Switzerland's Top 2% Scientists 2025
Switzerland has 3,549 scientists on the 2025 single-year Top 2% list, up 4.3% from 3,404 in 2024. That places Switzerland 14th in the world by number of listed scientists. ETH Zürich has the most listed scientists (545), followed by Universität Zürich (305).
Scientists in Switzerland on the list, by year
The single-year count has grown 35% since 2020.
Show the numbers
| Year | Single Year | Change | Career Data | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 2,622 | 2,546 | ||
| 2021 | 3,016 | +15.0% | 2,974 | +16.8% |
| 2022 | 3,233 | +7.2% | 3,141 | +5.6% |
| 2023 | 3,311 | +2.4% | 3,261 | +3.8% |
| 2024 | 3,404 | +2.8% | 3,431 | +5.2% |
| 2025 | 3,549 | +4.3% | 3,659 | +6.6% |
Top 10 institutes in Switzerland
By number of listed scientists
Show the list
All 3,549 scientists
| Rank in Switzerland | World rank | Scientist | Institute | Sub-field | Rank in sub-field |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 35 | École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne | Nanoscience & Nanotechnology | Rank 3 | |
| 2 | 71 | Schweizerisches Institut für Experimentelle Krebsforschung | Oncology & Carcinogenesis | Rank 2 | |
| 3 | 145 | École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne | Building & Construction | Rank 2 | |
| 4 | 173 | Paul Scherrer Institut | Building & Construction | Rank 3 | |
| 5 | 291 | Institute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology Basel | Ophthalmology & Optometry | Rank 1 | |
| 6 | 407 | ETH Zürich | Food Science | Rank 4 | |
| 7 | 408 | Universität Basel | Ecology | Rank 9 | |
| 8 | 655 | École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne | Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing | Rank 44 | |
| 9 | 723 | Universität Zürich | Allergy | Rank 1 | |
| 10 | 758 | ETH Zürich | Fluids & Plasmas | Rank 4 | |
| 11 | 775 | Empa - Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology | Building & Construction | Rank 9 | |
| 12 | 980 | Eawag - Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology | Environmental Engineering | Rank 4 | |
| 13 | 1,076 | Paul Scherrer Institut | Applied Physics | Rank 26 | |
| 14 | 1,096 | Université de Genève | General Physics | Rank 10 | |
| 15 | 1,103 | ETH Zürich | Applied Physics | Rank 28 | |
| 16 | 1,124 | Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine | General & Internal Medicine | Rank 30 | |
| 17 | 1,160 | Universitätsspital Zürich, Klinik für Neurologie | Oncology & Carcinogenesis | Rank 19 | |
| 18 | 1,164 | Swiss Data Science Center | Economics | Rank 31 | |
| 19 | 1,292 |
FE
|
Universität Zürich | Economics | Rank 34 |
| 20 | 1,295 | ETH Zürich | Geochemistry & Geophysics | Rank 9 | |
| 21 | 1,353 | Universität Zürich | Communication & Media Studies | Rank 4 | |
| 22 | 1,407 | Universität Zürich | Agronomy & Agriculture | Rank 9 | |
| 23 | 1,421 | Universität Zürich | Industrial Engineering & Automation | Rank 11 | |
| 24 | 1,456 | Institut für Atmosphäre und Klima | Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences | Rank 17 | |
| 25 | 1,679 |
SC
|
University of Fribourg | Pharmacology & Pharmacy | Rank 11 |
| 26 | 1,737 | ETH Zürich | Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences | Rank 23 | |
| 27 | 1,816 | ETH Zürich | Agronomy & Agriculture | Rank 12 | |
| 28 | 1,823 | ETH Zürich | Statistics & Probability | Rank 25 | |
| 29 | 1,865 | Empa - Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology | Nanoscience & Nanotechnology | Rank 66 | |
| 30 | 1,939 | Universitätsspital Zürich, Dermatologische Klinik | Dermatology & Venereal Diseases | Rank 3 | |
| 31 | 1,943 | École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne | Materials | Rank 37 | |
| 32 | 1,973 | École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne | Inorganic & Nuclear Chemistry | Rank 4 | |
| 33 | 2,034 | Institut des Sciences et Ingénierie Chimiques | Nanoscience & Nanotechnology | Rank 76 | |
| 34 | 2,040 | Universität Zürich | Experimental Psychology | Rank 35 | |
| 35 | 2,134 |
KR
|
Institut für Atmosphäre und Klima | Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences | Rank 29 |
| 36 | 2,148 | NCCR Catalysis | Organic Chemistry | Rank 24 | |
| 37 | 2,272 | UniversitatsSpital Zurich | Surgery | Rank 1 | |
| 38 | 2,442 | Centre Universitaire de Médecine Générale et Santé Publique, Lausanne | General & Internal Medicine | Rank 52 | |
| 39 | 2,520 | ETH Zürich | Electrical & Electronic Engineering | Rank 6 | |
| 40 | 2,717 | ETH Zürich | Medicinal & Biomolecular Chemistry | Rank 10 | |
| 41 | 2,738 | Hôpitaux Universitaires de Genève | Endocrinology & Metabolism | Rank 45 | |
| 42 | 2,775 | École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne | Optics | Rank 16 | |
| 43 | 3,051 |
HX
|
École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne | Organic Chemistry | Rank 43 |
| 44 | 3,059 | Organisation Mondiale de la Santé | Nutrition & Dietetics | Rank 11 | |
| 45 | 3,178 | ETH Zürich | Environmental Engineering | Rank 14 | |
| 46 | 3,222 | École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne | Applied Physics | Rank 83 | |
| 47 | 3,242 | Organisation Mondiale de la Santé | Geriatrics | Rank 5 | |
| 48 | 3,326 | UniversitatsSpital Zurich | Cardiovascular System & Hematology | Rank 90 | |
| 49 | 3,373 | Universität Basel | Economics | Rank 79 | |
| 50 | 3,412 | ETH Zürich | Civil Engineering | Rank 12 | |
| 51 | 3,418 | Université de Genève | Social Psychology | Rank 103 | |
| 52 | 3,437 | MM Global Health Consulting | General & Internal Medicine | Rank 75 | |
| 53 | 3,445 | Paul Scherrer Institut | Applied Physics | Rank 91 | |
| 54 | 3,508 | ZHAW Zurich University of Applied Sciences | Nanoscience & Nanotechnology | Rank 136 | |
| 55 | 3,510 | University of Fribourg | Microbiology | Rank 52 | |
| 56 | 3,572 | Université de Lausanne (UNIL) | Psychiatry | Rank 81 | |
| 57 | 3,596 | ETH Zürich | Materials | Rank 67 | |
| 58 | 3,600 | University of Bern | Business & Management | Rank 111 | |
| 59 | 3,610 | SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics | Developmental Biology | Rank 92 | |
| 60 | 3,626 | Empa - Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology | Environmental Sciences | Rank 81 | |
| 61 | 3,660 | University of Bern | Nuclear & Particle Physics | Rank 40 | |
| 62 | 3,680 | Universität Zürich | Ecology | Rank 101 | |
| 63 | 3,751 | ETH Zürich | Building & Construction | Rank 33 | |
| 64 | 3,789 | ETH Zürich | Science Studies | Rank 10 | |
| 65 | 3,791 | University of Bern | Geochemistry & Geophysics | Rank 48 | |
| 66 | 3,850 | Université de Genève | Developmental Biology | Rank 98 | |
| 67 | 3,894 | École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne | Networking & Telecommunications | Rank 45 | |
| 68 | 3,942 | ETH Zürich | Statistics & Probability | Rank 34 | |
| 69 | 4,037 | University Hospital Bern | Cardiovascular System & Hematology | Rank 109 | |
| 70 | 4,050 | University Hospital Bern | Dentistry | Rank 6 | |
| 71 | 4,096 | ETH Zürich | Building & Construction | Rank 37 | |
| 72 | 4,167 | ETH Zürich | Optics | Rank 21 | |
| 73 | 4,191 | École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne | Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing | Rank 223 | |
| 74 | 4,195 | University of Bern | Evolutionary Biology | Rank 29 | |
| 75 | 4,274 |
OU
|
University of Bern | Social Psychology | Rank 117 |
| 76 | 4,311 | École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne | Materials | Rank 79 | |
| 77 | 4,361 |
SB
|
École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne | Chemical Physics | Rank 78 |
| 78 | 4,369 | Global Antibiotic Research and Development Partnership | Microbiology | Rank 62 | |
| 79 | 4,495 | ETH Zürich | Business & Management | Rank 146 | |
| 80 | 4,549 | Swiss Cancer Center Léman | Oncology & Carcinogenesis | Rank 113 | |
| 81 | 4,570 | Bank for International Settlements | Economics | Rank 100 | |
| 82 | 4,629 | ETH Zürich | Industrial Engineering & Automation | Rank 54 | |
| 83 | 4,643 | Universität Zürich | Statistics & Probability | Rank 36 | |
| 84 | 4,657 | Universität Zürich | Developmental Biology | Rank 118 | |
| 85 | 4,683 | École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne | Nanoscience & Nanotechnology | Rank 174 | |
| 86 | 4,746 | ETH Zürich | Geochemistry & Geophysics | Rank 60 | |
| 87 | 4,801 | Faculté de biologie et de médecine | Cardiovascular System & Hematology | Rank 129 | |
| 88 | 4,807 | ETH Zürich | Energy | Rank 129 | |
| 89 | 4,838 | Universität Basel | General Chemistry | Rank 20 | |
| 90 | 4,850 | UniversitatsSpital Zurich | Gastroenterology & Hepatology | Rank 66 | |
| 91 | 4,882 | École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne | Industrial Engineering & Automation | Rank 57 | |
| 92 | 5,055 | Université de Lausanne (UNIL) | Immunology | Rank 103 | |
| 93 | 5,138 | Blue Brain Project | Neurology & Neurosurgery | Rank 267 | |
| 94 | 5,179 | ETH Zürich | Biochemistry & Molecular Biology | Rank 84 | |
| 95 | 5,269 | ETH Zürich | Microbiology | Rank 78 | |
| 96 | 5,274 | ETH Zürich | Geochemistry & Geophysics | Rank 66 | |
| 97 | 5,353 | ETH Zürich | Immunology | Rank 112 | |
| 98 | 5,494 | EPFL | Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing | Rank 286 | |
| 99 | 5,540 | Université de Lausanne (UNIL) | Ecology | Rank 146 | |
| 100 | 5,641 | Universität Basel | Languages & Linguistics | Rank 34 | |
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See all 3,549 scientists in Switzerland
You are seeing the first 100. 3,449 more are on the 2025 single-year list.
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Frequently asked questions
How many scientists from Switzerland are in the 2025 Stanford Top 2% list?
3,549 scientists affiliated with Switzerland are on the 2025 single-year list, and 3,659 are on the career-long list.
Which institute in Switzerland has the most Top 2% scientists?
On the 2025 single-year list, ETH Zürich has the most listed scientists from Switzerland, with 545. It is followed by Universität Zürich with 305.
How has the number of Top 2% scientists in Switzerland changed since 2020?
On the single-year list, Switzerland went from 2,622 scientists in 2020 to 3,549 in 2025, a change of +35.4%.
What is the difference between the single-year and career-long lists?
The single-year list ranks scientists on the citations their work received in one year. The career-long list ranks them on citations across their whole career. Both lists are published every year, and a scientist can be on one, both or neither.
What is the official source of this data?
The rankings come from the science-wide author databases of standardized citation indicators published by Ioannidis et al. in the Elsevier Data Repository, updated every year. TOPSCINET, an independent platform, organises that data by country, year, institute and field, so you can compare and explore it.