2020 Research Leaders: Leading academic institutions in physical 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	Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), South Korea	89.64	89.20	206	-1.9%
2	Seoul National University (SNU), South Korea	72.99	74.53	276	0.6%
3	Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), South Korea	42.78	53.38	144	23.0%
4	Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU), South Korea	53.67	51.87	212	-4.7%
5	Yonsei University, South Korea	34.63	45.92	150	30.7%
6	Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), South Korea	46.40	42.06	125	-10.7%
7	Korea University, South Korea	25.49	28.95	182	12.0%
8	Hanyang University (HYU), South Korea	18.59	23.27	160	23.4%
9	Kyung Hee University (KHU), South Korea	13.18	16.11	92	20.5%
10	Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), South Korea	14.64	10.93	39	-26.4%
11	Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST), South Korea	5.24	9.05	28	70.2%
12	University of Seoul (UOS), South Korea	4.00	8.25	82	103.3%
13	Pusan National University (PNU), South Korea	7.02	8.08	61	13.5%
14	Kyungpook National University (KNU), South Korea	8.55	7.55	113	-12.9%
15	Chung-Ang University (CAU), South Korea	8.34	7.31	22	-13.6%
16	Jeonbuk National University (JBNU), South Korea	6.15	7.02	35	12.5%
17	Chonnam National University, South Korea	4.64	6.83	101	45.1%
18	Sejong University, South Korea	6.24	6.74	104	6.4%
19	Ewha Womans University (Ewha), South Korea	7.16	6.63	39	-8.8%
20	Dongguk University, South Korea	4.63	6.03	21	28.4%
21	Inha University, South Korea	0.90	5.93	38	550.7%
22	Sogang University, South Korea	7.32	5.06	20	-31.9%
23	Chungnam National University (CNU), South Korea	4.11	4.38	18	5.0%
24	University of Science and Technology (UST), South Korea	4.51	4.02	47	-12.2%
25	Seoul National University of Science and Technology (SeoulTech), South Korea	0.83	3.48	8	313.1%
26	Ajou University (AJOU), South Korea	7.89	3.29	15	-58.9%
27	Konkuk University, South Korea	1.32	3.18	13	136.6%
28	Gachon University (GCU), South Korea	0.07	3.06	10	4,417.9%
29	Chungbuk National University, South Korea	1.59	2.79	11	72.7%
30	Gyeongsang National University (GNU), South Korea	1.52	2.42	29	57.1%
31	Incheon National University (INU), South Korea	0.99	2.41	9	140.8%
32	Kwangwoon University, South Korea	3.16	2.06	7	-35.6%
33	Korea National University of Transportation (KNUT), South Korea	1.22	1.92	3	54.5%
34	The Catholic University of Korea, South Korea	1.26	1.89	5	47.6%
35	Yeungnam University, South Korea	1.25	1.85	6	45.6%
36	Kookmin University, South Korea	2.69	1.85	11	-32.4%
37	Myongji University, South Korea	1.52	1.83	4	18.8%
38	Dankook University (DKU), South Korea	0.72	1.79	5	144.9%
39	University of Ulsan (UOU), South Korea	1.44	1.61	9	10.7%
40	Inje University, South Korea	0.59	1.51	10	154.6%
41	Hallym University, South Korea	0.85	1.49	5	72.7%
42	Kyonggi University (KGU), South Korea	0.09	1.33	2	1,345.4%
43	Soongsil University, South Korea	3.76	1.22	26	-68.2%
44	Sookmyung Women's University, South Korea	1.69	1.14	6	-33.6%
45	Hongik University, South Korea	0.00	1.03	4	0.0%
46	Jeju National University, South Korea	0.43	0.97	4	120.9%
47	Tech University of Korea (TU Korea), South Korea	0.48	0.94	2	92.7%
48	Kumoh National Institute of Technology (KIT), South Korea	0.73	0.94	4	28.0%
49	Chosun University, South Korea	0.41	0.62	3	48.6%
50	Seoul National University of Education (SNEU), South Korea	0.00	0.57	2	0.0%
51	Sunchon National University (SCNU), South Korea	0.52	0.33	1	-36.4%
51	Korea University of Technology and Education (Korea Tech), South Korea	0.19	0.33	1	74.4%
52	Wonkwang University, South Korea	0.17	0.33	3	93.3%
53	Korea Military Academy, South Korea	0.07	0.29	2	302.4%
54	Kosin University, South Korea	0.00	0.25	1	0.0%
54	Sahmyook University, South Korea	0.00	0.25	1	0.0%
54	Kongju National University, South Korea	0.29	0.25	1	-15.5%
55	Seoul Women's University, South Korea	0.00	0.22	1	0.0%
56	Pukyong National University (PKNU), South Korea	1.44	0.20	3	-86.0%
57	Kangwon National University, South Korea	0.79	0.18	3	-77.7%
58	Hankuk University of Foreign Studies (HUFS), South Korea	0.38	0.15	1	-60.4%
59	Dongshin University, South Korea	0.07	0.15	2	121.7%
60	CHA University (CHA), South Korea	0.52	0.13	1	-76.1%
60	Hanbat National University, South Korea	0.41	0.13	1	-70.0%
61	Kunsan National University, South Korea	0.73	0.12	2	-83.6%
62	Soonchunhyang University (SCH), South Korea	0.53	0.12	2	-77.6%
63	Korea Aerospace University (KAU), South Korea	0.00	0.11	2	0.0%
64	Chosun College of Science and Technology (CST), South Korea	0.00	0.08	1	0.0%
65	Gangneung-Wonju National University (GWNU), South Korea	0.02	0.06	18	201.3%
66	Changwon National University, South Korea	0.00	0.05	2	0.0%
67	Seoyeong University, South Korea	0.03	0.03	1	-1.4%
68	Semyung University, South Korea	0.00	0.01	1	0.0%
69	Gwangju National University of Education (GNUE), South Korea	0.33	0.00	1	-99.1%

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.
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2020 Research Leaders: Leading academic institutions in physical sciences

Table criteria

Footnote