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University · Aachen · Germany

RWTH Aachen University

In research, RWTH Aachen University stands highest in Physical Sciences (#162 of 12,888 worldwide), Computer Science (#84 of 4,667 worldwide) and Medicine (#200 of 10,443 worldwide), 2022–2025. Relative to its size it is most specialised in Fluid Flow and Transfer Processes, Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering and Software — Fluid Flow and Transfer Processes is 6.6× its share of world research.

rwth-aachen.de/cms/~a/root/lidx/1ROR OpenAlex
World rank, 2022–2025
#216
of 28,054 · #191 all time
Rank in Germany
#6
of 1,178
Research works
83k
▲ 14% vs 2013–17
Citations
1.7M
20.8 per fractional work
Top-10% rate
15.3%
record average 16.5%
Open access
36%
world 28%

What is RWTH Aachen 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
Physical SciencesDomain #162 of 12,888 13.7%9,828 #139
Computer ScienceField #84 of 4,667 17.4%1,398 #66
MedicineField #200 of 10,443 18.0%1,514 #383
Health SciencesDomain #257 of 11,982 18.1%1,745 #384
Management Information SystemsSubfield #4 of 183 34.9%125 —
EngineeringField #180 of 6,636 12.0%5,147 #132
Organic ChemistrySubfield #26 of 615 27.2%259 #20
Life SciencesDomain #375 of 7,800 18.2%1,146 #349
ChemistryField #64 of 1,330 22.0%429 #46
Social SciencesDomain #643 of 10,521 19.3%1,875 #548

Each strip is that field’s whole ranked pool, with the notch where RWTH Aachen 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. Physical Sciences#139 #162
  2. Computer Science#66 #84
  3. Medicine#383 #200
  4. Health Sciences#384 #257
  5. Engineering#132 #180
  6. Organic Chemistry#20 #26
  7. Life Sciences#349 #375
  8. Chemistry#46 #64
  9. Social Sciences#548 #643
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 RWTH Aachen University specialise in?

Where its research is concentrated relative to its size: Fluid Flow and Transfer Processes takes 6.6× the share of its output that it takes of world research.

  1. Fluid Flow and Transfer ProcessesSubfield · 74.8 works6.6×
  2. Industrial and Manufacturing EngineeringSubfield · 414.3 works5.5×
  3. SoftwareSubfield · 47.1 works5.0×
  4. Nuclear and High Energy PhysicsSubfield · 202.6 works4.4×
  5. Hardware and ArchitectureSubfield · 67.1 works4.1×
  6. Process Chemistry and TechnologySubfield · 23.2 works3.9×
  7. Computational MechanicsSubfield · 319.4 works3.8×
← 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: 0.19× its world share, 133 worksAgricultural and Bio…Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology: 0.83× its world share, 644 worksBiochemistry, Geneti…Immunology and Microbiology: 0.49× its world share, 72 worksImmunology and Micro…Neuroscience: 1.09× its world share, 258 worksNeurosciencePharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics: 0.72× its world share, 37 worksPharmacology, Toxico…Chemical Engineering: 3.14× its world share, 160 worksChemical EngineeringChemistry: 1.87× its world share, 429 worksChemistryComputer Science: 1.23× its world share, 1,398 worksComputer ScienceEarth and Planetary Sciences: 0.91× its world share, 208 worksEarth and Planetary …Energy: 1.82× its world share, 245 worksEnergyEngineering: 2.35× its world share, 5,147 worksEngineeringEnvironmental Science: 0.79× its world share, 574 worksEnvironmental ScienceMaterials Science: 1.65× its world share, 839 worksMaterials ScienceMathematics: 1.19× its world share, 204 worksMathematicsPhysics and Astronomy: 1.92× its world share, 624 worksPhysics and AstronomyDentistry: 0.78× its world share, 55 worksDentistryHealth Professions: 0.36× its world share, 140 worksHealth ProfessionsMedicine: 0.54× its world share, 1,514 worksMedicineNursing: 0.41× its world share, 29 worksNursingVeterinary: 0.36× its world share, 7 worksVeterinaryArts and Humanities: 0.52× its world share, 221 worksArts and HumanitiesBusiness, Management and Accounting: 0.98× its world share, 459 worksBusiness, Management…Decision Sciences: 1.64× its world share, 231 worksDecision SciencesEconomics, Econometrics and Finance: 0.35× its world share, 109 worksEconomics, Econometr…Psychology: 0.53× its world share, 237 worksPsychologySocial Sciences: 0.34× its world share, 619 worksSocial Sciences1×world share
more than its size predictsabout as predictedless

Rings at 0.5×, 1× and 2×. Widest outward: Chemical Engineering, 3.1×. Every wedge is a field page.

Who are the top researchers at RWTH Aachen University?

Ranked on the composite score, Bastian Leibe, G. Organtini and S. V. Rusakov lead among researchers whose main affiliation is RWTH Aachen University.

  1. 1 Bastian Leibe · #7,321 worldwide 1.2k citations · 80 works
  2. 2 G. Organtini · #10,956 worldwide 2.3k citations · 161 works
  3. 3 S. V. Rusakov · #11,372 worldwide 1.9k citations · 100 works
  4. 4 Jens-Rainer Ohm · #14,604 worldwide 2.7k citations · 42 works
  5. 5 Rainer Waser · #14,645 worldwide 2.6k citations · 194 works
  6. 6 C. Asawatangtrakuldee · #14,740 worldwide 1.8k citations · 118 works
  7. 7 H. B. Newman · #15,012 worldwide 1.2k citations · 64 works
  8. 8 Hermann Ney · #15,471 worldwide 2.9k citations · 298 works
  9. 9 C. Grab · #16,010 worldwide 5.5k citations · 391 works
  10. 10 T. Williams · #16,586 worldwide 1.4k citations · 102 works
All ranked researchers at RWTH Aachen University

Which keywords describe research at RWTH Aachen University?

By fractional works in 2022–2025, weighted toward what it does more of than the world: Mechanical Properties, Sustainability, Renewable Energy, Additive Manufacturing, Machine Learning, Deep Learning, Microstructure and Energy Efficiency.

▲ 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. Sustainability578▲ 1.63×86 topics
  2. Deep Learning516◆ 1.03×79 topics
  3. Machine Learning510◆ 1.07×85 topics
  4. Renewable Energy454▲ 2.2×51 topics
  5. Mechanical Properties414▲ 2.9×38 topics
  6. Environmental Impact323▲ 1.30×55 topics
  7. Energy Efficiency291▲ 2.1×42 topics
  8. Big Data251▲ 1.90×29 topics
  9. Microstructure247▲ 3.3×19 topics
  10. Neural Networks246◆ 1.10×38 topics
  11. Biomedical Applications232▲ 1.34×35 topics
  12. Additive Manufacturing224▲ 5.0×8 topics
  13. Heat Transfer214▲ 3.0×20 topics
  14. Renewable Energy Integration192▲ 3.9×6 topics
  15. Energy Storage188▲ 1.97×13 topics
  16. Optimization187▲ 2.8×25 topics
  17. Electric Vehicles181▲ 4.2×4 topics
  18. Thermal Management177▲ 3.6×8 topics
  19. Smart Grid173▲ 3.1×10 topics
  20. Lithium-ion Batteries170▲ 2.8×4 topics
  21. Artificial Neural Networks167▲ 2.4×10 topics
  22. Model Predictive Control151▲ 4.0×6 topics
  23. Power Electronics150▲ 3.1×8 topics
  24. Renewable Resources147▲ 6.0×6 topics
  25. Composite Materials129▲ 4.4×11 topics
  26. Large-Eddy Simulation128▲ 4.6×5 topics
  27. Materials128▲ 3.7×6 topics
  28. Life Cycle Assessment128▲ 3.2×8 topics
  29. Tool Wear118▲ 6.0×3 topics
  30. Software Engineering116▲ 8.8×2 topics
  31. Industrial Automation115▲ 12×3 topics
  32. Fluid Dynamics113▲ 5.6×6 topics
  33. Flexible Automation113▲ 30×1 topic
  34. Reconfigurable Manufacturing Systems113▲ 30×1 topic
  35. Construction111▲ 5.6×3 topics
  36. Chemical Kinetics110▲ 8.5×3 topics
  37. Virtual Prototyping102▲ 7.4×2 topics
  38. Process Parameters100▲ 6.3×3 topics
  39. Assembly Planning98▲ 8.9×1 topic
  40. Design for Manufacture98▲ 8.9×1 topic

Which research topics does RWTH Aachen University publish most on?

By volume in 2022–2025: Flexible and Reconfigurable Manufacturing Systems, Manufacturing Process and Optimization, Advanced Battery Technologies Research and Digital Transformation in Industry.

Flexible and Reconfigura…113Flexible and Reconfigurable Manufacturing Systems: 113 fractional worksManufacturing Process an…98Manufacturing Process and Optimization: 98 fractional worksAdvanced Battery Technol…82Advanced Battery Technologies Research: 82 fractional worksDigital Transformation i…81Digital Transformation in Industry: 81 fractional worksBusiness Process Modeling and Analysis: 75 fractional worksAdditive Manufacturing and 3D Printing Technologies: 68 fractional worksAdvanced machining proce…65Advanced machining processes and optimization: 65 fractional worksAdvanced Combustion Engine Technologies: 56 fractional worksAdvanced Memory and Neural Computing: 56 fractional worksParticle physics theoret…56Particle physics theoretical and experimental studies: 56 fractional works
Industrial and Manufacturing EngineeringAutomotive EngineeringManagement Information SystemsMechanical Engineering3 others

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

  1. 1 Flexible and Reconfigurable Manufacturing SystemsIndustrial and Manufacturing Engineering 113 works
  2. 2 Manufacturing Process and OptimizationIndustrial and Manufacturing Engineering 98 works
  3. 3 Advanced Battery Technologies ResearchAutomotive Engineering 82 works
  4. 4 Digital Transformation in IndustryIndustrial and Manufacturing Engineering 81 works
  5. 5 Business Process Modeling and AnalysisManagement Information Systems 75 works
  6. 6 Additive Manufacturing and 3D Printing TechnologiesAutomotive Engineering 68 works
  7. 7 Advanced machining processes and optimizationMechanical Engineering 65 works
  8. 8 Advanced Combustion Engine TechnologiesFluid Flow and Transfer Processes 56 works
  9. 9 Advanced Memory and Neural ComputingElectrical and Electronic Engineering 56 works
  10. 10 Particle physics theoretical and experimental studiesNuclear and High Energy Physics 56 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 available36.2%not open63.8%

World: 28% of research is openly available.

with international co-authors18.4%domestic only81.6%

World: 19% is written across borders.

How has RWTH Aachen University's research output changed?

Output in 2018–2022 was 14% 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.

Other research institutions in Aachen

All research institutions in Aachen

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.