Finnish universities subject of global recognition

The Global Ranking of Academic Subjects (GRAS) evaluated 55 subjects across natural sciences, engineering, life sciences, medical sciences and social science. This year, the index examined over 5 000 universities and approximately 1 900 universities from 96 countries received a ranking. 

In Finland, the top performer was the University of Helsinki, which ranked among the top 500 globally in 35 subjects and excelled in ecology (12th), and dentistry and oral sciences (28th). The university also did well in ShanghaiRanking’s Academic Ranking of World Universities, published earlier this year, placing 99th out of 2 500 universities worldwide.

Espoo-based Aalto University received its highest rankings for marine and ocean engineering (22nd), and business administration (48th). Furthermore, it placed among the top 500 in 26 other subjects. These two universities in the Helsinki region also held the highest ranks among Finnish institutions in the 2023 edition of the assessment. 

The northernmost Finnish university on the list, the University of Oulu, was ranked in 20 subjects and performed best in telecommunications engineering, placing 30th globally. This made it the fourth best university in Europe in this field.

The University of Turku received its highest marks in dentistry and oral sciences, ranking 21st, and was recognised in 21 subjects overall. Tampere University, the University of Eastern Finland, the University of Jyväskylä, Lappeenranta University of Technology and Åbo Akademi University also featured on the list in various subjects. However, they placed outside the top 50 in each. 

The University of Vaasa and Hanken School of Economics were ranked in fewer subjects but did notably well in business administration, placing 32nd and 43rd, respectively.

The GRAS rankings use a set of objective academic indicators and third-party data to assess educational institutions' performance across specific subjects. The evaluation covers various categories such as faculty, research output, quality and impact, and international collaboration. The ranking has been published since 2009.