University of Coimbra returns to top 500 in Shanghai Ranking

The University of Coimbra (UC) has returned to the top 500 of the Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU), also known as the Shanghai Ranking. In the 2026 edition released on August 15, the university climbed 45 places to reach the 478th position, marking its third-highest position in Portugal.

This achievement is the first time since 2023, and only the second since 2017, that the institution has entered the top 500 of this specific ranking. The improvement is primarily attributed to an increase in the number of highly cited researchers. The ARWU evaluates over 2,500 institutions globally using six objective indicators, including Nobel Prizes, Fields Medals, and scientific publication metrics.

University Rector Amílcar Falcão stated that while the institution does not work directly for rankings, the results reflect the quality of the work being developed. This success follows recent inclusions in the top 500 of the Times Higher Education World University Ranking and the Quacquarelli Symonds World University Rankings.