Free University of Brussels: Rankings

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The Free University of Brussels ranked 5th in Belgium, 325th in the global 2025 rating, and scored in the TOP 50% across 210 research topics. The Free University of Brussels ranking is based on 3 factors: research output (EduRank's index has 83,832 academic publications and 2,786,639 citations attributed to the university), non-academic reputation, and the impact of 135 notable alumni.

Ranking Category
#325 of 14,131 In the World
#124 of 2,785 In Europe
#5 of 63 In Belgium
#1 of 19 In Brussels
#72 of 2,293 For Theoretical Physics
#102 of 1,602 For Robotics
#127 of 2,181 For Critical Care Nursing
#480 of 7,918 For Alumni Impact
#438 of 14,131 For Non-academic Prominence
Top50% For 207 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 302nd in the World with 45,059 publications made and 1,802,466 citations received. Main research topics: Genetics, Biochemistry, Paleontology, Immunology, Neuroscience.

Biology ranking Location
#5 of 17 In Belgium
#107 of 1,448 In Europe
#302 of 6,833 In the World

Free University of Brussels
Biology Publications & Citations

Year Biology publications Biology citations
1992 440 6682
1993 447 7058
1994 502 7856
1995 503 8324
1996 553 9204
1997 567 10764
1998 568 11947
1999 589 13659
2000 601 14671
2001 596 15383
2002 647 17312
2003 698 19746
2004 728 21129
2005 745 23346
2006 783 26894
2007 952 29917
2008 1009 32713
2009 1126 37068
2010 1118 42539
2011 1220 46892
2012 1422 52988
2013 1472 58581
2014 1474 63828
2015 1640 69097
2016 1673 72157
2017 1691 78277
2018 1763 84326
2019 1897 94917
2020 2347 119897
2021 2396 138690
2022 2288 135113
2023 2327 138309
2024 1785 123513

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 64 190
Oncology and Cancer research 2 60 207
Astrobiology 3 84 217
Biotechnology 6 82 224
Immunology 3 85 229
Entomology 4 89 232
Bioinformatics and Computational biology 4 90 235
Genetics 4 83 240
Evolutionary Biology 4 90 244
Neuroscience 5 96 257
Zoology 5 99 260
Microbiology 5 96 274
Virology 6 86 276
Biochemistry 5 97 283
Biophysics 4 112 302
Paleontology 5 112 305
Bioethics/Medical Ethics 3 103 313
Botany 6 129 349
Pharmacology 6 135 391
Forestry 6 133 407
Wildlife and Fisheries Management & Conservation 7 136 410
Toxicology 7 198 632
Agricultural Science 7 196 635
Horticulture 6 202 652
Nanotechnology 9 239 728
Nutrition and Food Science 7 281 862
Animal Science 7 259 891

Chemistry rankings

The Free University of Brussels ranked 5th for Chemistry in Belgium and 330th in the World with 38,330 publications made and 1,521,601 citations received. Main research topics: Biochemistry, Organic Chemistry, Materials Science, Physical chemistry, Chemical Engineering.

Chemistry ranking Location
#5 of 16 In Belgium
#116 of 1,417 In Europe
#330 of 6,545 In the World

Free University of Brussels
Chemistry Publications & Citations

Year Chemistry publications Chemistry citations
1992 428 6792
1993 434 7082
1994 518 7897
1995 451 8158
1996 538 9095
1997 571 10472
1998 558 11625
1999 594 12983
2000 600 13911
2001 625 14480
2002 657 16122
2003 706 18436
2004 726 19446
2005 729 21634
2006 730 24437
2007 879 26713
2008 907 29116
2009 966 32634
2010 983 36752
2011 1057 40558
2012 1247 46704
2013 1176 51164
2014 1243 55651
2015 1300 60094
2016 1320 62485
2017 1274 66555
2018 1368 70822
2019 1394 78561
2020 1571 93764
2021 1615 108026
2022 1541 102850
2023 1644 105774
2024 1159 90851

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 93 232
Biochemistry 5 97 283
Petrology and Geochemistry 4 135 360
Environmental Chemistry 5 147 399
Organic Chemistry 6 162 435
Materials Science 6 169 483
Polymer science and Plastics engineering 7 193 484
Physical chemistry 7 196 566
Biochemical Engineering 7 247 578
Inorganic Chemistry 6 229 654
Chemical Engineering 8 213 665
Pharmacy 6 256 675
Nanotechnology 9 239 728
Radiochemistry 5 181 734
Nutrition and Food Science 7 281 862

Physics rankings

The Free University of Brussels ranked 5th for Physics in Belgium and 307th in the World with 35,874 publications made and 1,238,481 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 1,457 In Europe
#307 of 6,713 In the World

Free University of Brussels
Physics Publications & Citations

Year Physics publications Physics citations
1992 346 4510
1993 330 4639
1994 407 5379
1995 366 5697
1996 416 6089
1997 462 6706
1998 479 7115
1999 495 7806
2000 537 8416
2001 576 9308
2002 640 10997
2003 683 12330
2004 727 13675
2005 733 16106
2006 723 18449
2007 814 20613
2008 895 23250
2009 948 25663
2010 965 28836
2011 996 33258
2012 1177 39183
2013 1246 43234
2014 1292 47539
2015 1321 52723
2016 1322 55953
2017 1324 59145
2018 1359 65838
2019 1377 75151
2020 1519 82787
2021 1634 96351
2022 1432 85163
2023 1739 91602
2024 1077 79063

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 28 72
Atomic and Molecular physics 2 63 145
Astrophysics and Astronomy 3 71 184
Nuclear Physics 4 88 203
Medical Physics 5 79 209
Astrobiology 3 84 217
Quantum and Particle physics 4 98 273
Acoustical Engineering 4 97 295
Biophysics 4 112 302
Optical Engineering 4 112 311
Condensed Matter Physics 4 135 331
Materials Science 6 169 483
Applied/Engineering Physics 8 219 571
Nanotechnology 9 239 728

Engineering rankings

The Free University of Brussels ranked 5th for Engineering in Belgium and 389th in the World with 33,357 publications made and 1,169,158 citations received. Main research topics: Materials Science, Optical Engineering, Metallurgical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering.

Engineering ranking Location
#5 of 17 In Belgium
#138 of 1,465 In Europe
#389 of 6,782 In the World

Free University of Brussels
Engineering Publications & Citations

Year Engineering publications Engineering citations
1992 300 3810
1993 301 4027
1994 370 4692
1995 345 4943
1996 414 5191
1997 425 5953
1998 443 6375
1999 454 7023
2000 475 7821
2001 489 8382
2002 609 10293
2003 639 11369
2004 686 12782
2005 684 15271
2006 688 17538
2007 735 20096
2008 829 22725
2009 915 25602
2010 924 28588
2011 996 32483
2012 1111 37093
2013 1207 41168
2014 1220 45436
2015 1217 48389
2016 1251 51048
2017 1250 54729
2018 1377 60221
2019 1312 67740
2020 1493 77129
2021 1595 91306
2022 1469 82470
2023 1724 87021
2024 1059 73783

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 300th in the World with 32,700 publications made and 1,257,855 citations received. Main research topics: Pathology, Surgery, Immunology, Psychiatry, Radiology and Nuclear medicine.

Medicine ranking Location
#5 of 17 In Belgium
#108 of 1,433 In Europe
#300 of 6,775 In the World

Free University of Brussels
Medicine Publications & Citations

Year Medicine publications Medicine citations
1992 277 3692
1993 292 3917
1994 296 4322
1995 322 4882
1996 324 5495
1997 363 6423
1998 356 7568
1999 396 8575
2000 328 9377
2001 368 9890
2002 413 10841
2003 451 12799
2004 460 13640
2005 488 15199
2006 495 17377
2007 599 19445
2008 676 21489
2009 782 24610
2010 771 28995
2011 849 32833
2012 1011 36626
2013 1105 41317
2014 1133 45774
2015 1223 49834
2016 1341 53013
2017 1309 57681
2018 1443 62461
2019 1576 72008
2020 1928 94178
2021 2025 111177
2022 1927 109590
2023 1951 112886
2024 1613 101202

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 2 36 127
Cosmetology 2 45 131
Radiation Therapy 3 62 195
Neurosurgery 4 86 204
Oncology and Cancer research 2 60 207
Forensic Science 3 77 208
Medical Physics 5 79 209
Immunology 3 85 229
Audiology 6 95 244
Epidemiology 4 95 250
Anesthesiology 3 83 252
Sports Medicine 5 93 254
Obstetrics and Gynecology (OB-GYN) 5 114 257
Surgery 4 86 259
Virology 6 86 276
Radiology and Nuclear medicine 5 101 281
Paramedicine and Emergency medicine 4 84 285
Gastroenterology and Hepatology 3 94 286
Pediatrics 4 107 286
Respiratory Therapy 6 112 298
Dermatology 4 116 305
Bioethics/Medical Ethics 3 103 313
Pathology 6 119 315
Veterinary 5 95 324
Anatomy and Physiology 6 119 336
Plastic Surgery 4 106 337
Public Health 6 114 340
Psychiatry 6 127 342
Family medicine 6 112 343
Cardiology 6 142 360
Physical Therapy 7 135 361
Urology 7 126 386
Pharmacology 6 135 391
Occupational Therapy 8 159 399
Sonography and Ultrasound 6 159 433
Ophthalmology 6 154 439
Health Science 6 145 445
Nursing 7 163 472
Orthodontics 6 166 475
Dentistry 7 198 559
Biomedical Engineering 7 204 577
Healthcare Management (MHA) 8 208 598
Clinical Psychology 7 209 604
Toxicology 7 198 632
Pharmacy 6 256 675
Optometry 5 227 677
Gerontology 7 223 685
Sports / Exercise science 7 265 707

Liberal Arts & Social Sciences rankings

The Free University of Brussels ranked 6th for Liberal Arts & Social Sciences in Belgium and 307th in the World with 32,157 publications made and 896,345 citations received. Main research topics: Philosophy, Political Science, Law, Sociology, History.

Liberal Arts & Social Sciences ranking Location
#6 of 18 In Belgium
#124 of 1,500 In Europe
#307 of 7,081 In the World

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

Year Liberal Arts & Social Sciences publications Liberal Arts & Social Sciences citations
1992 210 2309
1993 198 2341
1994 242 2915
1995 232 3022
1996 263 3159
1997 291 3364
1998 309 3827
1999 365 4496
2000 337 5113
2001 384 5659
2002 474 7065
2003 442 8381
2004 539 9304
2005 577 10981
2006 581 13087
2007 676 15201
2008 801 17082
2009 894 20080
2010 977 22008
2011 1010 25214
2012 1148 28712
2013 1320 31858
2014 1300 35731
2015 1346 37573
2016 1408 39545
2017 1438 42857
2018 1491 46868
2019 1556 54663
2020 1746 65909
2021 1838 76715
2022 1664 71424
2023 1744 74716
2024 1142 61431

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 285th in the World with 28,408 publications made and 1,128,802 citations received. Main research topics: Artificial Intelligence (AI), Neuroscience, Machine Learning, Telecommunications, Computer Vision.

Computer Science ranking Location
#5 of 17 In Belgium
#96 of 1,469 In Europe
#285 of 6,845 In the World

Free University of Brussels
Computer Science Publications & Citations

Year Computer Science publications Computer Science citations
1992 251 3237
1993 243 3406
1994 275 4104
1995 286 4299
1996 306 4399
1997 327 4953
1998 352 5236
1999 360 5965
2000 391 6652
2001 402 7386
2002 504 9643
2003 516 10953
2004 532 12387
2005 599 14825
2006 586 17680
2007 613 19796
2008 723 22147
2009 807 25184
2010 838 28540
2011 866 32131
2012 994 35345
2013 1069 38597
2014 1100 42351
2015 1089 44050
2016 1074 46135
2017 1171 50321
2018 1182 57458
2019 1261 66238
2020 1401 78711
2021 1522 90781
2022 1282 82766
2023 1576 86510
2024 1022 73198

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 29 102
Machine Learning 3 47 204
Artificial Intelligence (AI) 3 62 214
Bioinformatics and Computational biology 4 90 235
Neuroscience 5 96 257
Blockchain and Cryptography 4 86 270
Computer Networking 4 78 280
Cyber Security 4 110 328
Database Administration 6 120 341
Library and Information science 7 150 380
Computer Vision 6 138 385
Cognitive Science 7 142 385
Telecommunications 5 137 409
Computer Graphics 6 169 413
Computational Linguistics 7 158 415
Data Science 7 217 486
Human-Computer Interaction 6 210 505
Software Engineering 9 232 520
Animation 7 228 575
Computer Engineering 5 210 597
Management Information Systems 7 294 656
Game Design and Development 8 297 674
Multimedia 8 414 1166

Environmental Science rankings

The Free University of Brussels ranked 6th for Environmental Science in Belgium and 364th in the World with 27,690 publications made and 956,913 citations received. Main research topics: Geology, Geography and Cartography, Ecology, Paleontology, Meteorology and Atmospheric Science.

Environmental Science ranking Location
#6 of 18 In Belgium
#132 of 1,464 In Europe
#364 of 6,876 In the World

Free University of Brussels
Environmental Science Publications & Citations

Year Environmental Science publications Environmental Science citations
1992 206 2576
1993 214 2702
1994 256 3235
1995 213 3235
1996 261 3504
1997 284 3819
1998 291 4332
1999 318 4980
2000 346 5840
2001 368 6366
2002 364 7417
2003 424 8855
2004 459 9744
2005 481 11385
2006 503 13999
2007 601 15738
2008 705 17996
2009 762 20940
2010 779 23463
2011 864 26662
2012 937 30647
2013 1021 34669
2014 1071 37930
2015 1067 41296
2016 1110 43924
2017 1191 45749
2018 1183 50312
2019 1257 57239
2020 1429 68595
2021 1622 81657
2022 1522 76782
2023 1637 79891
2024 1048 68446

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

Psychology rankings

The Free University of Brussels ranked 6th for Psychology in Belgium and 375th in the World with 15,099 publications made and 539,571 citations received. Main research topics: Psychiatry, Neuroscience, Social Psychology, Cognitive Science, Child Psychology.

Psychology ranking Location
#6 of 16 In Belgium
#133 of 1,423 In Europe
#375 of 6,645 In the World

Free University of Brussels
Psychology Publications & Citations

Year Psychology publications Psychology citations
1992 134 1954
1993 132 2021
1994 151 2407
1995 137 2449
1996 135 2671
1997 150 2921
1998 153 3017
1999 156 3504
2000 159 3870
2001 172 4080
2002 185 4741
2003 207 5690
2004 212 5982
2005 230 6971
2006 248 7765
2007 285 9184
2008 320 9907
2009 386 11320
2010 378 12762
2011 393 14669
2012 500 15924
2013 569 18023
2014 585 20398
2015 601 21443
2016 603 21986
2017 648 24635
2018 668 27318
2019 710 31314
2020 886 40148
2021 902 46289
2022 905 45171
2023 947 46635
2024 690 41776

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 96 257
Psychiatry 6 127 342
Cognitive Science 7 142 385
Occupational Therapy 8 159 399
Social Psychology 7 173 476
Child Psychology 7 169 483
Negotiation and Conflict Resolution 7 203 499
Education Majors 6 172 544
Clinical Psychology 7 209 604
Sexology 6 189 632
Special Education 7 249 658

Mathematics rankings

The Free University of Brussels ranked 4th for Mathematics in Belgium and 310th in the World with 14,320 publications made and 485,847 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
#105 of 1,401 In Europe
#310 of 6,418 In the World

Free University of Brussels
Mathematics Publications & Citations

Year Mathematics publications Mathematics citations
1992 90 1085
1993 95 1168
1994 108 1365
1995 116 1499
1996 138 1549
1997 147 1648
1998 184 1817
1999 172 2239
2000 187 2455
2001 168 2671
2002 228 3835
2003 257 4159
2004 247 4858
2005 276 6026
2006 298 7320
2007 287 8184
2008 338 9428
2009 413 10866
2010 437 12335
2011 428 13724
2012 539 15592
2013 571 17046
2014 553 19218
2015 536 20679
2016 553 21022
2017 626 22974
2018 656 25137
2019 711 29045
2020 757 34779
2021 805 40725
2022 761 38486
2023 847 40029
2024 494 28311

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 50 152
Actuarial Science 3 51 184
Applied Mathematics 4 78 201
Operations Research 5 70 211
Blockchain and Cryptography 4 86 270
Statistics 4 101 293
Math Teachers 7 327 1049

Business rankings

The Free University of Brussels ranked 6th for Business in Belgium and 352nd in the World with 9,623 publications made and 278,430 citations received. Main research topics: Management, Finance, Marketing, International Business, International Trade.

Business ranking Location
#6 of 17 In Belgium
#126 of 1,433 In Europe
#352 of 6,339 In the World

Free University of Brussels
Business Publications & Citations

Year Business publications Business citations
1992 60 591
1993 69 621
1994 70 810
1995 98 937
1996 93 1019
1997 97 1203
1998 111 1213
1999 125 1415
2000 116 1731
2001 121 2014
2002 168 2777
2003 220 3023
2004 198 3448
2005 183 4218
2006 216 5037
2007 229 5771
2008 220 6471
2009 300 7482
2010 327 8149
2011 372 8960
2012 385 9749
2013 398 10751
2014 438 11951
2015 403 12065
2016 453 12445
2017 443 13509
2018 459 15030
2019 458 17191
2020 468 20174
2021 494 23007
2022 439 20230
2023 489 21964
2024 260 16608

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 4 55 90
International Business 3 55 104
Investment Banking and Stock trading 3 46 175
Actuarial Science 3 51 184
Operations Research 5 70 211
Finance 4 90 236
Tax Law 5 89 264
Entertainment Industry Business 4 99 273
Public Policy / Administration 6 108 303
Management 5 114 349
Risk Management 6 153 372
Accounting 7 136 415
Advertising 7 178 499
Entrepreneurship 7 241 520
Management Information Systems 7 294 656
Marketing 7 256 663
Occupational Safety and Health 8 224 740
Hospitality and Hotel Management 4 315 790
Construction Management 7 311 801
Human Resource Management 7 418 1034
Project Management 9 573 1388

Economics rankings

The Free University of Brussels ranked 5th for Economics in Belgium and 247th in the World with 8,463 publications made and 247,390 citations received. Main research topics: Finance, Development Studies, Econometrics and Mathematical Economics, International Economics, International Trade.

Economics ranking Location
#5 of 17 In Belgium
#87 of 1,388 In Europe
#247 of 6,167 In the World

Free University of Brussels
Economics Publications & Citations

Year Economics publications Economics citations
1992 42 409
1993 49 487
1994 66 608
1995 56 589
1996 85 719
1997 83 758
1998 87 833
1999 95 988
2000 96 1348
2001 80 1417
2002 115 1951
2003 156 2264
2004 155 2639
2005 157 3006
2006 182 3768
2007 195 4245
2008 207 4965
2009 276 6083
2010 282 6374
2011 330 7089
2012 315 7620
2013 365 8437
2014 402 9856
2015 385 10030
2016 399 10514
2017 358 11137
2018 394 12137
2019 429 14362
2020 451 17945
2021 469 20301
2022 428 18408
2023 451 19444
2024 292 15291

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 40 66
International Trade 4 55 90
Econometrics and Mathematical Economics 3 50 152
Political Economy 2 62 153
Investment Banking and Stock trading 3 46 175
Actuarial Science 3 51 184
Finance 4 90 236
Development Studies 5 91 295
International Relations and Diplomacy 6 152 392
Agricultural Economics 6 139 486
Environmental Economics 8 283 696

Art & Design rankings

The Free University of Brussels ranked 6th for Art & Design in Belgium and 390th in the World with 4,583 publications made and 109,012 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 1,381 In Europe
#390 of 5,966 In the World

Free University of Brussels
Art & Design Publications & Citations

Year Art & Design publications Art & Design citations
1992 37 391
1993 30 369
1994 35 396
1995 41 580
1996 48 496
1997 50 591
1998 54 573
1999 51 628
2000 55 725
2001 56 912
2002 75 1079
2003 72 1134
2004 82 1328
2005 75 1591
2006 74 1821
2007 93 2175
2008 127 2365
2009 149 2720
2010 138 2887
2011 143 3266
2012 173 3948
2013 202 4130
2014 213 4570
2015 185 4649
2016 164 4646
2017 176 5088
2018 220 5612
2019 200 6583
2020 209 7744
2021 266 8923
2022 239 8233
2023 224 8540
2024 176 8108

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 46 93
Sculpture 5 46 93
Illustration and Concept Art 5 48 97
Cinematography 4 59 137
Aesthetics 4 85 235
Music 4 108 268
Entertainment Industry Business 4 99 273
Literature 6 120 310
Art History 6 130 311
Landscape Architecture 6 165 339
Fashion Design 7 138 354
Interior Design 7 157 360
Computer Graphics 6 169 413
Architecture 5 201 448
Creative Writing 5 177 452
Graphic Design 8 177 458
Performing arts 7 260 575
Animation 7 228 575
Photography 8 227 576
Singing and Vocal Performance 6 236 637
Game Design and Development 8 297 674
Multimedia 8 414 1166