Sorbonne Université
In research, Sorbonne Université stands highest in Medicine (#154 of 10,443 worldwide), Physical Sciences (#211 of 12,888 worldwide) and Health Sciences (#206 of 11,982 worldwide), 2022–2025. Relative to its size it is most specialised in History and Philosophy of Science, Classics and Mathematical Physics — History and Philosophy of Science is 7.8× its share of world research.
- World rank, 2022–2025
- #204 of 28,054 · #157 all time
- Rank in France
- #3 of 1,422
- Research works
- 79k ▲ 10% vs 2013–17
- Citations
- 2.1M 26.6 per fractional work
- Top-10% rate
- 15.9% record average 16.5%
- Open access
- 37% world 28%
What is Sorbonne Université known for in research?
The fields where it stands highest, 2022–2025, ranked among every institution above the floor in each field.
| Field | World rank | Where that sits | Top-10% rate | Works | All time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MedicineField | #154 of 10,443 | 16.1% | 2,307 | #130 | |
| Physical SciencesDomain | #211 of 12,888 | 18.8% | 3,684 | #157 | |
| Health SciencesDomain | #206 of 11,982 | 15.3% | 2,587 | #164 | |
| Life SciencesDomain | #188 of 7,800 | 21.5% | 1,267 | #163 | |
| Physics and AstronomyField | #68 of 1,646 | 26.8% | 735 | #92 | |
| Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular BiologyField | #172 of 3,579 | 21.2% | 638 | #206 | |
| Astronomy and AstrophysicsSubfield | #29 of 443 | 27.3% | 288 | #69 | |
| Social SciencesDomain | #906 of 10,521 | 9.3% | 2,479 | #648 | |
| Environmental ScienceField | #449 of 3,551 | 22.7% | 391 | #241 | |
| NeuroscienceField | #151 of 1,168 | 19.7% | 257 | #111 |
Each strip is that field’s whole ranked pool, with the notch where Sorbonne Université 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.
- Medicine#130 #154
- Physical Sciences#157 #211
- Health Sciences#164 #206
- Life Sciences#163 #188
- Physics and Astronomy#92 #68
- Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology#206 #172
- Astronomy and Astrophysics#69 #29
- Social Sciences#648 #906
- Environmental Science#241 #449
- Neuroscience#111 #151
A dot further right is a better standing. Fields it was not ranked in over the whole record are left out.
What does Sorbonne Université specialise in?
Where its research is concentrated relative to its size: History and Philosophy of Science takes 7.8× the share of its output that it takes of world research.
- History and Philosophy of ScienceSubfield · 120.2 works7.8×
- ClassicsSubfield · 36.8 works6.2×
- Mathematical PhysicsSubfield · 91.0 works5.7×
- AnthropologySubfield · 158.5 works5.6×
- Astronomy and AstrophysicsSubfield · 287.7 works5.5×
- HistorySubfield · 166.5 works5.2×
- PaleontologySubfield · 55.2 works4.6×
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.
Rings at 0.5×, 1× and 2×. Widest outward: Arts and Humanities, 3.5×. Every wedge is a field page.
- Arts and Humanities 3.5×
- Physics and Astronomy 3.3×
- Mathematics 2.8×
- Earth and Planetary Sciences 2.4×
- Neuroscience 1.6×
- Medicine 1.2×
- Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology 1.2×
- Immunology and Microbiology 1.1×
- Chemistry 1.1×
- Chemical Engineering 0.9×
- Health Professions 0.9×
- Social Sciences 0.8×
- Environmental Science 0.8×
- Materials Science 0.8×
- Computer Science 0.8×
- Psychology 0.7×
- Decision Sciences 0.6×
- Agricultural and Biological Sciences 0.5×
- Economics, Econometrics and Finance 0.5×
- Engineering 0.5×
- Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics 0.4×
- Nursing 0.4×
- Dentistry 0.4×
- Energy 0.4×
- Veterinary 0.4×
- Business, Management and Accounting 0.1×
Who are the top researchers at Sorbonne Université?
Ranked on the composite score, Harry Sokol, Patrick Brézillon and Laurent Beaugerie lead among researchers whose main affiliation is Sorbonne Université.
- 1 Harry Sokol · #1,652 worldwide 1.7k citations · 97 works
- 2 Patrick Brézillon · #1,924 worldwide 2k citations · 80 works
- 3 Laurent Beaugerie · #2,492 worldwide 1.3k citations · 90 works
- 4 David Cohen · #3,010 worldwide 1.4k citations · 109 works
- 5 Michel Komajda · #3,068 worldwide 1.4k citations · 107 works
- 6 Jean‐Baptiste Bachet · #4,927 worldwide 1k citations · 71 works
- 7 Haïm Brézis · #5,510 worldwide 919 citations · 72 works
- 8 Gilles Montalescot · #6,118 worldwide 1.9k citations · 161 works
- 9 Thierry Poynard · #6,819 worldwide 725 citations · 94 works
- 10 Christophe Louvet · #6,929 worldwide 803 citations · 72 works
Which keywords describe research at Sorbonne Université?
By fractional works in 2022–2025, weighted toward what it does more of than the world: Gender, Territorial Governance, Local Development, Epidemiology, Community Engagement, Climate Change, Citizen Participation and Environmental Participation.
- Patient Rights
- Ethos
- Urban Workshops
- Psychological Trauma
- Roman Economy
- Scientific History
- Global Perspectives
- Cultural Impact
- Sociolinguistics
- Gender Studies
- Proximity and Innovation
- Citizen Participation
- Cultural Heritage
- Local Development
- Colonialism
- Literature
- Public Policy
- Identity
- Gender
- Climate Change
- Epidemiology
- Inflammation
- Globalization
- History
- Social Justice
- Community Engagement
- Territorial Governance
- Religion
- Cultural Studies
- Environmental Participation
- Archaeology
- Social Movements
- Historiography
- Historical Narratives
- Pragmatics
- Technological Development
- Rhetoric
- Pompeii
- Argumentation
- Healthcare Legislation
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
- Epidemiology435◆ 1.10×135 topics
- Climate Change339▲ 1.26×105 topics
- Inflammation218◆ 1.04×83 topics
- Gender218▲ 4.0×54 topics
- Globalization206◆ 1.05×122 topics
- Identity199▲ 2.7×68 topics
- History194▲ 2.8×61 topics
- Public Policy166▲ 3.4×25 topics
- Social Justice166▲ 2.8×37 topics
- Literature165▲ 3.0×59 topics
- Community Engagement162▲ 4.9×13 topics
- Colonialism162▲ 3.4×50 topics
- Territorial Governance150▲ 12×4 topics
- Local Development149▲ 13×2 topics
- Religion132▲ 2.8×40 topics
- Cultural Heritage130▲ 2.4×36 topics
- Cultural Studies126▲ 3.3×34 topics
- Citizen Participation120▲ 9.7×2 topics
- Environmental Participation119▲ 15×1 topic
- Proximity and Innovation119▲ 15×1 topic
- Archaeology107▲ 8.0×11 topics
- Gender Studies105▲ 6.8×15 topics
- Social Movements103▲ 3.4×29 topics
- Sociolinguistics102▲ 5.4×9 topics
- Historiography95▲ 7.5×15 topics
- Cultural Impact93▲ 17×3 topics
- Historical Narratives92▲ 16×3 topics
- Global Perspectives91▲ 20×2 topics
- Pragmatics89▲ 5.5×6 topics
- Scientific History86▲ 20×1 topic
- Technological Development86▲ 20×1 topic
- Roman Economy81▲ 19×2 topics
- Rhetoric78▲ 7.0×6 topics
- Psychological Trauma70▲ 11×2 topics
- Pompeii68▲ 31×1 topic
- Urban Workshops68▲ 31×1 topic
- Argumentation68▲ 22×1 topic
- Ethos68▲ 22×1 topic
- Healthcare Legislation67▲ 11×1 topic
- Patient Rights67▲ 9.0×1 topic
Which research topics does Sorbonne Université publish most on?
By volume in 2022–2025: French Urban and Social Studies, Historical Studies and Socio-cultural Analysis, Historical and Literary Studies and Linguistics and Discourse Analysis.
Area is fractional works; colour is the subfield each topic belongs to.
- 1 French Urban and Social StudiesSociology and Political Science 119 works
- 2 Historical Studies and Socio-cultural AnalysisHistory and Philosophy of Science 86 works
- 3 Historical and Literary StudiesAnthropology 68 works
- 4 Linguistics and Discourse AnalysisPhilosophy 68 works
- 5 Health, Medicine and SocietyGeneral Health Professions 67 works
- 6 Historical and Literary AnalysesLiterature and Literary Theory 53 works
- 7 Healthcare Systems and PracticesGeneral Health Professions 47 works
- 8 Astro and Planetary ScienceAstronomy and Astrophysics 45 works
- 9 French Historical and Cultural StudiesHistory 44 works
- 10 Cultural Insights and Digital ImpactsComputer Networks and Communications 42 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.
World: 28% of research is openly available.
World: 19% is written across borders.
How has Sorbonne Université's research output changed?
Output in 2018–2022 was 10% higher than in 2013–2017.
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 Paris
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
- Inserm
- Université Paris Cité
- Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique et aux Énergies Alternatives
- Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne
- Institut Pasteur
- Assistance Publique – Hôpitaux de Paris
- École des hautes études en sciences sociales
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.