2020 Research Leaders: Leading academic institutions in biological sciences

The 2020 Research Leaders are based on Nature Index data from 1 January 2019 to 31 December 2019.

Table criteria

Region/country

Sector

Subject/journals

#	Institution	Share 2018	Share 2019	Count 2019	Change in Adjusted Share* 2018–2019
1	Seoul National University (SNU), South Korea	35.72	39.65	121	10.4%
2	Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), South Korea	25.99	23.17	64	-11.3%
3	Yonsei University, South Korea	18.72	15.71	57	-16.5%
4	Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), South Korea	7.91	11.93	32	50.1%
5	Hanyang University (HYU), South Korea	2.97	10.88	25	264.2%
6	Korea University, South Korea	7.51	9.51	37	26.0%
7	Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU), South Korea	5.83	9.01	32	53.7%
8	Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), South Korea	5.41	6.60	23	21.3%
9	Konkuk University, South Korea	2.71	5.18	14	90.1%
10	Ajou University (AJOU), South Korea	3.95	3.79	13	-4.6%
11	Chungbuk National University, South Korea	0.04	3.57	14	7,817.7%
12	Kyungpook National University (KNU), South Korea	2.69	3.46	14	28.3%
13	Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), South Korea	2.93	3.13	10	6.1%
14	Ewha Womans University (Ewha), South Korea	0.51	2.96	14	479.7%
15	The Catholic University of Korea, South Korea	0.52	2.57	10	392.5%
16	Pusan National University (PNU), South Korea	1.82	2.48	13	35.3%
17	Chungnam National University (CNU), South Korea	2.62	2.47	14	-6.2%
18	Gyeongsang National University (GNU), South Korea	1.43	2.22	7	55.1%
19	University of Ulsan (UOU), South Korea	4.37	2.03	20	-53.8%
20	Inha University, South Korea	1.44	1.90	3	31.4%
21	Kyung Hee University (KHU), South Korea	2.80	1.79	14	-36.4%
22	University of Science and Technology (UST), South Korea	2.54	1.54	18	-39.7%
23	Sogang University, South Korea	1.33	1.45	2	8.4%
24	CHA University (CHA), South Korea	0.98	1.41	5	43.4%
25	Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST), South Korea	5.07	1.37	10	-73.2%
26	Chonnam National University, South Korea	4.50	1.33	14	-70.5%
27	Dongguk University, South Korea	0.65	1.04	5	59.6%
28	Daegu Haany University, South Korea	0.00	0.95	3	0.0%
29	Catholic Kwandong University (CKU), South Korea	0.24	0.85	2	253.1%
30	Chung-Ang University (CAU), South Korea	3.06	0.81	10	-73.5%
31	Soongsil University, South Korea	0.22	0.64	3	187.8%
32	Sookmyung Women's University, South Korea	0.21	0.62	4	196.1%
33	Jeonbuk National University (JBNU), South Korea	0.13	0.54	2	300.7%
34	Gachon University (GCU), South Korea	0.50	0.53	7	5.7%
35	Wonkwang University, South Korea	0.95	0.50	3	-47.4%
36	Soonchunhyang University (SCH), South Korea	1.06	0.41	4	-61.7%
37	Daejeon University, South Korea	0.00	0.40	1	0.0%
37	Seoul National University of Science and Technology (SeoulTech), South Korea	0.06	0.40	1	536.7%
38	Dankook University (DKU), South Korea	0.74	0.38	4	-49.1%
39	Handong Global University (HGU), South Korea	0.00	0.37	2	0.0%
40	Inje University, South Korea	0.11	0.28	6	145.3%
41	Dongseo University (DSU), South Korea	0.00	0.25	1	0.0%
42	Kangwon National University, South Korea	2.30	0.23	4	-90.1%
43	Mokpo National University, South Korea	0.04	0.22	2	437.0%
44	Sejong University, South Korea	0.82	0.21	2	-74.5%
44	Hongik University, South Korea	0.00	0.21	2	0.0%
45	Jeju National University, South Korea	0.00	0.20	2	0.0%
46	Kookmin University, South Korea	0.60	0.19	3	-69.2%
47	Dong-A University, South Korea	1.01	0.18	2	-81.9%
48	Hankyong National University, South Korea	0.00	0.17	1	0.0%
49	Hallym University, South Korea	0.80	0.16	3	-79.5%
50	Catholic University of Daegu, South Korea	0.00	0.14	3	0.0%
51	Kwangwoon University, South Korea	0.11	0.12	3	9.3%
52	Keimyung University (KMU), South Korea	0.33	0.10	2	-70.9%
53	Duksung Women's University, South Korea	0.03	0.08	1	165.3%
54	Kongju National University, South Korea	0.00	0.07	3	0.0%
55	Pukyong National University (PKNU), South Korea	0.00	0.07	1	0.0%
56	Hankuk University of Foreign Studies (HUFS), South Korea	0.00	0.07	1	0.0%
57	Cheongju University, South Korea	0.00	0.06	1	0.0%
57	University of Seoul (UOS), South Korea	0.00	0.06	4	0.0%
58	Yeungnam University, South Korea	0.12	0.03	1	-74.6%
59	Daegu University, South Korea	0.17	0.00	1	-98.3%
59	University of Suwon (USW), South Korea	0.00	0.00	1	0.0%
60	Kosin University, South Korea	0.10	0.00	1	-98.1%
61	Suicide and School Mental Health Institute, Hallym University, South Korea	0.00	0.00	1	0.0%

Each year, the Nature Index publishes tables based on counts of high-quality research outputs in the previous calendar year. Users please note:

The data behind the tables are based on a relatively small proportion of total research papers, they cover the natural sciences and health sciences only and outputs are non-normalized (that is, they don’t reflect the size of the country or institution, or its overall research output).
The Nature Index is one indicator of institutional research performance. The metrics of Count and Share used to order Nature Index listings are based on an institution’s or country’s publication output in 145 natural-science and health-science journals. The journals were selected on reputation by an independent panel of leading scientists in their fields. The list is reviewed periodically and journals may be removed or added. Articles from eLife were no longer included in the Nature Index from 2023 after the journal changed its publishing model.
Nature Index recognizes that many other factors must be taken into account when considering research quality and institutional performance; Nature Index metrics alone should not be used to assess institutions or individuals.
Nature Index data and methods are transparent and available under a creative commons licence at nature.com/nature-index/.
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The Nature Index database undergoes regular updating, corrections, adjustment of institutional hierarchies, and removal of retracted papers and thus the live website can differ from the frozen research leaders.

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2020 Research Leaders: Leading academic institutions in biological sciences

Table criteria

Footnote