Switzerland's Top 2% Scientists 2021
Switzerland has 3,016 scientists on the 2021 single-year Top 2% list, up 15.0% from 2,622 in 2020. That places Switzerland 13th in the world by number of listed scientists, down 1 place. ETH Zürich has the most listed scientists (455), followed by University of Zurich (275).
Scientists in Switzerland on the list, by year
The single-year count has grown 15% 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 3,016 scientists
| Rank in Switzerland | World rank | Scientist | Institute | Sub-field | Rank in sub-field |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 | Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne | Nanoscience & Nanotechnology | Rank 2 | |
| 2 | 36 | IDSIA Dalle Molle Institute for Artificial Intelligence | Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing | Rank 6 | |
| 3 | 147 | Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne | Oncology & Carcinogenesis | Rank 6 | |
| 4 | 151 | University of Bern | General & Internal Medicine | Rank 7 | |
| 5 | 408 | Universitat Basel | Ecology | Rank 10 | |
| 6 | 497 | Institute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology Basel | Ophthalmology & Optometry | Rank 1 | |
| 7 | 537 | Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne | Building & Construction | Rank 3 | |
| 8 | 598 | Paul Scherrer Institut | Applied Physics | Rank 21 | |
| 9 | 603 | ETH Zürich | Fluids & Plasmas | Rank 4 | |
| 10 | 612 | Eawag - Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology | Environmental Engineering | Rank 4 | |
| 11 | 732 |
FE
|
University of Zurich | Economics | Rank 17 |
| 12 | 869 | ETH Zürich | Strategic, Defence & Security Studies | Rank 2 | |
| 13 | 1,054 | Université de Genève | Developmental Biology | Rank 44 | |
| 14 | 1,140 | Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne | Nanoscience & Nanotechnology | Rank 42 | |
| 15 | 1,165 | Global Action Fund for Fungal Infections | Microbiology | Rank 18 | |
| 16 | 1,215 | ETH Zürich | Nutrition & Dietetics | Rank 6 | |
| 17 | 1,236 |
SC
|
University of Fribourg | Pharmacology & Pharmacy | Rank 8 |
| 18 | 1,320 | University Hospital Zurich Neurologische Klinik | Oncology & Carcinogenesis | Rank 41 | |
| 19 | 1,526 | Université de Genève | General Physics | Rank 7 | |
| 20 | 1,551 | University of Fribourg | Microbiology | Rank 26 | |
| 21 | 1,560 | Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne | Nanoscience & Nanotechnology | Rank 55 | |
| 22 | 1,696 | UniversitatsSpital Zurich | Surgery | Rank 1 | |
| 23 | 1,853 | Empa - Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology | Nanoscience & Nanotechnology | Rank 67 | |
| 24 | 1,879 | University of Bern | Evolutionary Biology | Rank 23 | |
| 25 | 1,898 | ETH Zürich | Physical Chemistry | Rank 12 | |
| 26 | 1,924 | Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne | Applied Physics | Rank 56 | |
| 27 | 1,926 | Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne | Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing | Rank 80 | |
| 28 | 1,969 | ETH Zürich | Applied Physics | Rank 58 | |
| 29 | 2,013 |
NL
|
ETH Zürich | Optics | Rank 13 |
| 30 | 2,057 |
KR
|
ETH Zürich | Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences | Rank 23 |
| 31 | 2,117 |
HX
|
Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne | Organic Chemistry | Rank 31 |
| 32 | 2,135 | Université de Lausanne (UNIL) | Immunology | Rank 57 | |
| 33 | 2,146 | Organisation Mondiale de la Santé | Nutrition & Dietetics | Rank 14 | |
| 34 | 2,269 | University of Zurich | Biochemistry & Molecular Biology | Rank 54 | |
| 35 | 2,406 | Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne | Biochemistry & Molecular Biology | Rank 56 | |
| 36 | 2,426 | ETH Zürich | Immunology | Rank 63 | |
| 37 | 2,436 | Universitat Basel | Economics | Rank 50 | |
| 38 | 2,447 | Empa - Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology | Environmental Sciences | Rank 24 | |
| 39 | 2,463 | University Hospital Bern | Cardiovascular System & Hematology | Rank 73 | |
| 40 | 2,474 |
SJ
|
ETH Zürich | Agronomy & Agriculture | Rank 14 |
| 41 | 2,488 | Empa - Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology | Building & Construction | Rank 13 | |
| 42 | 2,633 | University of Zurich | Communication & Media Studies | Rank 4 | |
| 43 | 2,720 | ETH Zürich | Electrical & Electronic Engineering | Rank 8 | |
| 44 | 2,774 | ETH Zürich | Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences | Rank 42 | |
| 45 | 2,890 | University of Zurich | Plant Biology & Botany | Rank 22 | |
| 46 | 2,892 | ETH Zürich | Environmental Engineering | Rank 10 | |
| 47 | 2,957 | Forschungsanstalt Agroscope Reckenholz-Tanikon | Ecology | Rank 97 | |
| 48 | 2,977 | ETH Zürich | Energy | Rank 58 | |
| 49 | 3,024 | University of Zurich | Experimental Psychology | Rank 59 | |
| 50 | 3,051 | Université de Lausanne (UNIL) | Geochemistry & Geophysics | Rank 50 | |
| 51 | 3,087 | Université de Lausanne (UNIL) | Immunology | Rank 83 | |
| 52 | 3,308 | ETH Zürich | Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences | Rank 56 | |
| 53 | 3,321 | University Hospital Bern | Dentistry | Rank 4 | |
| 54 | 3,369 | ETH Zürich | Statistics & Probability | Rank 29 | |
| 55 | 3,385 | University of Zurich | Ecology | Rank 108 | |
| 56 | 3,455 | Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne | Networking & Telecommunications | Rank 25 | |
| 57 | 3,527 | ETH Zürich | Materials | Rank 61 | |
| 58 | 3,575 | ETH Zürich | Civil Engineering | Rank 11 | |
| 59 | 3,606 | Zürcher Hochschule Winterthur | Nanoscience & Nanotechnology | Rank 115 | |
| 60 | 3,610 | Istituto di Ricerca in Biomedicina, Bellinzona | Immunology | Rank 94 | |
| 61 | 3,661 | Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne | Applied Physics | Rank 90 | |
| 62 | 3,700 | Bank for International Settlements | Economics | Rank 71 | |
| 63 | 3,720 | Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne | Materials | Rank 64 | |
| 64 | 3,746 | Université de Genève | Neurology & Neurosurgery | Rank 239 | |
| 65 | 3,783 | Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne | Neurology & Neurosurgery | Rank 242 | |
| 66 | 3,786 |
SB
|
Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne | Chemical Physics | Rank 84 |
| 67 | 3,835 |
RR
|
Hôpitaux Universitaires de Genève | Endocrinology & Metabolism | Rank 76 |
| 68 | 3,913 |
JJ
|
Université de Lausanne (UNIL) | Oncology & Carcinogenesis | Rank 133 |
| 69 | 4,005 | Universitätsspital Basel | Endocrinology & Metabolism | Rank 79 | |
| 70 | 4,105 | Hôpitaux Universitaires de Genève | General & Internal Medicine | Rank 64 | |
| 71 | 4,111 |
MH
|
UniversitatsSpital Zurich | Oncology & Carcinogenesis | Rank 138 |
| 72 | 4,339 | Université de Lausanne (UNIL) | Psychiatry | Rank 113 | |
| 73 | 4,373 |
GC
|
Hôpitaux Universitaires de Genève | Arthritis & Rheumatology | Rank 31 |
| 74 | 4,389 | ETH Zürich | Developmental Biology | Rank 172 | |
| 75 | 4,493 | Hôpitaux Universitaires de Genève | Microbiology | Rank 93 | |
| 76 | 4,551 | University of Zurich | Industrial Engineering & Automation | Rank 42 | |
| 77 | 4,561 |
GT
|
ETH Zürich | Geochemistry & Geophysics | Rank 71 |
| 78 | 4,574 | Université de Lausanne (UNIL) | Evolutionary Biology | Rank 51 | |
| 79 | 4,582 | Université de Lausanne (UNIL) | Ecology | Rank 132 | |
| 80 | 4,593 | ETH Zürich | Developmental Biology | Rank 180 | |
| 81 | 4,663 | Uniklinik Balgrist | Orthopedics | Rank 15 | |
| 82 | 4,671 | ETH Zürich | Medicinal & Biomolecular Chemistry | Rank 12 | |
| 83 | 4,697 | ETH Zürich | Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing | Rank 138 | |
| 84 | 4,706 | University of Bern | Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences | Rank 84 | |
| 85 | 4,727 | Biozentrum, Universität Basel | Developmental Biology | Rank 185 | |
| 86 | 4,839 | University Hospital Bern | Cardiovascular System & Hematology | Rank 157 | |
| 87 | 4,904 | Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne | Materials | Rank 80 | |
| 88 | 4,919 | ETH Zürich | Chemical Engineering | Rank 30 | |
| 89 | 4,968 | ETH Zürich | Geochemistry & Geophysics | Rank 81 | |
| 90 | 4,990 | Université de Genève | Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences | Rank 92 | |
| 91 | 5,004 | Hôpitaux Universitaires de Genève | Cardiovascular System & Hematology | Rank 160 | |
| 92 | 5,019 | University of Zurich | Developmental & Child Psychology | Rank 60 | |
| 93 | 5,094 | ETH Zürich | Business & Management | Rank 122 | |
| 94 | 5,114 | Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne | Applied Physics | Rank 109 | |
| 95 | 5,175 | University of Zurich | Geochemistry & Geophysics | Rank 85 | |
| 96 | 5,177 | Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne | Organic Chemistry | Rank 80 | |
| 97 | 5,237 |
AC
|
Swiss Institute of Allergy and Asthma Research | Allergy | Rank 8 |
| 98 | 5,261 | Université de Genève | Developmental Biology | Rank 198 | |
| 99 | 5,267 | Université de Lausanne (UNIL) | Endocrinology & Metabolism | Rank 105 | |
| 100 | 5,345 | Université de Genève | Social Psychology | Rank 135 | |
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See all 3,016 scientists in Switzerland
You are seeing the first 100. 2,916 more are on the 2021 single-year list.
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Frequently asked questions
How many scientists from Switzerland are in the 2021 Stanford Top 2% list?
3,016 scientists affiliated with Switzerland are on the 2021 single-year list, and 2,974 are on the career-long list.
Which institute in Switzerland has the most Top 2% scientists?
On the 2021 single-year list, ETH Zürich has the most listed scientists from Switzerland, with 455. It is followed by University of Zurich with 275.
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 3,016 in 2021, a change of +15.0%.
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.