Driven in large part by faculty at the medical school, Northwestern University has been ranked No. 21 on Nature’s list of Global Top 100 institutions.
The University, which had 54 primary research papers published in Nature or Nature’s monthly research journals during 2012, moved up eight spots from 2011.
Northwestern also played a prominent role among top institutions in specific subject areas. It ranked 7th in chemical sciences, 14th in physical sciences, and 29th in life sciences. Among the publications, nearly one in three principal investigators hold faculty appointments at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.
“The ranking of Northwestern as No. 21 reflects the outstanding research discoveries being made here,” said Rex Chisholm, PhD, vice dean of scientific affairs and graduate education. “It is a tribute to our faculty that their work has moved the University up eight positions.”
The index ranks institutions according to the number of primary research articles they publish in Nature journals. Nature and its family of sister journals are known as a preeminent platform for publication of international research. The Nature Publishing Index will run in the June 20 issue of the journal.
