[Ranked in the Top 60s Worldwide in ‘Natural Sciences’ and ‘Engineering & Technology’ in 2026 QS World University Rankings by Subject]
Experts tend to view these fields differently. In areas such as Natural Sciences and Engineering & Technology, depth and focus often matter more than breadth or size.
POSTECH has ranked within the top 60 globally in both Natural Sciences and Engineering & Technology in the 2026 QS World University Rankings by Subject. This places the university more than 40 positions higher than its overall ranking (102nd globally) in the 2026 QS World University Rankings, released in June last year.
While this difference may appear to be a simple numerical gap, a closer look at the evaluation frameworks reveals that it offers an important insight into POSTECH’s core strengths.
The key difference between the two rankings lies in who evaluates and what criteria are used. The QS World University Rankings are calculated using a range of indicators, including reputation (45%), with survey respondents drawn from researchers across nearly all academic fields—including the humanities, social sciences, and medicine. Within this structure, the strengths of specialized science and engineering institutions can be relatively diluted.
By contrast, the QS World University Rankings by Subject place a much greater emphasis on reputation accounting for 60–70% of the evaluation. The methodology also differs: respondents first select their own field of expertise and then identify universities they consider outstanding in that specific discipline. In other words, the rankings for Engineering & Technology and Natural Sciences are primarily shaped by evaluations from experts in those fields across academia and industry.
In the 2026 QS World University Rankings by Subject, POSTECH placed 64th in Natural Sciences and 67th in Engineering & Technology worldwide. The results highlight how the university’s world-class research in science and engineering, combined with its small but highly focused education model, continues to earn recognition from experts in the field.
One way to understand the difference is to imagine a restaurant that may not stand out in an overall rating, but is regarded by culinary experts as among the very best in a specific cuisine.
“This result reflects POSTECH’s long-standing commitment to competing through expertise rather than scale,” said Professor Sung-Min Park, Vice President for External Affairs at POSTECH. “The essential role of specialized science and engineering universities like POSTECH lies in pursuing challenging research and innovative education through strategic focus and concentration. We will continue to build on our strengths and further sharpen this focus going forward,” he added.
Meanwhile, in the JoongAng Ilbo University Rankings by Subject, announced last November, POSTECH and Sungkyunkwan University were the only institutions to receive the highest rating across all fields of Natural Sciences and Engineering.