2022 Research Leaders: Leading academic institutions in biological sciences

The 2022 Research Leaders are based on Nature Index data from 1 January 2021 to 31 December 2021.

Table criteria

Region/country

Sector

Subject/journals

#	Institution	Share 2020	Share 2021	Count 2021	Change in Adjusted Share* 2020–2021
1	Seoul National University (SNU), South Korea	46.43	53.74	133	14.4%
2	Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), South Korea	27.42	30.31	75	9.3%
3	Yonsei University, South Korea	21.93	14.24	63	-35.8%
4	Korea University, South Korea	11.59	9.11	39	-22.3%
5	Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), South Korea	7.57	8.61	27	12.4%
6	Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU), South Korea	8.13	7.60	44	-7.6%
7	Hanyang University (HYU), South Korea	3.90	6.08	24	54.2%
8	Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST), South Korea	4.42	5.81	16	30.0%
9	Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), South Korea	2.54	5.47	12	112.7%
10	Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), South Korea	6.99	4.13	12	-41.7%
11	Ewha Womans University (Ewha), South Korea	2.76	3.84	21	37.6%
12	Kyungpook National University (KNU), South Korea	5.88	3.70	28	-37.9%
13	Chonnam National University, South Korea	3.23	3.08	15	-5.7%
14	Kyung Hee University (KHU), South Korea	3.09	2.46	20	-21.3%
15	Chungnam National University (CNU), South Korea	3.74	2.36	10	-37.6%
16	University of Ulsan (UOU), South Korea	3.23	2.36	16	-27.8%
17	Ajou University (AJOU), South Korea	1.69	2.10	8	23.0%
18	Inha University, South Korea	0.33	1.48	9	339.9%
19	Pusan National University (PNU), South Korea	1.17	1.41	13	19.4%
20	The Catholic University of Korea, South Korea	2.22	1.36	15	-39.7%
21	University of Science and Technology (UST), South Korea	2.24	1.29	11	-43.2%
22	Chungbuk National University, South Korea	0.84	1.24	7	45.6%
23	University of Seoul (UOS), South Korea	0.67	1.22	4	80.0%
24	Chung-Ang University (CAU), South Korea	3.16	0.95	6	-70.5%
25	Yeungnam University, South Korea	0.30	0.91	4	202.4%
26	Sejong University, South Korea	0.09	0.80	1	820.2%
27	Mokpo National University, South Korea	0.88	0.73	4	-17.0%
28	Sookmyung Women's University, South Korea	1.44	0.72	1	-50.6%
29	Pukyong National University (PKNU), South Korea	0.23	0.67	1	192.9%
30	Konkuk University, South Korea	1.55	0.65	3	-58.7%
31	Incheon National University (INU), South Korea	0.19	0.53	5	171.0%
32	Keimyung University (KMU), South Korea	0.25	0.50	2	96.2%
33	Kangwon National University, South Korea	0.59	0.49	7	-17.2%
34	Jeonbuk National University (JBNU), South Korea	0.87	0.44	5	-50.0%
35	Daejeon University, South Korea	0.00	0.43	1	0.0%
36	Dong-A University, South Korea	0.77	0.39	5	-49.3%
37	Soongsil University, South Korea	0.34	0.33	3	-1.7%
38	Catholic Kwandong University (CKU), South Korea	0.22	0.30	2	32.4%
39	Dankook University (DKU), South Korea	0.56	0.29	3	-47.7%
40	Daegu Haany University, South Korea	0.17	0.29	1	69.4%
40	Hanbat National University, South Korea	0.00	0.29	1	0.0%
41	Hallym University, South Korea	0.02	0.29	4	1,052.0%
42	Gyeongsang National University (GNU), South Korea	0.68	0.25	5	-63.9%
43	Chosun University, South Korea	0.75	0.24	2	-68.7%
44	Inje University, South Korea	0.14	0.24	3	70.7%
45	Wonkwang University, South Korea	0.00	0.23	3	0.0%
46	Gachon University (GCU), South Korea	2.19	0.23	4	-89.8%
47	Andong National University, South Korea	0.10	0.16	3	56.0%
48	Hannam University, South Korea	0.00	0.15	2	0.0%
49	Dongguk University, South Korea	0.44	0.15	2	-67.2%
50	Hongik University, South Korea	0.10	0.14	1	41.2%
51	Kwangwoon University, South Korea	0.11	0.13	2	16.4%
52	Catholic University of Daegu, South Korea	0.17	0.12	2	-28.9%
53	Sangmyung University, South Korea	0.03	0.10	1	252.6%
54	CHA University (CHA), South Korea	0.72	0.09	3	-87.6%
55	Kwangju Women's University, South Korea	0.00	0.09	2	0.0%
56	Sogang University, South Korea	0.13	0.08	1	-36.3%
57	Konyang University, South Korea	0.16	0.08	1	-53.7%
58	Gangneung-Wonju National University (GWNU), South Korea	0.00	0.08	1	0.0%
59	Eulji University, South Korea	0.00	0.07	1	0.0%
59	Kunsan National University, South Korea	0.03	0.07	1	168.3%
59	Changwon National University, South Korea	0.00	0.07	1	0.0%
60	Kyungnam College of Information and Technology (KIT), South Korea	0.00	0.07	1	0.0%
61	Kumoh National Institute of Technology (KIT), South Korea	0.11	0.06	1	-50.6%
62	Soonchunhyang University (SCH), South Korea	0.19	0.05	1	-74.4%
63	Hankuk University of Foreign Studies (HUFS), South Korea	0.20	0.05	1	-75.9%
64	Jeju National University, South Korea	0.16	0.04	1	-72.6%
65	Kosin University, South Korea	0.00	0.04	1	0.0%
66	Kookmin University, South Korea	0.00	0.04	2	0.0%
67	Gyeongnam National University of Science and Technology (GNTECH), South Korea	0.00	0.03	1	0.0%
68	Handong Global University (HGU), South Korea	0.00	0.03	1	0.0%
68	Holzapfel Effective Microbes Pharma Inc. (HEM Pharma), South Korea	0.00	0.03	1	0.0%
69	Hanseo University, South Korea	0.00	0.02	1	0.0%
70	Kongju National University, South Korea	0.10	0.01	1	-90.4%

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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2022 Research Leaders: Leading academic institutions in biological sciences

Table criteria

Footnote