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Domain · Physical Sciences · Switzerland

Physical Sciences research in Switzerland

ETH Zurich ranks first in Switzerland for Physical Sciences research in 2022–2025 (#20 worldwide), followed by École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne and University of Zurich.

Switzerland's world rank
#14
of 157 countries, 2022–2025
Works, 2022–2025
46k
Top-10% rate
23.2%
Ranked institutions
60

Research strength only: this says nothing about teaching, admissions or cost.

What is the best university for Physical Sciences in Switzerland?

#InstitutionWorld rankScoreTop-10% rateWorks
1ETH ZurichZurich #2068.327.9%9,525
2École Polytechnique Fédérale de LausanneLausanne #4958.923.8%6,433
3University of ZurichZurich #22842.631.3%2,316
4University of BaselBasel #25841.326.0%1,422
5University of GenevaGeneva #27840.525.4%2,005
6Paul Scherrer InstituteVilligen #28340.321.3%1,527
7University of BernBern #41736.224.7%1,980
8European Organization for Nuclear ResearchGeneva #51933.922.3%1,776
9Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and TechnologyDübendorf #61332.223.7%1,223
10University of LausanneLausanne #81629.225.3%1,045
11IBM Research - ZurichRüschlikon #93027.832.0%346
12University of FribourgFribourg #95827.522.5%748
13Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape ResearchBirmensdorf #98927.138.7%442
14Oeschger Centre for Climate Change ResearchBern #1,24524.733.1%223
15Institute for Biomedical EngineeringZurich #1,55622.329.3%230
16Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and TechnologyDübendorf #2,11119.133.3%404
17Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology MeteoSwissZurich #2,22618.632.7%85
18Università della Svizzera italianaLugano #2,41317.721.8%473
19University of NeuchâtelNeuchâtel #3,31314.413.8%387
20University Hospital of ZurichZurich #3,32714.323.3%188
21Physikalisch-Meteorologisches Observatorium DavosDavos #3,54813.634.7%95
22ZHAW Zurich University of Applied SciencesWinterthur #3,67813.218.4%478
23University of St.GallenSaint Gallen #3,75313.027.8%397
24Google (Switzerland)Zurich #4,03812.333.3%121
25World Health OrganizationGeneva #4,27611.732.5%72
26SIB Swiss Institute of BioinformaticsLausanne #4,44411.239.1%104
27Novartis (Switzerland)Basel #4,56811.027.2%138
28University Hospital of BernBern #4,63510.815.3%204
29Bern University of Applied SciencesBern #4,83610.414.4%426
30University Hospital of BaselBasel #4,89810.224.9%98
31Board of the Swiss Federal Institutes of TechnologyZurich #4,91210.217.0%137
32Adolphe Merkle InstituteFribourg #4,96010.117.5%79
33Roche (Switzerland)Basel #4,97210.121.7%170
34University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern SwitzerlandManno #5,0609.918.0%357
35HES-SO University of Applied Sciences and Arts Western SwitzerlandDelémont #5,1149.816.8%374
36Swiss Center for Electronics and Microtechnology (Switzerland)Neuchâtel #5,3769.210.3%180
37AgroscopeBern #5,6318.832.6%176
38FHNW University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern SwitzerlandWindisch #5,7858.514.2%434
39University Hospital of GenevaGeneva #5,8358.419.3%104
40Syngenta (Switzerland)Basel #5,9208.219.5%79
41Toyota Motor Corporation (Switzerland)Safenwil #6,4587.39.2%297
42HES-SO Valais-WallisSion #6,8006.818.0%110
43International Space Science InstituteBern #6,8736.614.2%117
44InspireZurich #6,9686.513.6%120
45Zurich University of Teacher EducationZurich #7,0196.422.8%81
46OST - Ostschweizer FachhochschuleRapperswil #7,4185.814.7%218
47Swiss Tropical and Public Health InstituteAllschwil #7,8845.228.2%81
48Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and ArtsLucerne #8,0814.910.8%327
49Human Computer Interaction (Switzerland)Zurich #8,1514.820.0%137
50Swiss Federal Institute of MetrologyBern #8,6564.29.0%99
51Dalle Molle Institute for Artificial Intelligence ResearchLugano #8,8943.921.3%127
52University of LucerneLucerne #9,4973.212.4%75
53HES-SO GenèveGeneva #9,5513.211.3%64
54University of Applied Sciences of the GrisonsChur #9,5953.18.9%62
55ABB (Switzerland)Zurich #10,0312.76.7%173
56International Union for Conservation of NatureGland #10,0532.629.3%96
57SwitchZurich #10,1402.59.7%117
58Amt für ArchäologieFrauenfeld #10,3992.38.3%93
59Idiap Research InstituteMartigny-Combe #10,5382.118.4%185
60Swiss Ornithological InstituteSempach #10,7341.927.5%99

Institutions in Switzerland above the floor of 40 fractional works in Physical Sciences, ordered by their worldwide rank on research quality, 2022–2025.

Who are the top Physical Sciences researchers in Switzerland?

W. Blum, C. Dionisi and Michaël Grätzel rank highest among researchers based in Switzerland.

  1. 1W. Blum#553 worldwide overall5.3k citations · 261 works
  2. 2C. Dionisi#862 worldwide overall5.4k citations · 273 works
  3. 3Michaël Grätzel#1,491 worldwide overall13k citations · 560 works
  4. 4M. Keil#1,898 worldwide overall5.9k citations · 369 works
  5. 5Tobias J. Kippenberg#2,057 worldwide overall3.1k citations · 294 works
  6. 6G. J. Bobbink#2,152 worldwide overall6.7k citations · 431 works
  7. 7V. A. Schegelsky#2,178 worldwide overall4.7k citations · 300 works
  8. 8G. Carlino#2,356 worldwide overall4.6k citations · 311 works
  9. 9M. Benoit#2,386 worldwide overall4k citations · 277 works
  10. 10M. G. Alviggi#2,926 worldwide overall4.9k citations · 352 works
  11. 11Luc Van Gool#4,439 worldwide overall8.5k citations · 663 works
  12. 12A. Ahmad#4,892 worldwide overall6.2k citations · 459 works
  13. 13Manfred Morari#5,694 worldwide overall3.4k citations · 310 works
  14. 14J. Cogan#5,743 worldwide overall4.1k citations · 302 works
  15. 15C. Luci#5,852 worldwide overall7.6k citations · 610 works

How Switzerland compares with other countries in Physical Sciences