The Weizmann Institute achieved 71st place worldwide, leading Israeli institutions in the global academic ranking. The Hebrew University claimed 88th position, while Technion earned 97th place among the world's top universities.

These achievements carry special significance as Israeli academia faces systematic attacks from international boycott campaigns targeting Israeli educational institutions. Universities operated under extraordinary circumstances, including missile attacks from Iran and Lebanon directed at campus facilities and the extended absence of hundreds of faculty members and students serving military reserve duty.

Professor Alon Chen, president of the Weizmann Institute, highlighted the achievement's importance during this turbulent period. "This achievement is particularly impressive during a challenging period, when Israeli academia as a whole faces unprecedented attacks in the international arena, and our research receives official recognition for the quality of our work. Despite and in spite of the challenges, we will continue to lead groundbreaking research and serve as a bridge of knowledge and science between Israel and the world," Professor Chen declared.

Professor Tamir Sheafer, rector of the Hebrew University and incoming president, emphasized their commitment to academic excellence. "We are proud to continue cultivating an academic environment that promotes critical thinking, research excellence, and innovative teaching. Work that connects between a glorious heritage of 100 years, to groundbreaking work for the future," Professor Sheafer noted.

When university achievements are adjusted for institutional size based on faculty numbers, Technion demonstrates exceptional performance, ranking 28th globally – a testament to its research efficiency and quality output.

Professor Uri Sivan, the Technion's president, characterized the accomplishment as a national mission. "Preserving the status of science and technology in Israel is a national mission of enormous importance, and it is particularly challenging this year, when we faced missiles from Iran and Lebanon that were fired toward the Technion campus and with the absence of hundreds of academic and administrative faculty members and graduate students who were required for hundreds of days of reserve duty. Technion's research and scientific excellence are our response to boycotts against Israel on campuses in North America, Europe, and Australia, and it is proof of the resilience of the Technion family."

Professor Sivan emphasized the collaborative achievement across Israeli higher education. "Preserving Technion's position in the leading constellation of academic institutions in the world is the fruit of joint effort by the academic staff, administrative staff, and Technion management, and it relies on international collaborations that are maintained despite academic boycotts and calls for severing relations with Israeli universities. Our main resources are the excellent human resources and the resilience we demonstrate in the face of difficulties and war. We welcome our partners in the pioneering constellation – the Hebrew University and the Weizmann Institute for Science – partners in advancing Israeli science and cultivating it."

The annual Shanghai Ranking represents one of academia's most credible evaluation systems. Rankings assess institutional research quality through multiple indicators, including Nobel Prize and Fields Medal recipients among faculty and alumni, plus publication volume and quality in premier academic journals. The comprehensive evaluation encompasses approximately 2,500 universities worldwide.

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Israeli universities have once again demonstrated their world-class caliber, with three institutions ranking among the top 100 academic institutions globally. The Weizmann Institute of Science, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa have all clinched positions in the 2024 Shanghai Ranking, widely regarded as one of the most authoritative global university rankings.

Leading the Israeli contingent, the Weizmann Institute secured the 69th spot worldwide, slipping just one place from last year's ranking. It's noteworthy that the Weizmann Institute exclusively offers graduate programs, setting it apart from its peers.

The Hebrew University of Jerusalem made significant strides, climbing to 81st place in the ranking of the world's best universities. This advancement crowns it as the highest-ranked Israeli institution offering undergraduate degrees. Last year, the Hebrew University stood at 86th place, trailing behind the Technion in the rankings.

This year, the Technion holds the 85th position on the list of the world's best academic institutions, a slight drop from its 79th place last year. However, it maintains a strong 11th place among the world's leading technological universities. The Shanghai Ranking is widely acknowledged as the gold standard for assessing higher education institutions globally.

The Hebrew University of Jerusalem has climbed five places this year, now ranking 81st among the top 100 universities worldwide according to the 2024 Shanghai Ranking!

Professor Asher Cohen, President of the Hebrew University: "The presence of three Israeli universities in the… pic.twitter.com/0UGfSRGQET

— Hebrew University (@HebrewU) August 15, 2024

The top three spots were claimed by US powerhouses: Harvard University, Stanford University, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, respectively. Published annually, the Shanghai Ranking is revered for its reliability in academic circles. The rankings evaluate the quality of research at academic institutions based on various indicators, including the number of faculty members and graduates who have clinched Nobel Prizes and Fields Medals, as well as the scope and quality of publications in leading journals. The comprehensive ranking covers approximately 2,500 universities. Among the top 100 institutions, 38 hail from the US, 14 from China, 8 from the UK, 5 from Australia, 4 each from France and Germany, 3 from Canada, and, as highlighted, 3 from Israel.

Professor Asher Cohen, President of the Hebrew University, celebrated this achievement while also voicing concerns about the current state of Israeli academia. His remarks come against a backdrop of strained relations with Education Minister and Chair of the Council for Higher Education, Yoav Kisch, and looming budget cuts. "The presence of three Israeli universities in the list of the world's top 100 universities is an extraordinary feat, especially in such a challenging and complex year. The Hebrew University's rise to 81st place in the most prestigious international ranking is a testament to our unwavering commitment to groundbreaking research and pursuit of excellence," Professor Cohen stated.

He added, "We're immensely proud of and grateful to our researchers and administrative staff. Their dedication to advancing excellent research persists daily, despite internal and external challenges, in an era where some segments of society view scientific truth and human progress as arbitrary occurrences. We remain steadfast in our role as the preeminent civilian institution for Jerusalem, a cornerstone for the State of Israel, and a source of international pride."

Professor Uri Sivan, President of the Technion, echoed these sentiments: "Our consistent standing in the Shanghai Ranking reaffirms the Technion's position among the world's finest technological universities. The Technion, like its Israeli counterparts, competes on the global stage with universities that are often older, larger, and better-funded. Our success, even in this latest index summarizing 2023 – one of our most challenging years – is remarkable. The inclusion of three Israeli academic institutions in the world's top 100 universities list is a resounding endorsement of Israeli science and academia and a source of national pride."

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Three Israeli schools have ranked among the world's 100 best universities, according to the renowned Academic Ranking of World Universities that every year names the globe's top 1000 academic institutions.

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The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, which did not make it into the top 100 last year, ranked 90th on this year's list, also known as the Shanghai Ranking. The Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot ranked 92nd, and Haifa's Technion - Israel Institute of Technology ranked 94th. The last time three Israeli universities made it into the top 100 happened in 2013. 

"The upward trend in the Shanghai Ranking is evidence of hard work and an uncompromising pursuit of academic excellence," President of the Hebrew University Professor Asher Cohen said. 

"I am delighted that three academic institutions have made it to the top 100," he said. 

Education Minister Yifat Shasha-Biton congratulated the schools on their achievement and called it "a reflection of Israeli excellence and a source of pride and success."

Several other Israeli institutions made it into the list. Tel Aviv University ranked in the top 200, and Bar-Ilan University and Ben Gurion University of the Negev made it into the top 500.

The winners of this year's list are Harvard University, Stanford University, and the University of Cambridge, which ranked first, second and third, respectively. 

The Academic Ranking of World Universities methodology is based on the quality of education (number of alumni as Nobel laureates and Fields Medalists), quality of faculty (number of staff members as Nobel laureates and Fields Medalists and highly cited researchers) and research performance (papers published in the leading scientific journal Nature and Science). 

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