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University · Grand Rapids · United States

Calvin University

In research, Calvin University stands highest in Social Sciences (#5,166 of 10,521 worldwide), 2022–2025. Relative to its size it is most specialised in Religious studies and Arts and Humanities — Religious studies is 78.4× its share of world research.

calvin.eduROR OpenAlex
World rank, 2022–2025
#13,195
of 28,054 · #9,144 all time
Rank in United States
#1,830
of 4,192
Research works
2.4k
▼ 21% vs 2013–17
Citations
28k
11.6 per fractional work
Top-10% rate
11.8%
record average 16.5%
Open access
16%
world 28%

What is Calvin 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 #5,166 of 10,521 12.3%101 #3175

Each strip is that field’s whole ranked pool, with the notch where Calvin 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).

What does Calvin University specialise in?

Where its research is concentrated relative to its size: Religious studies takes 78.4× the share of its output that it takes of world research.

  1. Religious studiesSubfield · 23.2 works78×
  2. Arts and HumanitiesField · 42.2 works8.2×
← 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: 0.31× its world share, 3 worksAgricultural and Bio…Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology: 0.61× its world share, 6 worksBiochemistry, Geneti…Immunology and Microbiology: 0.95× its world share, 2 worksImmunology and Micro…Neuroscience: 1.02× its world share, 3 worksNeuroscienceChemical Engineering: 0.27× its world share, 0 worksChemical EngineeringChemistry: 2.39× its world share, 7 worksChemistryComputer Science: 0.49× its world share, 7 worksComputer ScienceEarth and Planetary Sciences: 0.49× its world share, 1 worksEarth and Planetary …Energy: 3.09× its world share, 5 worksEnergyEngineering: 0.22× its world share, 6 worksEngineeringEnvironmental Science: 1.53× its world share, 14 worksEnvironmental ScienceMaterials Science: 0.23× its world share, 1 worksMaterials ScienceMathematics: 0.71× its world share, 2 worksMathematicsPhysics and Astronomy: 0.84× its world share, 3 worksPhysics and AstronomyHealth Professions: 1.08× its world share, 5 worksHealth ProfessionsMedicine: 0.31× its world share, 11 worksMedicineNursing: 1.95× its world share, 2 worksNursingVeterinary: 0.28× its world share, 0 worksVeterinaryArts and Humanities: 8.25× its world share, 42 worksArts and HumanitiesBusiness, Management and Accounting: 0.09× its world share, 0 worksBusiness, Management…Decision Sciences: 1.30× its world share, 2 worksDecision SciencesEconomics, Econometrics and Finance: 0.96× its world share, 4 worksEconomics, Econometr…Psychology: 1.81× its world share, 10 worksPsychologySocial Sciences: 1.91× its world share, 43 worksSocial Sciences1×world share
more than its size predictsabout as predictedless

Rings at 0.5×, 1× and 2×. Widest outward: Arts and Humanities, 8.2×. Every wedge is a field page.

Who are the top researchers at Calvin University?

Ranked on the composite score, Corwin E. Smidt, R. A. Wells and Roger L. DeKock lead among researchers whose main affiliation is Calvin University.

  1. 1 Corwin E. Smidt United States · #65,589 worldwide 163 citations · 34 works
  2. 2 R. A. Wells United States · #113,012 worldwide 98 citations · 31 works
  3. 3 Roger L. DeKock United States · #215,433 worldwide 126 citations · 28 works
  4. 4 Karin Maag United States · #229,593 worldwide 28 citations · 25 works
  5. 5 Carl Plantinga United States · #238,250 worldwide 69 citations · 20 works
  6. 6 S. L. Haan United States · #323,471 worldwide 128 citations · 24 works
  7. 7 Joel C. Adams United States · #398,676 worldwide 78 citations · 36 works
  8. 8 David V. Urban United States · #447,169 worldwide 6 citations · 22 works
  9. 9 David J. Diephouse United States · #453,493 worldwide 9 citations · 20 works
  10. 10 Todd Kapitula United States · #537,766 worldwide 104 citations · 20 works
All ranked researchers at Calvin University

Which keywords describe research at Calvin University?

By fractional works in 2022–2025, weighted toward what it does more of than the world: Theology, African Christianity, Church History, Biblical Monotheism, Jewish Society, Global Christianity, Short-Term Missions and Social Justice.

▲ 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. Theology17▲ 100×2 topics
  2. African Christianity13▲ 324×2 topics
  3. Church History11▲ 136×2 topics
  4. Biblical Monotheism10▲ 213×1 topic
  5. Jewish Society10▲ 213×1 topic
  6. Climate Change9▲ 1.95×25 topics
  7. Global Christianity9▲ 352×1 topic
  8. Mental Health9▲ 3.5×16 topics
  9. Short-Term Missions9▲ 352×1 topic
  10. Globalization8▲ 2.4×10 topics
  11. Social Justice8▲ 7.9×10 topics
  12. Cultural Identity8▲ 8.8×3 topics
  13. Religion8▲ 9.2×10 topics
  14. Sustainability8▲ 1.78×13 topics
  15. Reformation7▲ 142×2 topics
  16. Calvinism7▲ 161×1 topic
  17. Religious Controversy7▲ 161×1 topic
  18. Nationalism6▲ 6.9×3 topics
  19. Spirituality6▲ 33×3 topics
  20. Hermeneutics4▲ 30×3 topics
  21. Development4▲ 6.3×4 topics
  22. Divine Providence4▲ 154×2 topics
  23. Political Philosophy4▲ 38×3 topics
  24. Biblical Interpretation4▲ 69×2 topics
  25. Public Opinion4▲ 17×2 topics
  26. Ecclesiology4▲ 271×1 topic
  27. Pentecostalism4▲ 86×1 topic
  28. American founding4▲ 66×1 topic
  29. Constitutional government4▲ 66×1 topic
  30. Ethics4▲ 4.2×10 topics
  31. Secularism4▲ 19×3 topics
  32. Conservation3▲ 4.5×8 topics
  33. Intersectionality3▲ 10×7 topics
  34. Problem of Evil3▲ 212×1 topic
  35. Theodicy3▲ 212×1 topic
  36. Diversity3▲ 9.9×5 topics
  37. Energy Transition3▲ 12×3 topics
  38. EROI3▲ 46×1 topic
  39. Fossil Fuels3▲ 34×1 topic
  40. Multiculturalism3▲ 7.7×3 topics

Which research topics does Calvin University publish most on?

By volume in 2022–2025: Biblical Studies and Interpretation, Christian Theology and Mission, Reformation and Early Modern Christianity and Pentecostalism and Christianity Studies.

Biblical Studies and Int…10Biblical Studies and Interpretation: 10 fractional worksChristian Theology and Mission: 9 fractional worksReformation and Early Modern Christianity: 7 fractional worksPentecostalism and Christianity Studies: 4 fractional worksAmerican Constitutional Law and Politics: 4 fractional worksTheology and Philosophy …3Theology and Philosophy of Evil: 3 fractional worksGlobal Energy and Sustainability Research: 3 fractional worksEnergy, Environment, and Transportation Policies: 2 fractional worksReligion, Society, and Development: 2 fractional worksReligion and Society Interactions: 2 fractional works
Religious studiesHistoryPolitical Science and International RelationsPhilosophy2 others

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

  1. 1 Biblical Studies and Interpretation Religious studies 10 works
  2. 2 Christian Theology and Mission Religious studies 9 works
  3. 3 Reformation and Early Modern Christianity History 7 works
  4. 4 Pentecostalism and Christianity Studies Religious studies 4 works
  5. 5 American Constitutional Law and Politics Political Science and International Relations 4 works
  6. 6 Theology and Philosophy of Evil Philosophy 3 works
  7. 7 Global Energy and Sustainability Research Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment 3 works
  8. 8 Energy, Environment, and Transportation Policies Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment 2 works
  9. 9 Religion, Society, and Development Sociology and Political Science 2 works
  10. 10 Religion and Society Interactions Sociology and Political Science 2 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 available16.2%not open83.8%

World: 28% of research is openly available.

with international co-authors6.2%domestic only93.8%

World: 19% is written across borders.

How has Calvin University's research output changed?

Output in 2018–2022 was 21% lower 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.

Other research institutions in Grand Rapids

All research institutions in Grand Rapids

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.