The Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU, resp. "Shanghai Ranking") is a global university ranking that has been released since 2003 and is published by the ShanghaiRanking Consultancy. Since 2009, the ShanghaiRanking Consultancy has published the Global Ranking of Academic Subjects (GRAS).

More than 1900 universities are ranked in five different disciplines and in 55 subjects. Depending on the subject, between 200 and 500 universities are ranked each year.

In the recent subject ranking "Sociology" the University of Cologne is ranked 1^st place nationally, and 43^rd place internationally.

The Subject Ranking "Management" ranks the University of Cologne 3^rd place with Frankfurt School of Finance & Management, the University of Hamburg, Mannheim University  and the University of Munich (LMU)(Place 201-300 in international ranking).

The Subject Ranking "Business Administration" places the University of Cologne with the Leuphana University Lüneburg, the University Erlangen-Nürnberg, the University of Hamburg and the University of Munich 4^th place nationally and internationally on place 201-300.

The Subject Ranking "Political Sciences" places the University of Cologne with the Humboldt-University Berlin, the TU Munich and the University of Mainz on 5^th place nationally and internationally on place 101-150 in 2023.

In the latest Academic Ranking of World Universities 2023 "Economics", the University of Cologne shares 5^th place with the Goethe University of Frankfurt, the Humboldt-University Berlin and the Technical University of Munich nationally, and 151-200 in international comparison.

In the latest Academic Ranking of World Universities 2023 "Communication", the University of Cologne shares 17^th place with the University of Jena, University of Konstanz and the University of Tübingen nationally, and 201-300 in international comparison.

The Subject Ranking "Finance" 2020 was the University of Cologne on the 4^th place, shared with the University Münich (LMU), internationally on place 151-200.

Overall the University of Cologne is ranked in the current Academic Ranking of World Universities 2023 on place 6-9 nationally  internationally 151-200.

Indicators and weighting

The GRAS uses four to five indicators, depending on the subject. It measures and compares research output (Q1), the scope of the research, mapped by citations (CNCI), international cooperation (IC), research quality (number of publications in TOP journals) and the prestige of researchers (TOP awards).

More information on the Website of the: Academic Ranking of World Universities