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University · La Mirada · United States

Biola University

In research, Biola University stands highest in Social Sciences (#4,676 of 10,521 worldwide), Arts and Humanities (#1,014 of 1,998 worldwide) and Social Sciences (#5,035 of 6,365 worldwide), 2022–2025. Relative to its size it is most specialised in Religious studies and Arts and Humanities — Religious studies is 64.9× its share of world research.

biola.eduROR OpenAlex
World rank, 2022–2025
#19,236
of 28,054 · #14,418 all time
Rank in United States
#2,795
of 4,192
Research works
1.4k
▲ 43% vs 2013–17
Citations
12k
8.8 per fractional work
Top-10% rate
8.2%
record average 16.5%
Open access
17%
world 28%

What is Biola University known for in research?

The fields where it stands highest, 2022–2025, ranked among every institution above the floor in each field.

FieldWorld rankWhere that sitsTop-10% rateWorksAll time
Social SciencesDomain #4,676 of 10,521 8.1%203 #2360
Arts and HumanitiesField #1,014 of 1,998 10.6%63 #483
Social SciencesField #5,035 of 6,365 6.8%103 #4545

Each strip is that field’s whole ranked pool, with the notch where Biola University sits in it, in the colour of the band that rank falls in. The track under the rate is the rate itself: it carries no world mark, because the world rate differs by field (from about 6% to 21% in this record).

Which of those standings moved

The same fields on both windows: where it stood over the whole record, and where it stands in 2022–2025. The distance is the story, and it is the one thing the two rank columns above cannot show.

  1. Social Sciences#2,360 #4,676
  2. Arts and Humanities#483 #1,014
  3. Social Sciences#4,545 #5,035
all time2022–2025, better2022–2025, worse

A dot further right is a better standing. Fields it was not ranked in over the whole record are left out.

What does Biola University specialise in?

Where its research is concentrated relative to its size: Religious studies takes 64.9× the share of its output that it takes of world research.

  1. Religious studiesSubfield · 25.8 works65×
  2. Arts and HumanitiesField · 63.4 works9.2×
← less than its size predicts1×more →

Location quotient, a volume reading rather than an impact one. It surfaces small, lopsided specialities.

Field profile

Location quotient across every field it publishes in: outside the ring is more than an institution of this size would be expected to publish, inside it is less.

Agricultural and Biological Sciences: 0.07× its world share, 1 worksAgricultural and Bio…Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology: 0.19× its world share, 2 worksBiochemistry, Geneti…Neuroscience: 0.85× its world share, 3 worksNeurosciencePharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics: 0.40× its world share, 0 worksPharmacology, Toxico…Chemistry: 0.07× its world share, 0 worksChemistryComputer Science: 0.19× its world share, 4 worksComputer ScienceEarth and Planetary Sciences: 0.10× its world share, 0 worksEarth and Planetary …Energy: 0.23× its world share, 0 worksEnergyEngineering: 0.09× its world share, 3 worksEngineeringEnvironmental Science: 0.24× its world share, 3 worksEnvironmental ScienceMaterials Science: 0.04× its world share, 0 worksMaterials ScienceMathematics: 0.30× its world share, 1 worksMathematicsPhysics and Astronomy: 0.53× its world share, 3 worksPhysics and AstronomyHealth Professions: 0.80× its world share, 5 worksHealth ProfessionsMedicine: 0.19× its world share, 9 worksMedicineNursing: 0.14× its world share, 0 worksNursingArts and Humanities: 9.22× its world share, 63 worksArts and HumanitiesBusiness, Management and Accounting: 0.90× its world share, 7 worksBusiness, Management…Decision Sciences: 0.34× its world share, 1 worksDecision SciencesEconomics, Econometrics and Finance: 0.39× its world share, 2 worksEconomics, Econometr…Psychology: 3.61× its world share, 26 worksPsychologySocial Sciences: 3.43× its world share, 103 worksSocial Sciences1×world share
more than its size predictsabout as predictedless

Rings at 0.5×, 1× and 2×. Widest outward: Arts and Humanities, 9.2×. Every wedge is a field page.

Who are the top researchers at Biola University?

Ranked on the composite score, Peter C. Hill, Keith J. Edwards and Todd W. Hall lead among researchers whose main affiliation is Biola University.

  1. 1 Peter C. Hill United States · #82,838 worldwide 376 citations · 74 works
  2. 2 Keith J. Edwards United States · #190,122 worldwide 165 citations · 21 works
  3. 3 Todd W. Hall United States · #503,042 worldwide 105 citations · 16 works
  4. 4 Tamara L. Anderson United States · #519,877 worldwide 56 citations · 17 works
  5. 5 M. Elizabeth Lewis Hall United States · #635,815 worldwide 60 citations · 28 works
  6. 6 William Lane Craig United States · #641,416 worldwide 72 citations · 69 works
  7. 7 John A. Tvedtnes United States · #737,049 worldwide 1 citations · 17 works
  8. 8 J. P. Moreland United States · #746,049 worldwide 23 citations · 25 works
  9. 9 Darian R. Lockett United States · #807,311 worldwide 0 citations · 15 works
  10. 10 Kevin E. Lawson United States · #879,127 worldwide 2 citations · 30 works
All ranked researchers at Biola University

Which keywords describe research at Biola University?

By fractional works in 2022–2025, weighted toward what it does more of than the world: Religion, Mental Health, Spirituality, Theology, Health, Social Support, Well-being and Psychological Adjustment.

▲ more of its work than of the world’s◆ about the world’s share▼ less than the world’s

Size is fractional works in 2022–2025 in the topics tagged with each word; colour is the word's share of this institution's work against its share of the world's. The 40 words are chosen for being large and distinctive. Each links to the topic it comes from most.

All 40 words, with their numbers
  1. Religion40▲ 36×18 topics
  2. Mental Health30▲ 8.5×20 topics
  3. Globalization20▲ 4.3×31 topics
  4. Spirituality19▲ 81×4 topics
  5. Theology18▲ 79×3 topics
  6. Health18▲ 19×7 topics
  7. Social Support18▲ 13×8 topics
  8. Well-being17▲ 18×6 topics
  9. Psychological Adjustment16▲ 45×3 topics
  10. Quality of Life15▲ 4.4×8 topics
  11. Biblical Monotheism15▲ 235×1 topic
  12. Jewish Society15▲ 235×1 topic
  13. Coping14▲ 118×2 topics
  14. End-of-Life Care14▲ 47×1 topic
  15. Social Justice14▲ 9.6×15 topics
  16. Nationalism13▲ 12×9 topics
  17. Development13▲ 16×4 topics
  18. Community Development12▲ 27×3 topics
  19. Civil Society12▲ 44×2 topics
  20. NGOs11▲ 48×2 topics
  21. Faith-Based Organizations11▲ 146×1 topic
  22. Social Services11▲ 104×1 topic
  23. Ethics10▲ 9.2×17 topics
  24. Identity10▲ 5.7×13 topics
  25. Gender10▲ 7.5×12 topics
  26. Education10▲ 2.3×17 topics
  27. African Christianity9▲ 177×2 topics
  28. Human Rights9▲ 3.7×12 topics
  29. Secularism9▲ 35×5 topics
  30. History8▲ 5.0×15 topics
  31. Politics7▲ 11×9 topics
  32. Democracy6▲ 7.5×6 topics
  33. Philosophy6▲ 5.9×10 topics
  34. Feminism6▲ 9.1×5 topics
  35. Global Christianity6▲ 172×1 topic
  36. Short-Term Missions6▲ 172×1 topic
  37. Colonialism6▲ 5.2×8 topics
  38. Church History5▲ 48×2 topics
  39. Divine Providence5▲ 146×2 topics
  40. Intersectionality5▲ 12×5 topics

Which research topics does Biola University publish most on?

By volume in 2022–2025: Biblical Studies and Interpretation, Religion, Spirituality, and Psychology, Religion, Society, and Development and Christian Theology and Mission.

Biblical Studies and Int…15Biblical Studies and Interpretation: 15 fractional worksReligion, Spirituality, …14Religion, Spirituality, and Psychology: 14 fractional worksReligion, Society, and Development: 11 fractional worksChristian Theology and M…6Christian Theology and Mission: 6 fractional worksTheology and Philosophy …4Theology and Philosophy of Evil: 4 fractional worksReligion and Society Int…4Religion and Society Interactions: 4 fractional worksTheological Perspectives and Practices: 4 fractional worksPentecostalism and Christianity Studies: 3 fractional worksJewish and Middle Eastern Studies: 3 fractional worksReligious Education and Schools: 3 fractional works
Religious studiesHealthSociology and Political SciencePhilosophy1 others

Area is fractional works; colour is the subfield each topic belongs to.

  1. 1 Biblical Studies and Interpretation Religious studies 15 works
  2. 2 Religion, Spirituality, and Psychology Health 14 works
  3. 3 Religion, Society, and Development Sociology and Political Science 11 works
  4. 4 Christian Theology and Mission Religious studies 6 works
  5. 5 Theology and Philosophy of Evil Philosophy 4 works
  6. 6 Religion and Society Interactions Sociology and Political Science 4 works
  7. 7 Theological Perspectives and Practices Sociology and Political Science 4 works
  8. 8 Pentecostalism and Christianity Studies Religious studies 3 works
  9. 9 Jewish and Middle Eastern Studies Sociology and Political Science 3 works
  10. 10 Religious Education and Schools Education 3 works

How open and international is its research?

Against the world’s own shares — the tick on each track. Both are shares of its output, so they sit on one scale and can be read against each other as well as against the world.

openly available17.1%not open82.9%

World: 28% of research is openly available.

with international co-authors3.5%domestic only96.5%

World: 19% is written across borders.

How has Biola University's research output changed?

Output in 2018–2022 was 43% higher than in 2013–2017.

1990200020102020
grewheldshrank

The same series as a ribbon — one cell per year, darker for more. The line above answers how much; this answers when.

Research measures only: rankings here say nothing about teaching, admissions or student experience. Comparable institutions and collaboration partners are in the interactive view on the map.