KAIST ranked 3rd in South Korea, 382nd in the global 2026 rating, and scored in the TOP 100 across 36 research topics. KAIST ranking is based on 3 factors: research output (EduRank's index has 103,878 academic publications and 2,810,310 citations attributed to the university), non-academic reputation, and the impact of 17 notable alumni.
KAIST ranked 2nd for Engineering in South Korea and 78th in the World with 82,294 publications made and 2,185,639 citations received. Main research topics: Materials Science, Electrical Engineering, Optical Engineering, Nanotechnology, Telecommunications.
KAIST ranked 2nd for Physics in South Korea and 98th in the World with 74,112 publications made and 2,016,316 citations received. Main research topics: Quantum and Particle physics, Materials Science, Optical Engineering, Nanotechnology, Acoustical Engineering.
KAIST ranked 2nd for Chemistry in South Korea and 156th in the World with 66,098 publications made and 2,051,667 citations received. Main research topics: Materials Science, Organic Chemistry, Biochemistry, Nanotechnology, Chemical Engineering.
KAIST ranked 2nd for Computer Science in South Korea and 126th in the World with 53,844 publications made and 1,209,870 citations received. Main research topics: Artificial Intelligence (AI), Telecommunications, Computer Networking, Computer Vision, Machine Learning.
KAIST ranked 4th for Biology in South Korea and 279th in the World with 51,595 publications made and 1,786,851 citations received. Main research topics: Biochemistry, Nanotechnology, Genetics, Paleontology, Neuroscience.
KAIST ranked 3rd for Environmental Science in South Korea and 255th in the World with 36,791 publications made and 1,061,816 citations received. Main research topics: Geology, Geography and Cartography, Ecology, Paleontology, Meteorology and Atmospheric Science.
KAIST ranked 3rd for Liberal Arts & Social Sciences in South Korea and 442nd in the World with 26,218 publications made and 638,531 citations received. Main research topics: Philosophy, Linguistics, Political Science, Law, History.
KAIST ranked 3rd for Mathematics in South Korea and 198th in the World with 21,066 publications made and 446,291 citations received. Main research topics: Statistics, Blockchain and Cryptography, Econometrics and Mathematical Economics, Applied Mathematics, Operations Research.
KAIST ranked 11th for Medicine in South Korea and 543rd in the World with 20,577 publications made and 689,197 citations received. Main research topics: Pathology, Psychiatry, Radiology and Nuclear medicine, Immunology, Anatomy and Physiology.
KAIST ranked 2nd for Business in South Korea and 170th in the World with 16,018 publications made and 377,754 citations received. Main research topics: Management, Finance, Marketing, Management Information Systems, Operations Research.
KAIST ranked 6th for Psychology in South Korea and 383rd in the World with 14,127 publications made and 442,696 citations received. Main research topics: Neuroscience, Cognitive Science, Psychiatry, Social Psychology, Education Majors.
KAIST ranked 2nd for Art & Design in South Korea and 188th in the World with 8,406 publications made and 165,472 citations received. Main research topics: Fashion Design, Computer Graphics, Literature, Aesthetics, Multimedia.
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.
KAIST ranked 4th for Economics in South Korea and 421st in the World with 6,420 publications made and 151,041 citations received. Main research topics: Finance, Econometrics and Mathematical Economics, Development Studies, Investment Banking and Stock trading, Environmental Economics.
