Five college science disciplines ranked among the world’s best

In the 2026 edition of Shanghai Ranking’s Global Ranking of Academic Subjects, Michigan State University is ranked in 41 academic disciplines, including several science-related fields connected to the College of Natural Science. These include agricultural sciences, biotechnology, education, ecology, and environmental science and engineering, with rankings reflecting university-wide research and academic contributions that may span multiple colleges.

The five globally ranked disciplines related to the College of Natural Science are:

• Education: No. 11
• Environmental Science and Engineering: No. 15
• Biotechnology: No. 18
• Agricultural Sciences: No. 39
• Ecology: No. 47

“It is rewarding to see these academic programs at Michigan State, a leading global public research university, ranked among the world’s best,” said MSU Provost Laura Lee McIntyre. “Our strong performance in the academic indicators across these disciplines affirms the excellence of MSU scholars who are leading research, advancing innovation and contributing to the greater good.”

The ranking’s methodology varies depending on the subject, and up to eight metrics are measured for each one. Metrics can include:

• Number of articles from 2021 to 2025 in journals with a Quartile One (Q1) Journal Impact Factor, ranking in the top 25% in the subject.
• Number of articles from 2021 to 2025 in Shanghai’s top journals or top conferences in the subject.
• Number of faculty on Clarivate’s Highly Cited Researchers list in the subject area.
• Number of journal editors in the subject area.
• Number of faculty in leadership positions in international academic organizations in the field.
• Institution’s Category Normalized Citation Impact for the subject from 2021 to 2025.
• International collaboration on articles in the subject from 2021 to 2025.
• Number of faculty with an international scholarly award in the field.

Shanghai Ranking Consultancy is an independent organization dedicated to research on higher education intelligence and consultation. It has been the official publisher of the Academic Ranking of World Universities since 2009.

Read the full MSU Today announcement on the 2026 global academic subject rankings for additional rankings and details about the university’s overall performance.