The University has also achieved a top 100 spot in the world for no fewer than five of the subjects considered by the rankings. Top performer was Mathematics, which came 26th in the world and right at the very top in Germany, followed by Agricultural Science (35th in the world and 2nd in Germany). The University of Bonn claimed a place in the group ranked 51st–75th in the world for Economics as well as coming first nationwide. For Robotic Science & Engineering—a subject being included in the Shanghai Ranking for the first time—the University came in the group placed 51st–75th while also scooping fourth spot in Germany. The University also ranks among the world’s best 100 for Dentistry & Oral Sciences.
The rankings use a methodology based on nine indicators, including the volume of publications in highly cited journals, citation impact, international co-publications, prizes and awards, and various criteria for scoring high-caliber researchers. The indicators are weighted differently for every subject in order to reflect the unique characteristics of each. Over 2,000 higher-education institutions from 92 countries were evaluated in total.