Last week, the prestigious Shanghai Ranking for academic institutions published its detailed 2024 departmental rankings, and overall, it was a positive year for Israeli academia.
The decline in computer science rankings was halted, with the Weizmann Institute’s computer science department breaking into the top 100. Hebrew University climbed to 14th place globally in mathematics, with Israel boasting three universities in the top 100 for the subject.
Additionally, Israel’s two technological universities, the Technion and the Weizmann Institute of Science, ranked in the top 40 in chemistry, a highly profitable field. In journalism and communications, Israel emerged as a global leader, with Hebrew University and the University of Haifa both ranked in the top 30.
Overall, 11 Israeli academic programs are ranked among the world’s top 50.
It was also a strong year in the overall institutional rankings published in August. After several weaker years, three Israeli universities — the Weizmann Institute of Science, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and the Technion — were ranked among the top 100 globally.
The Weizmann Institute of Science led Israeli institutions, securing the 69th spot, slightly down from 68th last year. The Hebrew University of Jerusalem climbed from 86th to 81st place, while the Technion dropped from 79th to 85th, resulting in a swap between the two institutions. Additionally, the Technion was ranked 11th among the world’s top technological universities.
The Shanghai Ranking, published annually since 2003, evaluates the research performance of academic institutions based on various criteria, including the number of Nobel and Fields Medal laureates among faculty and alumni, the number of scientific papers published in leading journals such as Nature and Science, and other research achievements. The ranking assesses over 2,500 universities worldwide, highlighting the top 1,000.
The high status of Israeli academia has become de rigueur, but it is important to remember that Israel is a country of just 10 million inhabitants. When calculating the number of institutions in the top 100 relative to population size, Israel ranks fourth in the world, trailing only Switzerland, Singapore and Denmark, and ahead of countries like France, Germany, the UK and Sweden.
Last week, rankings were also published for specific academic departments, including technological fields, which hold special significance for the Startup Nation. The good news is that the decline of Israeli programs in computer science has been halted. The Weizmann Institute, which dropped last year to the 100–150 range (exact rankings are only published for the top 50), returned to the top 100. Ben-Gurion University and the Technion, which also saw declines, regained ground, and the University of Haifa entered the top 100 for the first time.
However, Hebrew University's computer science department remains stuck in the 401–500 range. Despite these improvements, Israeli institutions are still far from the high marks of 2018, when the Weizmann Institute ranked 21st and Tel Aviv University was 37th.
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If there is one scientific field where Israel truly excels, it is mathematics. The Hebrew University has advanced significantly, climbing from 25th place in 2020 to 14th. Tel Aviv University ranks 45th, and the Weizmann Institute is close behind in 46th. In 2020, only Hebrew University was in the top 50. Additionally, four other Israeli universities are ranked among the top 500. Israel’s success in mathematics reflects the advantage for universities in fields where costly laboratories are unnecessary, and there is less competition for faculty.
Israel’s ability to shine in resource-light disciplines is further evident in its strength in communications and journalism. Since 2020, the Hebrew University has risen from 30th place to 14th, while the University of Haifa has jumped from 42nd to 28th.
In chemistry, a field with significant economic potential, Israeli institutions have seen mixed results. The Technion and the Weizmann Institute, previously ranked between 50th and 75th, have made impressive gains, now ranking 32nd and 39th, respectively. However, other universities have struggled. The Hebrew University’s chemistry department is currently ranked between 201 and 300, while Tel Aviv and Ben-Gurion universities are in the 401–500 range.
Relatively low ranking in economics
In total, Israel boasts 11 academic departments ranked among the top 50 globally. The Hebrew University leads with three subjects: mathematics (14), communications (14), and law (42). While law improved from last year’s rank of 50, it remains well below its 2022 position of 30.
The Technion also has three departments in the top 50: chemistry (32), space engineering (40), and electronics engineering (48). The Weizmann Institute is recognized for two: chemistry (39) and mathematics (46). A surprising standout is the University of Haifa, which, despite being ranked between 601 and 700 institutionally, has two departments in the top 50: communication (28) and public management (41). Tel Aviv University has only one subject ranked: mathematics (45).
In economics, four Israeli universities are ranked, but only the Hebrew University places in the top 100, at 51–75. Tel Aviv University is ranked between 201–300, while Reichman University recently entered the rankings at 401–500.
In business administration, Israeli universities struggle to compete with the high salaries offered by private American institutions. Until 2022, Tel Aviv University was ranked 201–300, but since then, no Israeli university has made the list.
Some fields where Israeli universities once excelled have seen declines. In 2021, six Israeli universities ranked among the world’s top 200 in education, with Haifa at 51–75. Today, only two universities—Tel Aviv and Haifa—remain in the top 200, both below 150. Similarly, the Technion’s space engineering department, which ranked 16th globally in 2020, has gradually fallen to 40th. While still impressive, it reflects a notable decline.