ShanghaiRanking is the world’s longest-running global university ranking. Its subject tables use objective indicators and a transparent methodology, making them one of the most trusted benchmarks in global higher education. The ranking assesses about 2,000 institutions in 57 subjects across five broad fields: Natural Sciences, Engineering, Life Sciences, Medical Sciences, and Social Sciences.
Semmelweis was the highest-ranked Hungarian university in six of the seven subject tables in which it appeared. Across Central and Eastern Europe, it placed first in Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences as well as Dentistry and Oral Sciences, and shared first place in Clinical Medicine. It placed second in Medical Technology and joint second in Biological Sciences.
As in last year’s ranking, Semmelweis achieved its strongest result in Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. After ranking in the 51-70 band last year, it climbed to 44th place in 2026.
The university now ranks ahead of major international institutions including the University of Pennsylvania, Imperial College London and KU Leuven. The other ranked Hungarian institutions, the universities of Debrecen, Pécs and Szeged, were placed in the 301-400 band. University College London topped the subject ranking, followed by Peking Union Medical College and China Pharmaceutical University.
“Years of focused work, our four-year partnership with Harvard and our sustained excellence in education and research have paid off,” said Dr. Béla Merkely.
The rector pointed out Semmelweis remained committed to excellence across its three core missions: education, patient care, and research and innovation. As a flagship university in Hungary and the wider region, he added, Semmelweis aimed to provide patients with the best possible care.
“This is at the heart of everything we do,” Dr. Béla Merkely said, adding that the university’s goal was to make further progress in every field for the benefit of its patients.
Highlighting the university’s research excellence, the rector revealed Semmelweis had increased the number of papers published in leading scientific journals in almost every category compared with its competitors.
Dr. Béla Merkely attributed the university’s strong performance in pharmaceutical sciences in part to the Center for Pharmacology and Drug Research & Development, established in 2023. The center brings together research institutes and teams from across the university, helping to expand international collaboration and strengthen both research output and innovation.
In dentistry, he highlighted the importance of the Department of Propedeutics’ state-of-the-art clinical skills laboratory and teaching facilities, which opened in 2025. He also noted that Semmelweis’ dental program ranks among the leaders in digital innovation.
Sustained progress
Semmelweis University has made substantial gains in the ShanghaiRanking subject tables over the past eight years, particularly in the fields most closely aligned with its academic profile.
Its biggest improvement came in Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. After ranking in the 301-400 band in 2018, Semmelweis steadily improved its position and entered the global top 50 this year.
In 2018, the university did not make the top 300 in Dentistry and Oral Sciences. This year, it ranks among the world’s top 200 and is the highest-placed university in Central and Eastern Europe.
Semmelweis has also advanced in Clinical Medicine. Its position in the 201-300 band in 2018 placed it joint second in the region. It now ranks in the 151-200 band and shares the top regional position with Charles University in Prague.
Similar progress can be seen in Medical Technology, where the university moved from the 201-300 band to the 151-200 band, and in Biological Sciences, where it rose from the 401-500 band to the 201-300 band.
The university also moved up the rankings in Dentistry and Oral Sciences and Medical Technology. In dentistry, Semmelweis rose from 224th place last year to 187th. The universities of Pécs and Szeged were both placed in the 201-300 band. The University of Michigan – Ann Arbor topped the ranking, followed by King’s College London and the University of Bern.
In Medical Technology, Semmelweis climbed from 211th to 197th place and was the only Hungarian university included in the ranking. Johns Hopkins University took first place, followed by Harvard University and Stanford University.
Pálma Dobozi, Ádám Szabó
Translation: Orsolya Jancsó
Photos by Bálint Barta, Boglárka Zellei – Semmelweis University (illustration)
