World University Rankings 2024 by subject: physical sciences

The physical sciences subject ranking uses the same trusted and rigorous performance indicators as the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2024, but the methodology has been recalibrated to suit the individual fields.

It highlights the universities that are leading across the following disciplines: mathematics and statistics, physics and astronomy, chemistry, geology, environmental sciences, and earth and marine sciences.

 This year’s table includes 1,370 universities, up from 1,307 last year.

View the World University Rankings 2024 by subject: physical sciences methodology

The California Institute of Technology leads the physical sciences subject ranking, replacing Princeton University, which drops to joint sixth place.

The University of Cambridge is the only institution outside the US to make the top five, ranking in fifth place, up from seventh.  

The US’ Yale and Columbia universities switch places to rank 10th and joint 12th respectively.  Columbia shares the spot with the National University of Singapore, which is the highest-ranking university from Asia.

With nine institutions, Germany follows the US and the UK in the list of the most-represented countries in the top 100. In 22nd place, the Technical University of Munich is its top-performing institution.

 Read our analysis of the subject rankings 2024 results

View the full results of the overall World University Rankings 2024

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