Since the Shanghai Ranking was first published in 2003, Université Grenoble Alpes has featured every year amongst the universities recognised by this globally recognised ranking. This consistent presence is a testament to the university’s sustained scientific excellence and to the strength of Grenoble’s research and innovation ecosystem, built in collaboration with national research organisations and numerous academic, scientific and socio-economic partners.

Scientific excellence built on a long-standing tradition

The 2026 Shanghai Ranking places UGA in the 151-200 bracket globally and in 6th place nationally, alongside Université Aix-Marseille and Montpellier. It is thus ranked amongst the top eight French universities and confirms its position as one of France’s leading institutions for higher education and research.

This international recognition is a long-standing achievement. It recognises the pursuit of excellence in research across a wide range of fields, from physics and astrophysics to life and health sciences, environmental sciences, engineering, the humanities and social sciences, and mathematics and computer science.

Research: the driving force behind progress and transformation

At Université Grenoble Alpes, scientific excellence is not an end in itself. It is a driving force for social progress and helps to address the major challenges of our time.

Through the generation of new knowledge, the education of future generations, international scientific collaborations and close links forged with socio-economic stakeholders, UGA helps to foster the innovations and solutions of tomorrow.

This ambition is underpinned by an exceptional scientific environment, at the heart of Grenoble’s ecosystem, which is internationally recognised for its ability to bring together fundamental research, technological research and innovation. UGA thus develops close collaborations with major national research organisations and leading research infrastructures based on the site, helping to make Grenoble Alpes a major hub for research and innovation.

A research university with a global outlook

UGA’s inclusion in the 2026 Shanghai Ranking also reflects its international standing. The university is part of an extensive network of scientific collaborations and partnerships with institutions and research organisations around the world.

This international outlook enhances the quality of the research carried out at the Grenoble site and enables UGA scientists to contribute to major advances in knowledge within a context of global scientific cooperation.

The Shanghai Ranking at a glance

Established in 2003 by Shanghai Jiao Tong University, the Shanghai Ranking, or ARWU (Academic Ranking of World Universities), assesses the performance of universities primarily on the basis of their research activity and excellence.

The ranking is based on six indicators, including the number of Nobel Prize winners and Fields Medalists amongst alumni and academic staff, the number of highly cited researchers, publications in the journals Nature and Science, publications indexed in major international bibliographic databases, and academic performance relative to the number of academic staff.