Free University of Brussels: Rankings

Updated:

EduRank

Free University of Brussels logo
EduRank.org best universities badge

The Free University of Brussels ranked 5th in Belgium, 349th in the global 2026 rating, and scored in the TOP 50% across 212 research topics. The Free University of Brussels ranking is based on 3 factors: research output (EduRank's index has 86,061 academic publications and 2,932,010 citations attributed to the university), non-academic reputation, and the impact of 145 notable alumni.

Ranking Category
#349 of 14,131 In the World
#139 of 2,785 In Europe
#5 of 63 In Belgium
#1 of 19 In Brussels
#73 of 2,325 For Theoretical Physics
#105 of 1,645 For Robotics
#129 of 2,279 For Critical Care Nursing
#481 of 8,074 For Alumni Impact
#561 of 14,131 For Non-academic Prominence
Top50% For 209 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 304th in the World with 46,135 publications made and 1,878,337 citations received. Main research topics: Genetics, Biochemistry, Paleontology, Immunology, Neuroscience.

Biology ranking Location
#5 of 17 In Belgium
#106 of 1,449 In Europe
#304 of 6,841 In the World

Free University of Brussels
Biology Publications & Citations

Year Biology publications Biology citations
1993 448 7059
1994 502 7870
1995 503 8329
1996 553 9229
1997 567 10776
1998 568 11952
1999 590 13672
2000 601 14681
2001 596 15398
2002 647 17320
2003 698 19754
2004 727 21132
2005 746 23351
2006 782 26898
2007 953 29930
2008 1007 32722
2009 1127 37078
2010 1115 42506
2011 1222 46873
2012 1418 52944
2013 1474 58556
2014 1474 63759
2015 1625 68938
2016 1670 71972
2017 1691 78128
2018 1756 84087
2019 1895 94678
2020 2346 119533
2021 2402 138391
2022 2285 134863
2023 2327 137957
2024 1799 124648
2025 1420 112004

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 64 194
Oncology and Cancer research 2 62 210
Astrobiology 3 89 227
Immunology 3 85 230
Biotechnology 6 82 230
Entomology 4 90 234
Bioinformatics and Computational biology 3 89 237
Evolutionary Biology 4 91 245
Genetics 4 84 245
Neuroscience 5 97 260
Zoology 5 101 270
Virology 6 85 275
Microbiology 5 96 276
Biochemistry 5 99 288
Bioethics/Medical Ethics 3 102 303
Biophysics 4 115 308
Paleontology 5 113 311
Botany 6 132 355
Pharmacology 6 134 394
Forestry 6 133 405
Wildlife and Fisheries Management & Conservation 7 136 411
Agricultural Science 7 199 646
Toxicology 7 204 661
Horticulture 6 205 672
Nanotechnology 9 239 742
Nutrition and Food Science 7 288 888
Animal Science 7 259 891

Chemistry rankings

The Free University of Brussels ranked 5th for Chemistry in Belgium and 337th in the World with 38,959 publications made and 1,592,465 citations received. Main research topics: Biochemistry, Organic Chemistry, Materials Science, Physical chemistry, Chemical Engineering.

Chemistry ranking Location
#5 of 16 In Belgium
#119 of 1,417 In Europe
#337 of 6,561 In the World

Free University of Brussels
Chemistry Publications & Citations

Year Chemistry publications Chemistry citations
1993 435 7086
1994 518 7904
1995 451 8158
1996 538 9111
1997 571 10483
1998 558 11629
1999 593 12992
2000 600 13927
2001 626 14501
2002 657 16130
2003 706 18443
2004 726 19450
2005 730 21636
2006 730 24439
2007 879 26715
2008 906 29131
2009 966 32624
2010 982 36714
2011 1058 40504
2012 1249 46645
2013 1180 51091
2014 1238 55511
2015 1292 60006
2016 1312 62319
2017 1278 66454
2018 1366 70571
2019 1394 78371
2020 1560 93040
2021 1605 107403
2022 1526 102338
2023 1643 105270
2024 1171 91712
2025 875 79628

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 4 96 236
Biochemistry 5 99 288
Petrology and Geochemistry 4 138 370
Environmental Chemistry 5 146 406
Organic Chemistry 6 164 443
Polymer science and Plastics engineering 7 186 469
Materials Science 6 170 492
Physical chemistry 7 201 582
Biochemical Engineering 7 250 597
Inorganic Chemistry 6 230 661
Chemical Engineering 8 214 673
Pharmacy 6 259 685
Nanotechnology 9 239 742
Radiochemistry 5 187 771
Nutrition and Food Science 7 288 888

Physics rankings

The Free University of Brussels ranked 5th for Physics in Belgium and 310th in the World with 36,514 publications made and 1,294,502 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 1,460 In Europe
#310 of 6,729 In the World

Free University of Brussels
Physics Publications & Citations

Year Physics publications Physics citations
1993 331 4645
1994 407 5391
1995 365 5693
1996 416 6103
1997 462 6717
1998 479 7116
1999 496 7821
2000 537 8426
2001 576 9320
2002 641 11006
2003 683 12332
2004 727 13672
2005 733 16110
2006 723 18451
2007 815 20612
2008 894 23273
2009 948 25668
2010 966 28824
2011 999 33292
2012 1176 39166
2013 1244 43233
2014 1293 47535
2015 1322 52699
2016 1317 55910
2017 1327 59150
2018 1363 65822
2019 1378 75112
2020 1523 82811
2021 1632 96257
2022 1426 85005
2023 1747 91616
2024 1092 79817
2025 797 68846

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 73
Atomic and Molecular physics 2 63 145
Astrophysics and Astronomy 3 73 187
Nuclear Physics 4 87 203
Medical Physics 5 78 206
Astrobiology 3 89 227
Quantum and Particle physics 4 99 279
Acoustical Engineering 4 98 296
Biophysics 4 115 308
Optical Engineering 4 112 313
Condensed Matter Physics 4 136 338
Materials Science 6 170 492
Applied/Engineering Physics 8 224 598
Nanotechnology 9 239 742

Engineering rankings

The Free University of Brussels ranked 5th for Engineering in Belgium and 395th in the World with 33,926 publications made and 1,211,508 citations received. Main research topics: Materials Science, Optical Engineering, Metallurgical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering.

Engineering ranking Location
#5 of 17 In Belgium
#140 of 1,466 In Europe
#395 of 6,795 In the World

Free University of Brussels
Engineering Publications & Citations

Year Engineering publications Engineering citations
1993 302 4033
1994 370 4700
1995 345 4943
1996 414 5202
1997 425 5956
1998 443 6377
1999 454 7039
2000 474 7817
2001 489 8397
2002 611 10301
2003 639 11378
2004 685 12769
2005 683 15269
2006 688 17544
2007 736 20090
2008 826 22708
2009 914 25608
2010 924 28597
2011 997 32432
2012 1110 37057
2013 1206 41132
2014 1221 45387
2015 1208 48263
2016 1243 50938
2017 1252 54596
2018 1368 60051
2019 1313 67570
2020 1485 76875
2021 1590 90891
2022 1469 82170
2023 1722 86817
2024 1083 74617
2025 758 64037

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 304th in the World with 33,776 publications made and 1,336,198 citations received. Main research topics: Pathology, Surgery, Immunology, Psychiatry, Radiology and Nuclear medicine.

Medicine ranking Location
#5 of 17 In Belgium
#109 of 1,437 In Europe
#304 of 6,793 In the World

Free University of Brussels
Medicine Publications & Citations

Year Medicine publications Medicine citations
1993 292 3922
1994 296 4327
1995 322 4882
1996 324 5509
1997 363 6428
1998 356 7565
1999 396 8584
2000 328 9386
2001 369 9899
2002 413 10845
2003 451 12802
2004 460 13640
2005 488 15202
2006 495 17368
2007 599 19445
2008 675 21516
2009 783 24598
2010 769 28974
2011 848 32833
2012 1009 36621
2013 1107 41292
2014 1132 45707
2015 1217 49727
2016 1339 52865
2017 1306 57550
2018 1443 62290
2019 1578 71776
2020 1946 93878
2021 2033 110880
2022 1917 109379
2023 1954 112768
2024 1616 102228
2025 1396 93136

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 36 129
Cosmetology 2 46 136
Radiation Therapy 3 61 194
Medical Physics 5 78 206
Oncology and Cancer research 2 62 210
Neurosurgery 4 89 215
Forensic Science 3 80 219
Immunology 3 85 230
Audiology 6 99 248
Anesthesiology 3 82 249
Obstetrics and Gynecology (OB-GYN) 5 113 253
Sports Medicine 5 91 253
Epidemiology 4 96 253
Surgery 4 86 259
Virology 6 85 275
Gastroenterology and Hepatology 3 92 282
Radiology and Nuclear medicine 5 102 284
Paramedicine and Emergency medicine 5 86 286
Pediatrics 4 106 288
Respiratory Therapy 6 112 300
Bioethics/Medical Ethics 3 102 303
Dermatology 4 116 304
Pathology 6 119 318
Veterinary 5 95 329
Plastic Surgery 4 107 343
Anatomy and Physiology 6 119 344
Family medicine 6 112 344
Public Health 6 115 347
Psychiatry 6 128 347
Cardiology 6 140 357
Physical Therapy 7 135 360
Urology 7 126 391
Pharmacology 6 134 394
Occupational Therapy 8 162 406
Ophthalmology 6 153 434
Sonography and Ultrasound 6 160 435
Health Science 6 146 448
Orthodontics 6 168 479
Nursing 7 165 480
Dentistry 7 198 559
Biomedical Engineering 7 200 572
Healthcare Management (MHA) 8 209 597
Clinical Psychology 7 210 602
Toxicology 7 204 661
Sports / Exercise science 6 249 661
Pharmacy 6 259 685
Gerontology 7 226 687
Optometry 6 236 692

Liberal Arts & Social Sciences rankings

The Free University of Brussels ranked 6th for Liberal Arts & Social Sciences in Belgium and 306th in the World with 33,045 publications made and 931,557 citations received. Main research topics: Philosophy, Political Science, Law, Sociology, History.

Liberal Arts & Social Sciences ranking Location
#6 of 18 In Belgium
#124 of 1,502 In Europe
#306 of 7,088 In the World

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

Year Liberal Arts & Social Sciences publications Liberal Arts & Social Sciences citations
1993 199 2339
1994 242 2917
1995 232 3021
1996 263 3173
1997 291 3371
1998 309 3830
1999 365 4499
2000 337 5118
2001 386 5667
2002 474 7066
2003 442 8384
2004 538 9304
2005 578 10980
2006 581 13088
2007 677 15203
2008 800 17085
2009 897 20067
2010 974 21986
2011 1009 25231
2012 1146 28676
2013 1320 31771
2014 1299 35652
2015 1350 37531
2016 1403 39459
2017 1443 42699
2018 1512 46660
2019 1567 54393
2020 1792 65500
2021 1860 76346
2022 1686 70855
2023 1767 74452
2024 1193 62093
2025 895 54706

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 289th in the World with 28,969 publications made and 1,173,579 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 1,470 In Europe
#289 of 6,855 In the World

Free University of Brussels
Computer Science Publications & Citations

Year Computer Science publications Computer Science citations
1993 245 3411
1994 275 4114
1995 286 4301
1996 306 4410
1997 327 4966
1998 352 5236
1999 360 5975
2000 391 6651
2001 402 7410
2002 505 9645
2003 516 10951
2004 531 12389
2005 599 14825
2006 587 17709
2007 613 19802
2008 718 22145
2009 808 25206
2010 837 28508
2011 870 32114
2012 988 35301
2013 1071 38547
2014 1102 42326
2015 1080 43977
2016 1070 46041
2017 1170 50215
2018 1173 57402
2019 1255 65932
2020 1391 78359
2021 1523 90411
2022 1290 82472
2023 1579 86147
2024 1033 74118
2025 762 63959

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 30 105
Machine Learning 3 48 207
Artificial Intelligence (AI) 3 64 218
Bioinformatics and Computational biology 3 89 237
Neuroscience 5 97 260
Blockchain and Cryptography 4 89 277
Computer Networking 4 82 287
Cyber Security 4 112 336
Database Administration 6 119 342
Library and Information science 7 150 384
Cognitive Science 7 143 392
Computer Vision 6 139 395
Telecommunications 5 139 412
Computer Graphics 6 169 415
Computational Linguistics 7 161 427
Data Science 7 221 500
Human-Computer Interaction 6 215 519
Software Engineering 9 233 522
Animation 7 229 593
Computer Engineering 5 212 608
Game Design and Development 8 302 684
Management Information Systems 8 304 688
Multimedia 8 420 1175

Environmental Science rankings

The Free University of Brussels ranked 7th for Environmental Science in Belgium and 371st in the World with 28,310 publications made and 1,000,899 citations received. Main research topics: Geology, Geography and Cartography, Ecology, Paleontology, Meteorology and Atmospheric Science.

Environmental Science ranking Location
#7 of 18 In Belgium
#134 of 1,464 In Europe
#371 of 6,888 In the World

Free University of Brussels
Environmental Science Publications & Citations

Year Environmental Science publications Environmental Science citations
1993 214 2702
1994 256 3238
1995 213 3234
1996 261 3513
1997 284 3823
1998 291 4325
1999 318 4982
2000 346 5847
2001 369 6369
2002 364 7420
2003 424 8861
2004 457 9750
2005 480 11382
2006 502 14012
2007 600 15750
2008 703 18000
2009 763 20939
2010 777 23461
2011 867 26664
2012 937 30619
2013 1023 34654
2014 1071 37895
2015 1061 41164
2016 1105 43854
2017 1192 45667
2018 1180 50254
2019 1266 57150
2020 1434 68380
2021 1628 81443
2022 1518 76516
2023 1643 79775
2024 1078 68963
2025 750 61010

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 380th in the World with 15,553 publications made and 569,692 citations received. Main research topics: Psychiatry, Neuroscience, Social Psychology, Cognitive Science, Child Psychology.

Psychology ranking Location
#6 of 16 In Belgium
#134 of 1,424 In Europe
#380 of 6,663 In the World

Free University of Brussels
Psychology Publications & Citations

Year Psychology publications Psychology citations
1993 133 2027
1994 151 2416
1995 137 2451
1996 135 2684
1997 150 2924
1998 153 3018
1999 156 3515
2000 159 3872
2001 173 4094
2002 185 4744
2003 207 5688
2004 212 5981
2005 230 6971
2006 248 7767
2007 285 9180
2008 319 9896
2009 386 11331
2010 379 12759
2011 395 14659
2012 497 15922
2013 569 18009
2014 586 20386
2015 599 21438
2016 596 21915
2017 644 24540
2018 669 27214
2019 705 31207
2020 874 39853
2021 896 45935
2022 896 44888
2023 942 46356
2024 691 42185
2025 656 38976

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 97 260
Psychiatry 6 128 347
Cognitive Science 7 143 392
Occupational Therapy 8 162 406
Child Psychology 7 170 481
Social Psychology 7 177 484
Negotiation and Conflict Resolution 7 194 487
Education Majors 6 175 555
Clinical Psychology 7 210 602
Sexology 6 190 627
Special Education 7 255 668

Mathematics rankings

The Free University of Brussels ranked 4th for Mathematics in Belgium and 316th in the World with 14,522 publications made and 503,779 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 1,406 In Europe
#316 of 6,434 In the World

Free University of Brussels
Mathematics Publications & Citations

Year Mathematics publications Mathematics citations
1993 95 1169
1994 108 1367
1995 116 1501
1996 138 1549
1997 147 1650
1998 184 1819
1999 172 2239
2000 187 2458
2001 167 2671
2002 230 3837
2003 257 4158
2004 247 4853
2005 276 6022
2006 297 7321
2007 287 8184
2008 338 9432
2009 414 10861
2010 438 12341
2011 429 13709
2012 535 15555
2013 570 16987
2014 553 19175
2015 526 20524
2016 548 20907
2017 619 22814
2018 646 24989
2019 704 28750
2020 743 34237
2021 798 40091
2022 747 37889
2023 836 39428
2024 500 28515
2025 377 24010

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 51 153
Actuarial Science 3 55 190
Applied Mathematics 4 79 203
Operations Research 5 74 219
Blockchain and Cryptography 4 89 277
Statistics 4 102 294
Math Teachers 7 334 1069

Business rankings

The Free University of Brussels ranked 6th for Business in Belgium and 360th in the World with 9,811 publications made and 292,269 citations received. Main research topics: Management, Finance, Marketing, International Business, International Trade.

Business ranking Location
#6 of 17 In Belgium
#126 of 1,436 In Europe
#360 of 6,366 In the World

Free University of Brussels
Business Publications & Citations

Year Business publications Business citations
1993 69 622
1994 70 811
1995 98 937
1996 93 1021
1997 97 1204
1998 111 1215
1999 125 1415
2000 116 1735
2001 122 2018
2002 168 2779
2003 220 3024
2004 198 3447
2005 183 4214
2006 216 5044
2007 228 5767
2008 219 6474
2009 302 7487
2010 328 8142
2011 372 8969
2012 385 9718
2013 400 10729
2014 439 11922
2015 402 12052
2016 453 12422
2017 445 13470
2018 460 14994
2019 457 17080
2020 467 20107
2021 497 22959
2022 435 20090
2023 493 21886
2024 272 16904
2025 218 14329

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 5 59 97
International Business 3 57 106
Investment Banking and Stock trading 3 46 179
Actuarial Science 3 55 190
Operations Research 5 74 219
Finance 4 90 237
Tax Law 5 88 262
Entertainment Industry Business 4 96 266
Public Policy / Administration 6 108 304
Management 5 117 356
Risk Management 6 154 374
Accounting 7 139 424
Advertising 7 181 507
Entrepreneurship 7 246 532
Marketing 7 260 674
Management Information Systems 8 304 688
Occupational Safety and Health 8 235 768
Hospitality and Hotel Management 3 310 778
Construction Management 7 318 825
Human Resource Management 7 419 1040
Supply Chain Management 8 327 1062
Project Management 9 562 1349

Economics rankings

The Free University of Brussels ranked 5th for Economics in Belgium and 251st in the World with 8,645 publications made and 260,991 citations received. Main research topics: Finance, Development Studies, Econometrics and Mathematical Economics, International Economics, International Trade.

Economics ranking Location
#5 of 17 In Belgium
#89 of 1,391 In Europe
#251 of 6,188 In the World

Free University of Brussels
Economics Publications & Citations

Year Economics publications Economics citations
1993 49 487
1994 66 608
1995 56 589
1996 85 719
1997 83 759
1998 87 839
1999 95 992
2000 96 1349
2001 80 1419
2002 115 1952
2003 156 2264
2004 154 2632
2005 157 3001
2006 181 3764
2007 194 4248
2008 205 4961
2009 278 6092
2010 283 6384
2011 330 7071
2012 315 7609
2013 368 8436
2014 402 9855
2015 385 10044
2016 398 10469
2017 359 11120
2018 391 12073
2019 428 14286
2020 454 17923
2021 475 20282
2022 429 18291
2023 452 19360
2024 303 15546
2025 211 13589

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 43 70
International Trade 5 59 97
Econometrics and Mathematical Economics 3 51 153
Political Economy 2 62 153
Investment Banking and Stock trading 3 46 179
Actuarial Science 3 55 190
Finance 4 90 237
Development Studies 5 96 309
International Relations and Diplomacy 6 152 388
Agricultural Economics 6 142 488
Environmental Economics 8 287 705

Art & Design rankings

The Free University of Brussels ranked 6th for Art & Design in Belgium and 396th in the World with 4,673 publications made and 120,184 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
#157 of 1,385 In Europe
#396 of 6,010 In the World

Free University of Brussels
Art & Design Publications & Citations

Year Art & Design publications Art & Design citations
1993 31 370
1994 35 401
1995 41 580
1996 48 501
1997 50 592
1998 54 576
1999 51 633
2000 55 720
2001 56 912
2002 75 1084
2003 72 1134
2004 82 1323
2005 74 1592
2006 74 1818
2007 93 2180
2008 127 2367
2009 149 2723
2010 138 2887
2011 143 3262
2012 173 3944
2013 202 4140
2014 212 4571
2015 188 4680
2016 168 4644
2017 175 5121
2018 221 5663
2019 201 6598
2020 213 7811
2021 268 8945
2022 235 8288
2023 225 8590
2024 174 8236
2025 107 7393

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 51 101
Sculpture 5 51 101
Illustration and Concept Art 5 53 105
Cinematography 4 54 127
Aesthetics 4 91 246
Entertainment Industry Business 4 96 266
Music 4 112 284
Art History 6 132 311
Literature 6 126 316
Landscape Architecture 6 158 321
Interior Design 7 146 337
Fashion Design 7 139 358
Computer Graphics 6 169 415
Creative Writing 5 178 451
Architecture 5 205 456
Graphic Design 7 177 460
Performing arts 7 264 593
Animation 7 229 593
Photography 8 244 610
Singing and Vocal Performance 6 239 636
Game Design and Development 8 302 684
Multimedia 8 420 1175