2021 Research Leaders: Leading academic institutions in biological sciences

The 2021 Research Leaders are based on Nature Index data from 1 January 2020 to 31 December 2020.

Table criteria

Region/country

Sector

Subject/journals

#	Institution	Share 2019	Share 2020	Count 2020	Change in Adjusted Share* 2019–2020
1	Seoul National University (SNU), South Korea	39.65	46.43	161	8.3%
2	Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), South Korea	23.17	27.42	93	9.4%
3	Yonsei University, South Korea	15.71	21.93	74	29.0%
4	Korea University, South Korea	9.51	11.59	64	12.6%
5	Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU), South Korea	9.01	8.13	60	-16.6%
6	Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), South Korea	11.93	7.57	31	-41.3%
7	Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), South Korea	6.60	6.99	24	-2.1%
8	Kyungpook National University (KNU), South Korea	3.46	5.88	22	57.1%
9	Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST), South Korea	1.37	4.42	14	198.9%
10	Hanyang University (HYU), South Korea	10.88	3.90	23	-66.9%
11	Chungnam National University (CNU), South Korea	2.47	3.74	17	39.8%
12	Chonnam National University, South Korea	1.33	3.23	15	124.3%
13	University of Ulsan (UOU), South Korea	2.03	3.23	25	47.2%
14	Chung-Ang University (CAU), South Korea	0.81	3.16	10	259.2%
15	Kyung Hee University (KHU), South Korea	1.79	3.09	29	59.4%
16	Ewha Womans University (Ewha), South Korea	2.96	2.76	18	-13.6%
17	Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), South Korea	3.13	2.54	6	-24.9%
18	University of Science and Technology (UST), South Korea	1.54	2.24	21	34.2%
19	The Catholic University of Korea, South Korea	2.57	2.22	13	-20.2%
20	Gachon University (GCU), South Korea	0.53	2.19	11	280.4%
21	Ajou University (AJOU), South Korea	3.79	1.69	8	-58.8%
22	Konkuk University, South Korea	5.18	1.55	10	-72.3%
23	Sookmyung Women's University, South Korea	0.62	1.44	6	117.2%
24	Pusan National University (PNU), South Korea	2.48	1.17	7	-56.5%
25	Mokpo National University, South Korea	0.22	0.88	3	274.7%
26	Jeonbuk National University (JBNU), South Korea	0.54	0.87	5	50.0%
27	Chungbuk National University, South Korea	3.57	0.84	5	-78.3%
28	Dong-A University, South Korea	0.18	0.77	7	285.4%
29	Chosun University, South Korea	0.00	0.75	3	0.0%
30	CHA University (CHA), South Korea	1.41	0.72	3	-52.6%
31	Gyeongsang National University (GNU), South Korea	2.22	0.68	4	-71.8%
32	University of Seoul (UOS), South Korea	0.06	0.67	4	895.1%
33	Kangwon National University, South Korea	0.23	0.59	7	136.6%
34	Dankook University (DKU), South Korea	0.38	0.56	8	36.3%
35	Dongguk University, South Korea	1.04	0.44	6	-60.8%
36	Myongji University, South Korea	0.00	0.36	1	0.0%
37	Soongsil University, South Korea	0.64	0.34	4	-51.6%
38	Inha University, South Korea	1.90	0.33	1	-83.8%
38	Sungshin Women's University, South Korea	0.00	0.33	1	0.0%
39	Sun Moon University (SMU), South Korea	0.00	0.31	2	0.0%
40	Yeungnam University, South Korea	0.03	0.30	3	831.9%
41	Keimyung University (KMU), South Korea	0.10	0.25	6	141.6%
42	Pukyong National University (PKNU), South Korea	0.07	0.23	2	191.2%
43	Catholic Kwandong University (CKU), South Korea	0.85	0.22	2	-75.8%
44	Hankuk University of Foreign Studies (HUFS), South Korea	0.07	0.20	1	177.4%
45	Soonchunhyang University (SCH), South Korea	0.41	0.19	2	-56.3%
46	Incheon National University (INU), South Korea	0.00	0.19	5	0.0%
47	Catholic University of Daegu, South Korea	0.14	0.17	3	9.4%
48	Daegu Haany University, South Korea	0.95	0.17	1	-83.8%
49	Konyang University, South Korea	0.00	0.16	3	0.0%
50	Jeju National University, South Korea	0.20	0.16	3	-26.7%
51	Inje University, South Korea	0.28	0.14	2	-54.8%
52	Sogang University, South Korea	1.45	0.13	2	-91.8%
53	Sunchon National University (SCNU), South Korea	0.00	0.12	2	0.0%
54	Kumoh National Institute of Technology (KIT), South Korea	0.00	0.11	1	0.0%
54	Dongseo University (DSU), South Korea	0.25	0.11	1	-58.9%
54	Silla University, South Korea	0.00	0.11	1	0.0%
55	Kwangwoon University, South Korea	0.12	0.11	2	-18.2%
56	Kongju National University, South Korea	0.07	0.10	2	27.2%
57	Seowon University, South Korea	0.00	0.10	1	0.0%
57	Andong National University, South Korea	0.00	0.10	3	0.0%
57	Hongik University, South Korea	0.21	0.10	1	-55.9%
58	Sejong University, South Korea	0.21	0.09	2	-62.1%
59	College of Korean Medicine, Semyung University, South Korea	0.00	0.08	1	0.0%
60	University of Suwon (USW), South Korea	0.00	0.04	1	1,158.9%
61	Sangmyung University, South Korea	0.00	0.03	7	0.0%
62	Kunsan National University, South Korea	0.00	0.03	1	0.0%
63	Hallym University, South Korea	0.16	0.02	4	-86.3%

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.
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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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2021 Research Leaders: Leading academic institutions in biological sciences

Table criteria

Footnote