The University of Granada (UGR) has strengthened its position as one of the higher education institutions with the best international standing, according to the 2026 QS World University Rankings by Subject, compiled by the British consultancy QS Quacquarelli Symonds. For the second consecutive year, the UGR ranks among the world’s top 300 universities in the five broad knowledge areas assessed, thereby consolidating its academic and research excellence at the international level.
The 2026 ranking, published on 25 March, analyses a total of 55 disciplines and five broad knowledge areas, based on the following key indicators: (1) academic reputation, (2) employer reputation, (3) citations per paper, (4) H-index citations (a measure of research productivity and impact) and (5) international research networks.
A key result for the UGR is that it has improved its position in two broad knowledge areas: Arts and Humanities, and Life Sciences and Medicine. The UGR’s most significant improvement is in the Arts and Humanities, which has climbed 47 places to reach 117th in the world — the institution’s highest-ranked knowledge area in this year’s list. In the other three broad areas, the UGR has maintained a stable position with only minor variations.
Furthermore, a record high of 36 disciplines at the UGR feature in the 2026 ranking, up from 33 in 2025. This represents the institution’s best performance in the ranking to date. Although the QS ranking covers 55 disciplines in total, only 49 of these were evaluated at the UGR due to the minimum scientific output thresholds required in each area.
Another major milestone for the UGR is that, for the first time, two academic disciplines now feature among the global top 50:
• Library and Information Management (32nd place)
• Sports-Related Subjects (42nd place)
Moreover, three other disciplines are ranked among the global top 100, while a total of 14 disciplines feature among the global top 200 (one more than in 2025):
• Library and Information Management (32)
• Sports-Related Subjects (42)
• Dentistry (51–150)
• Mathematics (135)
• Anthropology (101–200)
• Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (101–150)
• Education and Training (101–150)
• Modern Languages (101–150)
• Psychology (101–150)
• English Language and Literature (151–200)
• Archaeology (151–200)
• Pharmacy and Pharmacology (151–200)
• Nursing (151–200)
• Computer Science and Information Systems (198)
Performance by discipline
The UGR has improved its position in 11 specific disciplines, including:
• Anthropology
• Communication and Media Studies
• Economics and Econometrics
• Library and Information Management
• Sports-Related Subjects
• Data Science and Artificial Intelligence
• Biological Sciences
• Psychology
• Geography
• Mathematics
• Sociology
In addition, the UGR has maintained its position in 33 disciplines, reflecting a high-degree of stability in its overall performance, despite dropping in 11 disciplines.
According to Salvador del Barrio, the UGR’s Vice-Rector for Ceuta and Melilla Campuses, Strategic Planning and Communications, “The results achieved by the University of Granada in this ranking are worthy of high regard, not only because of the position we have achieved, but also because of the significance of the ranking itself. This ranking is particularly important as it not only measures research results, but also incorporates indicators linked to the perceived reputation of our institution among academics and employers worldwide. The fact that the UGR stands out in this area demonstrates the strength of our academic and scientific output, as well as the reputation we enjoy within the international academic community.”
The full QS results are available on the ‘UGR in Rankings’ website: https://analitica.ugr.es/rankings/ranking/ranking-qs-world-university-rankings/ranking-qs-world-university-por-disciplinas/
Contact details:
Secretariat for Strategic Planning
Vice-Rectorate for Ceuta and Melilla Campuses, Strategic Planning and Communications
Email: @email
Translated version: This text has been translated into English by the UGR’s Language Services Unit (USL).