The latest University Ranking by Academic Performance (URAP) report for the 2024–2025 academic year has offered a deep insight into the evolving landscape of global higher education. Evaluating institutions across 78 scientific fields, the rankings are based on five years of academic performance data and serve as a valuable benchmark for universities worldwide.
Türkiye’s universities demonstrated significant presence in medical and engineering sciences, while Chinese and American institutions continued to dominate the top spots. The report also highlights areas for institutional improvement, guiding future research strategies.
A Global Overview of the URAP Field Rankings
URAP, an initiative founded by scholars at Middle East Technical University (METU), ranks universities based on objective academic metrics rather than reputation surveys. The primary criteria include the number of articles, total documents, citations, and international collaboration in each specific scientific field. Articles with over 1000 co-authors are excluded to ensure balance and accuracy.
This year, the field rankings cover 2,572 universities from 121 countries, offering a comparative view of academic performance and research influence. Once again, China topped the participation list with 411 universities appearing in at least one category. The United States followed with 304 institutions, while India secured third place with 143 universities.
Türkiye’s Expanding Academic Footprint
Türkiye increased its representation from 88 universities last year to 89 in the latest rankings. Although modest, this growth is significant in the context of the global competition, especially as more countries invest in academic visibility and research infrastructure.
Among the 78 ranked fields, Türkiye had institutions listed in 44 disciplines. As in previous years, Turkish universities showed the strongest presence in the medical and health sciences, followed by engineering and technology-related domains.
Medical and health sciences included 80 Turkish universities
Engineering featured 36 institutions
Biology and technology both had 23 universities
Mathematics included 20 universities
Physics had 14 universities
Materials science and surgery each included 13 universities
This distribution highlights Türkiye’s emphasis on applied sciences and its ongoing commitment to training the next generation of professionals in critical research areas.
Leading Turkish Universities in the 2024–2025 Field Rankings
The Turkish university with the broadest international research presence was Istanbul Technical University (İTÜ), which ranked in 28 scientific fields. Following İTÜ, Hacettepe University appeared in 23 fields, Middle East Technical University (METU) in 21, and Yıldız Technical University in 17.
Other strong performers included:
Koç University and Ankara University, each appearing in 16 fields
Gazi University, in 15 fields
Atatürk University, with 14 fields
İstanbul University, in 13 fields
Fırat University, with 12 fields
Erciyes University, İstanbul-Cerrahpaşa University, and Near East University, with 10 fields each
Ege University and Bilkent University, in 9 fields
Karadeniz Technical University, Marmara University, and Boğaziçi University, each featured in 8 fields
These figures reflect both institutional depth and the increasing global recognition of Türkiye’s research universities.
Notable International Rankings in Key Disciplines
Some Turkish universities not only participated but also ranked prominently on the global stage:
İstanbul Technical University
Ranked 59th globally in polymer science
134th in water resources
143rd in marine sciences
158th in civil engineering
166th in artificial intelligence
209th in architecture
Hacettepe University
111th in dentistry
141st in pediatrics
Middle East Technical University (METU)
258th in civil engineering
Yıldız Technical University
226th in architecture
Koç University
193rd in political science
Ankara University
100th in dentistry
İstanbul University
200th in pediatrics
214th in dentistry
İstanbul-Cerrahpaşa University
244th in pediatrics
Marmara University
195th in pediatrics
These rankings demonstrate Türkiye’s growing academic competitiveness in both clinical and engineering domains.
Global Leaders in the 2024–2025 Field Rankings
Harvard University maintained its position as the top-ranked institution worldwide, leading in 23 out of the 78 scientific fields. Harvard was followed by:
Tsinghua University (China) – ranked first in 13 fields
Oxford University (United Kingdom) – ranked first in 7 fields
University of Amsterdam (Netherlands) – ranked first in 3 fields
China’s growing academic influence is clearly visible, with its universities leading 31 fields overall. American institutions led in 27 fields, while the United Kingdom and the Netherlands secured 9 and 4 field-leading spots respectively.
Notably, at least one university from the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, the Netherlands, and Australia appeared in every one of the 78 ranked fields.
Strategic Importance for Türkiye’s Higher Education Policy
Türkiye’s improved presence in global academic rankings is in line with its national strategy to internationalize higher education and boost its knowledge economy. Programs such as the “Research-Oriented Mission Differentiation” initiative and university-industry collaboration platforms have helped foster a more research-intensive environment.
Furthermore, increased public and private investment in R&D, expanded international partnerships, and a rise in doctoral scholarships are contributing to Türkiye’s growing research output.
However, experts also point out areas for improvement—such as boosting publication impact, strengthening peer-reviewed output in top-tier journals, and expanding international collaboration.
The Role of URAP in Supporting Academic Growth
URAP’s methodology offers valuable feedback for university administrators, faculty members, and policymakers. Unlike commercial rankings that emphasize reputation, URAP focuses on verifiable academic output. This helps institutions identify their strengths and focus resources where growth is most achievable.
For Turkish universities, participation in the URAP rankings serves as both recognition and motivation. It helps institutions benchmark themselves against global peers and craft informed strategies to improve academic excellence.
A Promising Future for Turkish Academia
Türkiye’s trajectory in international university rankings signals a positive direction. With universities like İTÜ, Hacettepe, and METU leading the way, and growing participation across disciplines, the country is steadily carving out a stronger position on the global academic map.
Continued investment, institutional focus, and international collaboration will be key to sustaining this upward momentum. As Türkiye’s universities climb higher in field-specific rankings, they not only gain global visibility but also attract more talent, research funding, and strategic partnerships.
