Harvard University Drops to Third as China Dominates 2025 Science Rankings

In a notable shift within the scientific community, Harvard University has dropped to third place in the CWTS Leiden Ranking 2025 for Science. The top slots are now held by China’s Zhejiang University and Shanghai Jiao Tong University, emphasizing the significant rise of Chinese institutions in global research.

This year's rankings see the top nine positions completely occupied by Chinese universities, marking a dramatic change from the historic dominance of American institutions. Harvard, which once held the leading spot for over a decade, especially from 2006 to 2009, now finds itself in third place. The University of Toronto and the University of Michigan rounded out that previous top three.

In recent times, American universities have experienced a marked decline in their global rankings. Once prominent institutions like the University of Michigan, UCLA, Johns Hopkins, University of Washington-Seattle, University of Pennsylvania, and Stanford University have slipped out of the top 15. Harvard first lost its leading position to Zhejiang University in the 2019-2022 cycle and has remained in third place since the 2020-2023 ranking.

The CWTS Leiden Ranking, run by the Centre for Science and Technology Studies at Leiden University in the Netherlands, offers an in-depth evaluation of the scientific performance of over 1,500 universities around the globe. The rankings leverage data from the Web of Science to assess research output and its impact.

Among Indian institutions, VIT has risen to the top, followed closely by IIT Kharagpur, IIT Delhi, IIT Bombay, and IIT Madras, highlighting India's own ascent in the global research landscape.

This year's results not only showcase the emerging prominence of Chinese universities but also signal a significant shift in global research dynamics, as traditional American powerhouses struggle against the rapid advancement of Asian universities.