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Harvard University vs University of Oxford

On research quality in 2022-now, University of Oxford ranks #5 in the world and Harvard University #8, of 28,054 institutions. Harvard University stands higher in 8 of the 11 fields both publish in, University of Oxford in 3.

Research profiles alike: 0.22somewhat alike shapes of research, whatever their size. How it is measured

Harvard University

United States · Cambridge

World rank, 2022-now
#8
#1 all time
Works, 2022-now
25k
fractional
Top-10% rate
28.6%
share of its work among the world's most cited
Open access
42%
of its works free to read

Strongest relative focus: Aging, Endocrine and Autonomic Systems, Family Practice.

University of Oxford

United Kingdom · Oxford

World rank, 2022-now
#5
#12 all time
Works, 2022-now
26k
fractional
Top-10% rate
26.7%
share of its work among the world's most cited
Open access
43%
of its works free to read

Strongest relative focus: Classics, Theoretical Computer Science, History and Philosophy of Science.

Who leads in each field?

Harvard University stands higher in 8 of 11 fields, University of Oxford in 3. Each bar is that side's standing among all institutions ranked in the field: the full bar is first place.

Harvard University 83 University of Oxford
  1. -Arts and Humanities#4
  2. #1Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology#13
  3. -Computer Science#37
  4. #4Economics, Econometrics and Finance#17
  5. #1Health Professions#9
  6. #1Immunology and Microbiology-
  7. #1Medicine#8
  8. #1Neuroscience#4
  9. #8Physics and Astronomy#16
  10. #5Psychology#6
  11. -Social Sciences#1

Standing is the percentile of world rank within each field, 2022-now; the printed number is the rank itself. A dash means the field is too small there to rank. How sides are compared.

Where does each put its research?

Not who is better, but what each side chooses to work on. A country or institution that puts twice the world's share of its research into a field sits at 2×, whatever its size.

  1. Dentistry1.3× 0.1×
  2. Medicine2.2× 0.8×
  3. Nursing1.3× 0.5×
  4. Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics0.9× 0.5×
  5. Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology2.1× 1.1×
  6. Immunology and Microbiology2.4× 1.3×
  7. Health Professions1.7× 0.9×
  8. Neuroscience3.0× 1.9×
  9. Psychology1.7× 1.4×
  10. Veterinary0.5× 0.5×
  11. Environmental Science0.6× 0.8×
  12. Economics, Econometrics and Finance1.1× 1.6×
  13. Agricultural and Biological Sciences0.2× 0.4×
  14. Mathematics1.2× 2.1×
  15. Physics and Astronomy1.1× 1.9×
  16. Decision Sciences0.6× 1.1×
  17. Engineering0.3× 0.5×
  18. Materials Science0.3× 0.6×
  19. Computer Science0.3× 0.8×
  20. Business, Management and Accounting0.2× 0.6×
  21. Chemistry0.4× 1.0×
  22. Energy0.2× 0.6×
  23. Earth and Planetary Sciences0.4× 1.2×
  24. Chemical Engineering0.2× 0.7×
  25. Social Sciences0.4× 1.4×
  26. Arts and Humanities0.3× 3.2×
Harvard UniversityUniversity of Oxford

Location quotient in 2022-now: the share of each side's research in the field over the world's share. 1× is the world's balance; the axis runs from a quarter of it to four times. Fields where Harvard University leans further are at the top, University of Oxford's at the bottom. How research profiles are compared.

How has their output grown?

2.5k5k7.5kUniversity of Oxford6,151 in 2025Harvard University5,663 in 20251990200020102020

Fractional works per year. The latest, partial year is left off.

Which publishes more research, Harvard University or University of Oxford?

University of Oxford publishes 1.0× as much research as Harvard University in 2022-now (26k against 25k fractional works).

Whose research has more impact, Harvard University or University of Oxford?

28.6% of Harvard University's research reaches the world's top 10% most cited, against 26.7% for University of Oxford.

Other comparisons

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Questions people ask

Which is stronger in research, Harvard or Oxford?

On research quality in 2022-now, University of Oxford ranks #5 in the world and Harvard University #8, of 28,054 institutions. Harvard University stands higher in 8 of the 11 fields both publish in, University of Oxford in 3.

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