in various areas of Chemistry.

Chemistry subfield Belgium ranking Europe ranking World rank
Computational Chemistry 2 90 218
Biochemistry 5 96 275
Petrology and Geochemistry 4 134 355
Environmental Chemistry 6 150 396
Organic Chemistry 6 161 424
Polymer science and Plastics engineering 6 174 425
Materials Science 6 168 472
Biochemical Engineering 7 240 534
Physical chemistry 7 193 548
Chemical Engineering 8 206 631
Inorganic Chemistry 6 227 634
Pharmacy 7 263 675
Nanotechnology 9 236 700
Radiochemistry 5 210 792
Nutrition and Food Science 7 294 871

Physics rankings

The Free University of Brussels ranked 5th for Physics in Belgium and 305th in the World with 30,867 publications made and 843,345 citations received. Main research topics: Quantum and Particle physics, Materials Science, Optical Engineering, Astrophysics and Astronomy, Nuclear Physics.

Physics ranking Location
#5 of 17 In Belgium
#111 of 1,446 In Europe
#305 of 6,603 In the World

Free University of Brussels
Physics Publications & Citations

Year Physics publications Physics citations
1991 299 3412
1992 327 3873
1993 310 3861
1994 375 4477
1995 338 4883
1996 387 5109
1997 416 5656
1998 434 6081
1999 453 6757
2000 490 7113
2001 534 7960
2002 580 9051
2003 595 9923
2004 654 11128
2005 669 13008
2006 679 14894
2007 722 16742
2008 794 18478
2009 868 20347
2010 824 22730
2011 836 25464
2012 993 28777
2013 1071 32022
2014 1129 34470
2015 1155 37223
2016 1182 39598
2017 1146 40394
2018 1189 44200
2019 1199 49610
2020 1323 56790
2021 1376 64908
2022 1271 63527
2023 1358 64824

The following table provides academic rankings for The Free University of Brussels in various areas of Physics.

Physics subfield Belgium ranking Europe ranking World rank
Theoretical Physics 1 25 67
Atomic and Molecular physics 2 65 144
Astrophysics and Astronomy 3 73 184
Nuclear Physics 4 88 202
Medical Physics 5 101 250
Quantum and Particle physics 4 97 274
Astrobiology 5 112 280
Acoustical Engineering 4 95 292
Biophysics 4 110 303
Condensed Matter Physics 4 127 316
Optical Engineering 4 117 320
Materials Science 6 168 472
Applied/Engineering Physics 8 239 640
Nanotechnology 9 236 700

Engineering rankings

The Free University of Brussels ranked 5th for Engineering in Belgium and 394th in the World with 28,999 publications made and 817,253 citations received. Main research topics: Materials Science, Optical Engineering, Metallurgical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering.

Engineering ranking Location
#5 of 17 In Belgium
#143 of 1,453 In Europe
#394 of 6,684 In the World

Free University of Brussels
Engineering Publications & Citations

Year Engineering publications Engineering citations
1991 283 2922
1992 279 3267
1993 286 3350
1994 350 3822
1995 321 4216
1996 391 4356
1997 381 4952
1998 412 5408
1999 424 6072
2000 439 6479
2001 445 6990
2002 553 8303
2003 579 9012
2004 602 10314
2005 620 12110
2006 642 14002
2007 681 15889
2008 746 17763
2009 858 20092
2010 794 22393
2011 847 25157
2012 966 28010
2013 1052 31540
2014 1098 34231
2015 1074 36169
2016 1117 37891
2017 1133 39265
2018 1189 43149
2019 1178 47944
2020 1344 55686
2021 1402 63810
2022 1297 63973
2023 1380 64377

The following table provides academic rankings for The Free University of Brussels in various areas of Engineering.

Medicine rankings

The Free University of Brussels ranked 5th for Medicine in Belgium and 306th in the World with 28,802 publications made and 959,034 citations received. Main research topics: Pathology, Surgery, Immunology, Psychiatry, Radiology and Nuclear medicine.

Medicine ranking Location
#5 of 16 In Belgium
#108 of 1,417 In Europe
#306 of 6,680 In the World

Free University of Brussels
Medicine Publications & Citations

Year Medicine publications Medicine citations
1991 276 2867
1992 260 3134
1993 269 3167
1994 265 3436
1995 293 3957
1996 297 4327
1997 329 5124
1998 316 6074
1999 354 6862
2000 297 7415
2001 325 7849
2002 367 8599
2003 380 9818
2004 423 10863
2005 449 12191
2006 457 13888
2007 545 15660
2008 619 17292
2009 708 19808
2010 719 23653
2011 754 26920
2012 903 30259
2013 1024 34560
2014 1032 38447
2015 1169 41881
2016 1277 45151
2017 1258 48572
2018 1375 53134
2019 1508 60079
2020 1834 75798
2021 1967 90496
2022 1800 94760
2023 1745 95003

The following table provides academic rankings for The Free University of Brussels in various areas of Medicine.

Medicine subfield Belgium ranking Europe ranking World rank
Critical Care Nursing 3 42 143
Forensic Science 3 59 149
Neurosurgery 4 80 187
Radiation Therapy 3 61 192
Oncology and Cancer research 2 62 210
Sports Medicine 5 77 227
Immunology 4 85 228
Cosmetology 5 83 230
Obstetrics and Gynecology (OB-GYN) 5 116 237
Audiology 6 96 241
Anesthesiology 3 85 247
Medical Physics 5 101 250
Surgery 4 92 267
Radiology and Nuclear medicine 5 100 280
Veterinary 5 92 281
Virology 6 88 281
Pediatrics 4 107 283
Gastroenterology and Hepatology 3 97 284
Paramedicine and Emergency medicine 4 85 288
Plastic Surgery 4 86 303
Respiratory Therapy 6 118 306
Pathology 6 117 313
Family medicine 6 109 325
Anatomy and Physiology 6 117 327
Public Health 6 114 329
Epidemiology 6 129 334
Physical Therapy 7 127 342
Psychiatry 6 128 343
Bioethics/Medical Ethics 3 121 347
Cardiology 6 139 347
Dermatology 5 125 350
Occupational Therapy 7 139 360
Pharmacology 6 134 370
Urology 7 122 378
Health Science 6 135 399
Ophthalmology 6 155 436
Orthodontics 6 162 459
Sonography and Ultrasound 6 166 465
Nursing 7 170 477
Optometry 5 174 496
Dentistry 7 176 498
Toxicology 7 170 532
Healthcare Management (MHA) 8 196 559
Clinical Psychology 7 201 577
Biomedical Engineering 7 212 588
Sports / Exercise science 7 238 631
Gerontology 7 209 641
Pharmacy 7 263 675

Liberal Arts & Social Sciences rankings

The Free University of Brussels ranked 6th for Liberal Arts & Social Sciences in Belgium and 299th in the World with 27,411 publications made and 638,851 citations received. Main research topics: Philosophy, Political Science, Sociology, Law, History.

Liberal Arts & Social Sciences ranking Location
#6 of 18 In Belgium
#118 of 1,492 In Europe
#299 of 7,020 In the World

Free University of Brussels
Liberal Arts & Social Sciences Publications & Citations

Year Liberal Arts & Social Sciences publications Liberal Arts & Social Sciences citations
1991 157 1719
1992 191 1914
1993 174 1825
1994 225 2353
1995 208 2412
1996 244 2464
1997 248 2732
1998 283 3077
1999 318 3698
2000 311 4083
2001 319 4493
2002 403 5475
2003 378 6421
2004 483 7427
2005 524 8430
2006 541 10256
2007 577 11772
2008 708 13011
2009 791 15230
2010 820 16666
2011 837 19328
2012 946 21215
2013 1106 24308
2014 1136 26602
2015 1202 28345
2016 1235 29272
2017 1292 31193
2018 1341 34309
2019 1379 38987
2020 1590 47640
2021 1678 55447
2022 1486 54909
2023 1449 55944

The following table provides academic rankings for The Free University of Brussels in various areas of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences.

Computer Science rankings

The Free University of Brussels ranked 5th for Computer Science in Belgium and 286th in the World with 24,995 publications made and 807,787 citations received. Main research topics: Artificial Intelligence (AI), Neuroscience, Machine Learning, Telecommunications, Computer Vision.

Computer Science ranking Location
#5 of 17 In Belgium
#95 of 1,459 In Europe
#286 of 6,752 In the World

Free University of Brussels
Computer Science Publications & Citations

Year Computer Science publications Computer Science citations
1991 229 2412
1992 227 2728
1993 229 2759
1994 255 3384
1995 257 3494
1996 275 3539
1997 284 4017
1998 315 4277
1999 315 5022
2000 356 5465
2001 362 6052
2002 460 7657
2003 454 8433
2004 488 9957
2005 557 11558
2006 564 13841
2007 559 15511
2008 644 17116
2009 739 19541
2010 722 22123
2011 787 24923
2012 884 27494
2013 969 30421
2014 1020 32768
2015 1002 34116
2016 1005 36017
2017 1088 38199
2018 1127 42726
2019 1183 48131
2020 1318 57855
2021 1340 66343
2022 1197 66116
2023 1316 66167

The following table provides academic rankings for The Free University of Brussels in various areas of Computer Science.

Computer Science subfield Belgium ranking Europe ranking World rank
Robotics 2 29 103
Artificial Intelligence (AI) 3 60 209
Machine Learning 3 53 210
Bioinformatics and Computational biology 4 91 239
Neuroscience 5 95 257
Blockchain and Cryptography 4 94 289
Computer Networking 4 92 312
Database Administration 6 110 314
Cyber Security 4 116 352
Computer Graphics 6 144 368
Computer Vision 6 135 380
Cognitive Science 7 144 390
Computational Linguistics 7 155 400
Library and Information science 7 156 407
Telecommunications 5 139 412
Software Engineering 9 212 477
Data Science 7 216 487
Human-Computer Interaction 7 234 542
Animation 7 222 547
Computer Engineering 6 223 626
Management Information Systems 8 300 676
Web Design and Development 7 281 730
Game Design and Development 8 328 754
Multimedia 8 407 1080

Environmental Science rankings

The Free University of Brussels ranked 7th for Environmental Science in Belgium and 381st in the World with 23,745 publications made and 678,969 citations received. Main research topics: Geology, Geography and Cartography, Ecology, Paleontology, Meteorology and Atmospheric Science.

Environmental Science ranking Location
#7 of 18 In Belgium
#141 of 1,458 In Europe
#381 of 6,798 In the World

Free University of Brussels
Environmental Science Publications & Citations

Year Environmental Science publications Environmental Science citations
1991 189 1915
1992 198 2238
1993 200 2226
1994 230 2589
1995 198 2744
1996 244 2847
1997 272 3157
1998 277 3559
1999 300 4193
2000 321 4713
2001 338 5309
2002 312 5853
2003 377 6909
2004 404 7824
2005 435 9025
2006 471 10795
2007 543 12438
2008 623 13932
2009 688 16062
2010 691 18259
2011 736 21032
2012 803 23463
2013 888 27064
2014 949 29429
2015 964 31416
2016 998 33162
2017 1082 33754
2018 1028 37624
2019 1074 42517
2020 1265 50785
2021 1425 58382
2022 1324 59099
2023 1315 59778

The following table provides academic rankings for The Free University of Brussels in various areas of Environmental Science.

Environmental Science subfield Belgium ranking Europe ranking World rank
Paleontology 5 124 327
Meteorology and Atmospheric Science 6 115 335
Ecology 6 119 343
Urban and Regional planning 8 167 343
Geology 5 129 353
Petrology and Geochemistry 4 134 355
Geography and Cartography 6 136 366
Forestry 6 134 376
Wildlife and Fisheries Management & Conservation 7 131 386
Oceanography 6 140 387
Environmental Chemistry 6 150 396
Earth science and Geophysics 5 154 419
Geotechnical Engineering 6 186 564
Agricultural Science 7 188 583
Environmental Management 7 245 694
Environmental Engineering 7 245 712
Hydrology and Water resources management 7 237 839
Mining Engineering 6 288 1022

Psychology rankings

The Free University of Brussels ranked 6th for Psychology in Belgium and 368th in the World with 13,350 publications made and 411,430 citations received. Main research topics: Psychiatry, Neuroscience, Social Psychology, Cognitive Science, Child Psychology.

Psychology ranking Location
#6 of 16 In Belgium
#133 of 1,414 In Europe
#368 of 6,528 In the World

Free University of Brussels
Psychology Publications & Citations

Year Psychology publications Psychology citations
1991 138 1428
1992 119 1674
1993 123 1616
1994 143 1992
1995 126 1950
1996 122 2161
1997 136 2363
1998 133 2424
1999 142 2800
2000 142 3046
2001 138 3273
2002 165 3773
2003 185 4365
2004 182 4660
2005 213 5602
2006 231 6162
2007 267 7291
2008 288 7959
2009 357 8994
2010 336 10197
2011 343 11865
2012 433 13317
2013 518 15189
2014 535 17150
2015 588 18014
2016 581 19104
2017 621 20881
2018 653 22926
2019 678 26048
2020 844 32138
2021 873 37755
2022 857 38737
2023 837 39185

The following table provides academic rankings for The Free University of Brussels in various areas of Psychology.

Psychology subfield Belgium ranking Europe ranking World rank
Neuroscience 5 95 257
Psychiatry 6 128 343
Occupational Therapy 7 139 360
Cognitive Science 7 144 390
Social Psychology 7 156 440
Child Psychology 7 163 467
Negotiation and Conflict Resolution 7 203 499
Education Majors 6 158 501
Clinical Psychology 7 201 577
Special Education 7 260 699
Sexology 7 218 715
Organizational / Business / IO Psychology 7 215 739

Mathematics rankings

The Free University of Brussels ranked 4th for Mathematics in Belgium and 306th in the World with 12,819 publications made and 363,058 citations received. Main research topics: Statistics, Econometrics and Mathematical Economics, Applied Mathematics, Blockchain and Cryptography, Operations Research.

Mathematics ranking Location
#4 of 16 In Belgium
#102 of 1,388 In Europe
#306 of 6,305 In the World

Free University of Brussels
Mathematics Publications & Citations

Year Mathematics publications Mathematics citations
1991 80 802
1992 83 860
1993 87 947
1994 99 1067
1995 110 1213
1996 131 1268
1997 138 1392
1998 173 1567
1999 165 1905
2000 180 2076
2001 154 2183
2002 219 3045
2003 219 3124
2004 235 3931
2005 234 4556
2006 282 5736
2007 262 6296
2008 311 7213
2009 395 8191
2010 396 9495
2011 385 10473
2012 463 11415
2013 529 13176
2014 512 14705
2015 508 15582
2016 509 16144
2017 575 17116
2018 655 19453
2019 662 21836
2020 719 26091
2021 751 30736
2022 701 31505
2023 739 31689

The following table provides academic rankings for The Free University of Brussels in various areas of Mathematics.

Mathematics subfield Belgium ranking Europe ranking World rank
Econometrics and Mathematical Economics 3 48 147
Actuarial Science 3 44 163
Operations Research 4 69 205
Applied Mathematics 4 77 208
Statistics 4 96 280
Blockchain and Cryptography 4 94 289
Math Teachers 7 297 920

Business rankings

The Free University of Brussels ranked 6th for Business in Belgium and 346th in the World with 8,644 publications made and 195,743 citations received. Main research topics: Management, Finance, Marketing, International Business, International Trade.

Business ranking Location
#6 of 17 In Belgium
#124 of 1,414 In Europe
#346 of 6,187 In the World

Free University of Brussels
Business Publications & Citations

Year Business publications Business citations
1991 43 388
1992 57 456
1993 60 502
1994 64 646
1995 91 721
1996 91 823
1997 97 1009
1998 103 1012
1999 122 1235
2000 116 1392
2001 111 1652
2002 153 2168
2003 198 2249
2004 175 2739
2005 170 3212
2006 208 3789
2007 202 4441
2008 216 4915
2009 276 5518
2010 302 6168
2011 308 6611
2012 343 7261
2013 354 8346
2014 409 8915
2015 372 9152
2016 419 9391
2017 418 10086
2018 423 10919
2019 414 12265
2020 451 14397
2021 445 16655
2022 420 15982
2023 431 16187

The following table provides academic rankings for The Free University of Brussels in various areas of Business.

Business subfield Belgium ranking Europe ranking World rank
International Trade 3 53 87
International Business 3 50 97
Actuarial Science 3 44 163
Investment Banking and Stock trading 3 43 163
Operations Research 4 69 205
Finance 4 83 225
Tax Law 6 75 227
Public Policy / Administration 7 115 325
Management 5 110 349
Risk Management 6 142 350
Accounting 7 120 371
Advertising 6 170 466
Entrepreneurship 7 257 541
Entertainment Industry Business 6 213 564
Marketing 7 249 630
Management Information Systems 8 300 676
Hospitality and Hotel Management 3 282 695
Construction Management 6 284 716
Occupational Safety and Health 8 246 797
Human Resource Management 7 390 957
Project Management 9 523 1278

Economics rankings

The Free University of Brussels ranked 5th for Economics in Belgium and 250th in the World with 7,515 publications made and 171,939 citations received. Main research topics: Finance, Development Studies, Econometrics and Mathematical Economics, International Economics, International Trade.

Economics ranking Location
#5 of 17 In Belgium
#86 of 1,366 In Europe
#250 of 5,995 In the World

Free University of Brussels
Economics Publications & Citations

Year Economics publications Economics citations
1991 29 317
1992 40 300
1993 40 377
1994 59 454
1995 51 451
1996 79 572
1997 82 627
1998 86 701
1999 91 837
2000 89 1112
2001 74 1171
2002 113 1488
2003 142 1717
2004 132 2126
2005 143 2276
2006 178 2853
2007 156 3233
2008 198 3746
2009 249 4493
2010 264 4865
2011 273 5317
2012 283 5717
2013 331 6539
2014 368 7404
2015 348 7563
2016 376 7812
2017 341 8078
2018 365 8747
2019 394 10167
2020 431 12448
2021 437 14702
2022 383 14345
2023 396 14218

The following table provides academic rankings for The Free University of Brussels in various areas of Economics.

Economics subfield Belgium ranking Europe ranking World rank
International Economics 3 36 60
International Trade 3 53 87
Econometrics and Mathematical Economics 3 48 147
Actuarial Science 3 44 163
Investment Banking and Stock trading 3 43 163
Political Economy 2 66 163
Finance 4 83 225
Development Studies 5 96 312
International Relations and Diplomacy 6 142 386
Agricultural Economics 6 145 495
Environmental Economics 8 261 618

Art & Design rankings

The Free University of Brussels ranked 6th for Art & Design in Belgium and 390th in the World with 3,851 publications made and 79,226 citations received. Main research topics: Fashion Design, Literature, Aesthetics, Art History, Computer Graphics.

Please note that our approach to subject rankings is based on scientific outputs and heavily biased on art-related topics towards institutions with computer science research profiles.

Art & Design ranking Location
#6 of 16 In Belgium
#155 of 1,349 In Europe
#390 of 5,720 In the World

Free University of Brussels
Art & Design Publications & Citations

Year Art & Design publications Art & Design citations
1991 37 257
1992 35 352
1993 30 301
1994 36 368
1995 35 453
1996 42 403
1997 44 479
1998 45 454
1999 40 520
2000 49 562
2001 49 768
2002 72 839
2003 59 852
2004 71 1077
2005 70 1209
2006 74 1484
2007 77 1765
2008 110 1773
2009 140 2129
2010 118 2226
2011 114 2541
2012 139 2996
2013 152 3147
2014 189 3362
2015 156 3522
2016 143 3563
2017 152 3653
2018 207 4040
2019 172 4686
2020 190 5434
2021 227 5930
2022 205 5920
2023 194 6065

The following table provides academic rankings for The Free University of Brussels in various areas of Art & Design.

Art & Design subfield Belgium ranking Europe ranking World rank
Painting and Drawing 5 45 81
Sculpture 5 45 81
Illustration and Concept Art 5 48 86
Music 4 64 164
Cinematography 4 84 189
Aesthetics 4 81 220
Literature 6 122 315
Landscape Architecture 6 158 337
Art History 6 145 344
Interior Design 6 152 346
Computer Graphics 6 144 368
Fashion Design 7 148 370
Creative Writing 5 143 382
Animation 7 222 547
Entertainment Industry Business 6 213 564
Graphic Design 8 235 574
Architecture 7 265 578
Photography 8 229 620
Performing arts 7 284 634
Singing and Vocal Performance 6 236 652
Game Design and Development 8 328 754
Multimedia 8 407 1080