University of Helsinki, Ranked Out of The World's Top 100

The University of Helsinki is no longer among the top 100 universities in the world.

According to the 2026 Shanghai Ranking, also known as the Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU), Finland’s largest university dropped from 94th place last year to the 101–150 group. Only the top 100 universities receive exact individual positions. Those below that level are placed in ranking groups.

A Slow Decline

The university’s fall did not happen overnight. In 2024, it ranked 99th, and in 2025 it was 94th. The university’s best-ever performance was in 2016 and 2017, when it reached 56th place. Before this year, the University of Helsinki had been among the world’s top 100 for most years since the ranking began in 2003.

Still Number One in Finland

Despite this drop, the University of Helsinki remains Finland’s top-ranked university. Seven Finnish universities made it into the ranking of the world’s top 1,000 research universities this year. These include:

· University of Turku: 301–400 group (improved from 401–500 last year)

· Aalto University and University of Oulu: 401–500 group

· Tampere University and University of Eastern Finland: 501–600 group

· University of Jyväskylä: 601–700 group

Nordic Comparison

Other Nordic universities performed better. The University of Copenhagen ranked 34th, Sweden’s Karolinska Institute ranked 41st, and Uppsala University took 94th place.

How the Ranking Works

The Shanghai Ranking focuses mainly on research performance. It considers:

· Nobel Prizes and Fields Medals won by alumni and researchers

· Papers published in top scientific journals

· The number of highly cited researchers

Criticism of the Ranking

Some experts question the ranking’s fairness. Janne Pölönen, Secretary General of the Publication Forum, says the ranking is “overrated” and biased. He points out that it favours English-speaking countries and natural sciences, while humanities and social sciences research is often ignored.

What’s Next?

University Vice-Rector Anne Portaankorva called the drop “very unfortunate.” She promised the university will do everything it can to return to the top 100. She believes the decline is mainly due to fewer researchers being among the world’s most cited.

Harvard University in the United States kept first place for the 24th year in a row. Eight of the top 10 universities are in the US, and two are in the UK.