The Ranking CWUR 2026 has placed the University of Lisbon (ULisboa) in the group comprising the top 1.1% of universities worldwide. The prestigious ranking, which has been published annually since 2012, has ranked ULisboa 223rd on the list of the 2,000 universities worldwide that achieved the highest scores. At European level, ULisboa ranked 79th among all the institutions analysed.
The 2026 CWUR Ranking places the University of Lisbon among the world’s top universities
Hugo Séneca
Higher Education•5 June, 2026
The University of Lisbon is the clear leader in the national scientific research rankings
“The University of Lisbon has once again distinguished itself in the 2026 CWUR Ranking, maintaining its position as the top university in Portugal and ranking among the top 1.1% of the world’s best universities,” reports the ULisboa website.
ULisboa also highlights the fact that it continues to lead the way in terms of its performance in activities related to scientific research. According to the results presented by the CWUR 2026 Ranking, ULisboa is currently “among the top 200 universities in the world for this indicator”, the University states.
The CWUR 2026 Ranking analysed a total of 21,000 higher education institutions across various continents. The methodology used to determine the ranking is based on the weighting of parameters related to international distinctions awarded to alumni (25%); executive leadership roles held by alumni in the world’s largest companies (25%); faculty and researchers awarded international prizes (10%); and performance in the field of scientific research (40%).
China leads as the country of origin with 346 institutions ranked among the top 2,000 with the highest scores. The United States follows in second place with 319, and Japan ranks third with 107. The United Kingdom, with 89, France, with 71, and Russia, with 43, round off the top six in this ranking.