University of Cologne
About
The University of Cologne is a public research university in Cologne, Germany. It was established in 1388. It closed in 1798 before being re-established in 1919. It is now one of the largest universities in Germany with around 45,187 students. The University of Cologne is a member of the German U15 association of major research-intensive universities and was a university of excellence as part of the German Universities Excellence Initiative from 2012 to 2019. It is consistently ranked among the top 20 German universities in the world rankings.
Ranked Top 200 worldwide across 4 major ranking systems
Ranked in 100 subject rankings
Ranking Overview
QS
THE
ARWU
US News
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Key Facts
Historical Trend
QS
THE
ARWU
US News
Top Subjects
Subject Rankings
ARWU
31 subjects|
Subject
|
Rank
|
Score
|
Year
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Hospitality & Tourism Management | 47 | 124.5 | 2018 |
| Medical Technology | 76-100 | - | 2025 |
| Psychology | 76-100 | - | 2025 |
| Biological Sciences | 101-150 | - | 2025 |
| Sociology | 101-150 | - | 2025 |
| Human Biological Sciences | 151-200 | - | 2025 |
| Agricultural Sciences | 151-200 | - | 2022 |
| Clinical Medicine | 151-200 | - | 2025 |
| Economics | 151-200 | - | 2025 |
| Political Sciences | 151-200 | - | 2025 |
| Finance | 151-200 | - | 2020 |
| Mathematics | 201-300 | - | 2025 |
| Physics | 201-300 | - | 2025 |
| Earth Sciences | 201-300 | - | 2025 |
| Geography | 201-300 | - | 2024 |
| Atmospheric Science | 201-300 | - | 2025 |
| Biomedical Engineering | 201-300 | - | 2018 |
| Materials Science & Engineering | 201-300 | - | 2025 |
| Energy Science & Engineering | 201-300 | - | 2017 |
| Dentistry & Oral Sciences | 201-300 | - | 2022 |
| Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences | 201-300 | - | 2025 |
| Law | 201-300 | - | 2022 |
| Communication | 201-300 | - | 2023 |
| Nanoscience & Nanotechnology | 301-400 | - | 2025 |
| Biotechnology | 301-400 | - | 2025 |
| Public Health | 301-400 | - | 2025 |
| Business Administration | 301-400 | - | 2025 |
| Management | 301-400 | - | 2025 |
| Chemistry | 401-500 | - | 2023 |
| Ecology | 401-500 | - | 2024 |
| Education | 401-500 | - | 2025 |
QS
34 subjectsUS News
25 subjects|
Subject
|
Rank
|
Score
|
Year
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Infectious Diseases | 71 | 62.3 | 2026 |
| Cell Biology | 81 | 62.3 | 2026 |
| Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Medical Imaging | =83 | 62.3 | 2026 |
| Oncology | 97 | 62.3 | 2026 |
| Plant and Animal Science | =105 | 62.3 | 2026 |
| Molecular Biology and Genetics | =112 | 62.3 | 2026 |
| Immunology | 136 | 62.3 | 2026 |
| Clinical Medicine | =138 | 62.3 | 2026 |
| Space Science | =147 | 62.3 | 2026 |
| Microbiology | =176 | 62.3 | 2026 |
| Neuroscience and Behavior | 176 | 62.3 | 2026 |
| Surgery | 182 | 62.3 | 2026 |
| Gastroenterology and Hepatology | 209 | 62.3 | 2026 |
| Geosciences | =219 | 62.3 | 2026 |
| Social Sciences and Public Health | =265 | 62.3 | 2026 |
| Economics and Business | =272 | 62.3 | 2026 |
| Biology and Biochemistry | =287 | 62.3 | 2026 |
| Psychiatry/Psychology | =308 | 62.3 | 2026 |
| Pharmacology and Toxicology | 343 | 62.3 | 2026 |
| Public, Environmental and Occupational Health | =350 | 62.3 | 2026 |
| Physics | =409 | 62.3 | 2026 |
| Chemistry | =593 | 62.3 | 2026 |
| Materials Science | =685 | 62.3 | 2026 |
| Environment/Ecology | =752 | 62.3 | 2026 |
| Computer Science | =806 | 62.3 | 2026 |
THE
10 subjects|
Subject
|
Rank
|
Score
|
Year
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Law | =85 | 51.4 | 2026 |
| Arts & Humanities | =97 | 52.3 | 2026 |
| Life Sciences | 126–150 | 57.0 | 2026 |
| Business & Economics | 126–150 | 50.0 | 2026 |
| Psychology | 126–150 | 52.6 | 2026 |
| Clinical & Health | 151–175 | 51.0 | 2026 |
| Social Sciences | 176–200 | 47.3 | 2026 |
| Education | 201–250 | 43.1 | 2026 |
| Physical Sciences | 251–300 | 47.7 | 2026 |
| Computer Science | 601–800 | 30.0 | 2026 |