Six Disciplines Enter Global Top 100, Earning NT$40M in National Funding
Six academic disciplines at NTNU have been ranked among the top 100 worldwide in the 2025 QS World University Rankings by Subject. This recognition contributed to NTNU receiving NT$40 million in additional funding from Taiwan’s Ministry of Education (MOE), the second-highest amount awarded nationally through the Higher Education Sprout Project.
This year marks a shift in the MOE’s funding strategy, which now incorporates global subject rankings from QS, Times Higher Education (THE), and Essential Science Indicators (ESI) to identify high-performing university departments for targeted support.
NTNU’s globally ranked subjects include:
Education: Ranked 24th, continuing its reputation as a world leader in the field.
Linguistics: Ranked 90th.
Modern Languages: Ranked 93rd, reflecting international recognition for NTNU’s expertise in Chinese as a Second Language and Mandarin education.
Library & Information Management: Ranked 51–100.
Petroleum Engineering: Ranked 51–100; a new entry into the top 100.
Classics & Ancient History: Ranked 51–150; also a new entrant, signaling strong interdisciplinary development.
In total, NTNU had 18 disciplines included in this year’s QS rankings, with nine placing in the global top 200. Additional ranked fields include:
Sports-Related Subjects: 101–150
English Language and Literature: 151–200
Sociology: 151–200
Several disciplines were newly ranked or showed measurable progress, including Psychology (201–250), Agriculture & Forestry, Materials Science, and Medicine. Meanwhile, fields such as Computer Science, Business & Management, Physics & Astronomy, and Chemistry have continued to perform steadily or improve year after year, illustrating NTNU’s growth in both natural and applied sciences.
Under the second phase of the Higher Education Sprout Project, launched in 2024, the MOE allocates NT$20 million to disciplines ranked in the global top 50, and NT$10 million to those ranked between 51 and 100. With one discipline in the top 50 and five in the 51–100 range, NTNU’s performance secured a total of NT$40 million in direct support.
President Cheng-Chih Wu noted that while rankings are only one measure of progress, they offer a useful benchmark for evaluating long-term academic development. As NTNU continues to grow its research capacity and international partnerships, the university remains focused on supporting its core strengths while expanding into areas where global collaboration and interdisciplinary work can make a meaningful impact.