The academic ranking of the world top 100 universities in natural sciences and mathematics in 2012 is led by the United States with 52 universities, followed with a big gap by Germany and the United Kingdom, each with 8 universities. France and Japan come after with 6 each.
Nevertheless, in per capita terms, a bunch of small industrialized nations grab the top ranks and place themselves well above the average (red line) and the median. Israel scores 53.4, or 5.6 the median, and is followed by Switzerland with a score of 39.4, and Denmark with 36.4. The US score 16.2 and also find themselves above the average and the median, while the UK, with an index of 12.9 is above the median but just below the average. Japan, Australia, Taiwan, Korea, and China represent the only non-European or non-North American countries in the list.
World top 100 universities in Natural Sciences and Mathematics | |||
Country | Number | Population | Per capita |
| Million | (Nbr/Millionx100) | ||
| Australia | 1 | 21.8 | 4.6 |
| Canada | 2 | 34.3 | 5.8 |
| China | 1 | 1,366.6 | 0.1 |
| China, Taiwan | 1 | 23.1 | 4.3 |
| Denmark | 2 | 5.5 | 36.4 |
| France | 6 | 63.0 | 9.5 |
| Germany | 8 | 82.2 | 9.7 |
| Israel | 4 | 7.5 | 53.4 |
| Italy | 1 | 59.1 | 1.7 |
| Japan | 6 | 127.4 | 4.7 |
| Netherlands | 2 | 16.6 | 12.1 |
| Russia | 1 | 138.8 | 0.7 |
| South Korea | 1 | 48.9 | 2.0 |
| Sweden | 1 | 9.3 | 10.7 |
| Switzerland | 3 | 7.6 | 39.4 |
| United Kingdom | 8 | 62.0 | 12.9 |
| United States | 52 | 320.5 | 16.2 |
| Median | 2.0 | 9.5 | |
| Average | 5.9 | 13.2 | |
| ¹ Browse the complete List of 200 natural sciences and mathematics universities. | |||
Sources: Institute of Higher Education, Shanghai, UN Population Division, and CIA - The World Factbook.
