UW News

November 13, 2023

UW Department of Atmospheric Sciences maintains No. 1 global ranking; more than two dozen UW subjects in top 50

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The UW is among the top global institutions in a number of subjects, including No. 1 is atmospheric sciences, according to a recent ranking.University of Washington

Six University of Washington subjects ranked in the top 10, and atmospheric sciences maintained its position as No. 1 in the world on the Global Ranking of Academic Subjects list for 2023. The ranking, released at the end of October, was conducted by researchers at the ShanghaiRanking Consultancy, a fully independent organization dedicated to research on higher education intelligence and consultation.

Other UW subjects in the top 10 include oceanography at No. 2; public health at No. 5; biological sciences and statistics at No. 7; and clinical medicine at No. 9.

“The University of Washington is a powerhouse for research and discovery — both within and across disciplines,” said UW President Ana Mari Cauce. “That research leads to cures, advances innovation in areas like climate science and transforms our understanding in ways that are critical to the future for all people and communities. We are grateful to see the impact of this vital work recognized by this esteemed organization.”

This ranking takes into account more than 5,000 universities around the world in 54 subjects across natural sciences, engineering, life sciences, medical sciences and social sciences. More information about the methodology used to calculate the rankings can be found here.

In 2023, the UW was ranked No. 18 on the group’s annual Academic Ranking of World Universities list.

Note: The subject names below are general descriptions from the ranking website, and not necessarily the names of the UW unit ranked.

All subjects ranked in the top 50

Engineering

  • Biotechnology — No. 21
  • Environmental science and engineering — No. 43
  • Computer science and engineering — No. 37
  • Aerospace engineering — No. 28

Life Sciences

  • Biological sciences — No. 7
  • Human biological sciences — No. 27

Health Sciences

  • Public health — No. 5
  • Dentistry and oral sciences — No. 12
  • Clinical medicine — No. 9
  • Nursing — No. 38
  • Medical technology — No. 45

Natural Sciences

  • Atmospheric sciences — No. 1
  • Oceanography — No. 2
  • Earth sciences — No. 14
  • Physics — No. 20
  • Geography — No. 17
  • Ecology — No. 28

Social Sciences

  • Education — No. 16
  • Library and information science — No. 16
  • Statistics — No. 7
  • Finance — No. 44
  • Public Administration — No. 44
  • Management — No. 47
  • Sociology — No. 28
  • Communication — No. 32
  • Law — No. 34
  • Psychology — No. 41

 

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