2021 Research Leaders: Leading academic institutions in chemistry

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	67.57	97.40	187	43.7%
2	Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), South Korea	66.81	86.70	160	29.4%
3	Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), South Korea	49.48	53.24	114	7.3%
4	Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), South Korea	45.42	47.53	123	4.3%
5	Yonsei University, South Korea	32.95	37.28	101	12.8%
6	Korea University, South Korea	31.21	31.69	97	1.2%
7	Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU), South Korea	38.15	27.57	84	-27.9%
8	Hanyang University (HYU), South Korea	22.78	21.89	54	-4.2%
9	Ewha Womans University (Ewha), South Korea	19.61	16.90	42	-14.1%
10	Pusan National University (PNU), South Korea	7.10	12.64	28	77.4%
11	Chung-Ang University (CAU), South Korea	14.42	12.37	22	-14.5%
12	Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), South Korea	14.32	10.30	23	-28.2%
13	Ajou University (AJOU), South Korea	6.61	10.07	26	51.9%
14	Kyung Hee University (KHU), South Korea	7.03	9.08	35	28.8%
15	Chonnam National University, South Korea	9.06	8.65	19	-4.8%
16	Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST), South Korea	8.21	8.50	16	3.2%
17	Sogang University, South Korea	9.18	7.75	22	-15.8%
18	Jeonbuk National University (JBNU), South Korea	3.81	5.71	14	49.4%
19	University of Ulsan (UOU), South Korea	2.79	5.45	16	94.8%
20	Kangwon National University, South Korea	4.33	5.44	12	25.2%
21	Chungnam National University (CNU), South Korea	7.58	4.84	17	-36.4%
22	Inha University, South Korea	5.46	4.25	12	-22.5%
23	Chungbuk National University, South Korea	4.51	3.69	9	-18.3%
24	Konkuk University, South Korea	2.33	3.55	12	52.0%
25	Kyungpook National University (KNU), South Korea	6.29	3.26	11	-48.2%
26	Gyeongsang National University (GNU), South Korea	9.06	3.18	9	-65.0%
27	Yeungnam University, South Korea	2.70	3.13	5	15.4%
28	Dongguk University, South Korea	1.90	3.04	14	59.8%
29	University of Science and Technology (UST), South Korea	3.39	2.79	23	-17.8%
30	University of Seoul (UOS), South Korea	0.75	2.61	5	247.2%
31	Incheon National University (INU), South Korea	3.75	2.52	9	-33.0%
32	Hallym University, South Korea	1.48	2.46	6	65.3%
33	Soongsil University, South Korea	1.95	2.31	8	18.2%
34	Sejong University, South Korea	1.60	2.23	6	39.0%
35	Hongik University, South Korea	0.14	2.20	5	1,434.3%
36	Kwangwoon University, South Korea	1.67	2.14	3	27.8%
37	Myongji University, South Korea	1.07	1.84	3	71.3%
38	Gachon University (GCU), South Korea	2.71	1.36	6	-49.9%
39	Kyonggi University (KGU), South Korea	0.26	1.17	2	351.6%
40	Mokpo National University, South Korea	0.00	1.15	2	0.0%
41	Sookmyung Women's University, South Korea	2.32	1.07	7	-54.0%
42	Wonkwang University, South Korea	0.10	1.07	2	968.3%
43	Jeju National University, South Korea	0.00	1.00	1	0.0%
43	Hyupsung University, South Korea	0.08	1.00	1	1,096.5%
43	Hankuk University of Foreign Studies (HUFS), South Korea	2.21	1.00	1	-54.8%
44	Kookmin University, South Korea	2.74	0.86	7	-68.7%
45	The Catholic University of Korea, South Korea	2.21	0.75	4	-66.1%
46	Kunsan National University, South Korea	0.45	0.62	4	37.5%
47	Pukyong National University (PKNU), South Korea	2.68	0.55	7	-79.5%
48	Dankook University (DKU), South Korea	0.88	0.53	3	-39.3%
49	Seoul Women's University, South Korea	0.00	0.50	1	0.0%
50	Kongju National University, South Korea	0.10	0.50	6	415.4%
51	Sungshin Women's University, South Korea	0.29	0.48	2	66.2%
52	Korea Military Academy, South Korea	0.00	0.45	2	0.0%
53	Daejin University, South Korea	0.89	0.43	1	-51.6%
54	Chosun University, South Korea	1.06	0.39	3	-63.1%
55	CHA University (CHA), South Korea	0.33	0.38	3	13.0%
56	Changwon National University, South Korea	0.00	0.37	3	0.0%
57	Daegu University, South Korea	0.00	0.33	1	0.0%
57	Sangmyung University, South Korea	0.00	0.33	3	0.0%
58	Tech University of Korea (TU Korea), South Korea	0.14	0.31	2	116.0%
59	Catholic University of Daegu, South Korea	0.00	0.28	3	0.0%
60	Hanbat National University, South Korea	0.38	0.25	1	-33.5%
61	Gyeongnam National University of Science and Technology (GNTECH), South Korea	0.66	0.23	1	-65.4%
62	Silla University, South Korea	0.25	0.19	2	-22.4%
63	Seoul National University of Science and Technology (SeoulTech), South Korea	0.17	0.17	1	-0.3%
64	Soonchunhyang University (SCH), South Korea	1.19	0.14	1	-88.0%
65	Keimyung University (KMU), South Korea	0.00	0.13	2	0.0%
66	Duksung Women's University, South Korea	0.00	0.13	1	0.0%
67	Kumoh National Institute of Technology (KIT), South Korea	1.17	0.11	1	-90.5%
68	Seowon University, South Korea	0.00	0.10	1	0.0%
69	Gangneung-Wonju National University (GWNU), South Korea	0.10	0.07	1	-28.8%
69	Handong Global University (HGU), South Korea	0.33	0.07	1	-78.6%
70	Korea Nazarene University (KNU), South Korea	0.00	0.03	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/.
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

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.

Numerical information only is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

2021 Research Leaders: Leading academic institutions in chemistry

Table criteria

Footnote