Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, the 1810-founded research university in central Berlin, Germany, sits inside the global top 100 on the Times Higher Education list and in the top 51 on the U.S. News Best Global Universities table for the 2026-2027 edition. The Humboldt University Berlin ranking stands at #140 in QS World University Rankings 2027 and #65 on the Collegedunia Study Abroad list 2026, with Arts and Humanities its single strongest discipline at #23 on THE 2026.
- QS World University Rankings 2027: #140 globally
- Collegedunia Study Abroad 2026: #65 globally, #5 in Germany
- THE World University Rankings 2026: #89 globally
- U.S. News Best Global Universities 2026-2027: #51 globally
Reading the rank pattern: Humboldt University sits 51 places higher on THE (#89) than on QS (#140) for the same year, and its Arts and Humanities position on THE outranks its overall world rank by 66 places. Other Berlin universities like Freie Universität Berlin at QS #133 and TU Berlin at QS #154 place Humboldt inside the same German urban research cluster but with a distinct humanities and social science lead. For an Indian student choosing between Berlin universities, this gap signals Humboldt is the social science, law and arts option, not the engineering one.

Table of Contents
- Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin Overall Rankings 2026
- Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin QS World University Rankings 2027
- Collegedunia Study Abroad Rankings of Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
- Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin Times Higher Education (THE) Rankings 2026
- Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin Other Global Rankings
- Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin Subject Rankings
- Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin Regional Rankings
- Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin Ranking FAQs
Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin Overall Rankings 2026
Across the four ranking bodies that publish a verifiable overall position for Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, the rank spreads 89 places, from #51 on U.S. News down to #140 on QS. The pattern is consistent with a humanities and social science university whose reputation outpaces engineering volume metrics.
| Ranking Body and Edition | Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin Rank |
|---|---|
| U.S. News Best Global Universities 2026-2027 | #51 |
| Collegedunia Study Abroad 2026 | #65 |
| Times Higher Education (THE) 2026 | #89 |
| QS World University Rankings 2027 | #140 |
The simple four-body average lands at #86, a fairer tier read for Indian applicants than any single rank in isolation. The 89-place spread is wide enough that picking only QS or only U.S. News would mis-tier the degree by a full rank band.
Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin QS World University Rankings 2027
Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin ranks #140 in QS World University Rankings 2027, released on 18 June 2026, slipping 10 places from #130 in QS 2026. QS, which scores universities mainly on academic reputation, employer opinion, research citations, and internationalisation, has moved Humboldt down four years in a row from its five-year peak of #120 in QS 2024.
The five-year QS trend below shows a steady slide rather than a one-off drop. Each annual move is small, but they compound.
| Year | Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin QS World Rank |
|---|---|
| 2027 | #140 |
| 2026 | #130 |
| 2025 | #126 |
| 2024 | #120 |
| 2023 | #131 |
Across the five-year window, the rank has slipped 20 places, from #120 in QS 2024 to #140 in QS 2027, and the five-year average sits at #129. The slide is gradual rather than sharp, and the QS Humboldt University Berlin ranking still places it inside the global top 10 percent of all 1,504 ranked universities, so the degree’s brand value stays inside a recognised tier.
India-relevance: Humboldt’s QS slide does not change tier eligibility for Indian employers, since most India-side selection screens cut at the top-200 line and Humboldt sits 60 places inside that boundary.
Read More: Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin Courses and Fees 2026 for Indian Students
Collegedunia Study Abroad Rankings of Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
The Collegedunia Study Abroad ranking of Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin is #65 globally and #5 in Germany for the 2026 edition, putting it 75 places ahead of where QS places it for the same year. The CD methodology weights Indian alumni outcomes, application visibility from India, and India-relevant subject mix, which is why a humanities-led campus reads stronger than on QS.
The category-wise CD breakdown lifts Humboldt into the top 20 globally for three different humanities and arts categories.
| Category | Collegedunia Rank |
|---|---|
| Overall | #65 globally, #5 in Germany |
| Arts | #18 globally, #1 in Germany |
| Humanities | #18 globally, #1 in Germany |
| Law | #27 globally, #1 in Germany |
| Social Studies | #42 globally, #1 in Germany |
| Computer Science | #107 globally, #10 in Germany |
Humboldt is the #1 university in Germany on four separate CD categories, Arts, Humanities, Law, and Social Studies, a positioning that no other German university matches on the same body. For an Indian applicant in Law or Humanities, this means Humboldt is the default in-country pick, with no German alternative ranked above it on the India-weighted list.
What it signals: The 75-place gap between CD overall (#65) and QS 2027 (#140) is the largest cross-body gap in Humboldt’s table, a direct read that Indian students see this university as far more useful than QS’s research-citation formula does.
Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin Times Higher Education (THE) Rankings 2026
Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin ranks #89 in THE World University Rankings 2026, a slip of 5 places from #84 in THE 2025. THE, which scores universities on teaching, research environment, citations and international outlook, has kept Humboldt inside the global top 100 every year since 2022.
The five-year THE trend shows a single high point in 2022 and a stable band in the 80s after that.
| Year | Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin THE World Rank |
|---|---|
| 2026 | #89 |
| 2025 | #84 |
| 2024 | #87 |
| 2023 | #86 |
| 2022 | #74 |
The five-year THE average is #84, exactly 45 places ahead of the QS five-year average of #129 across the same edition years. That 45-place THE-versus-QS gap is the cleanest single signal that Humboldt’s teaching and research environment scores stronger than its survey-led reputation does on QS.
Key insight: The drop from #74 in THE 2022 to #89 in THE 2026 is a 15-place slide over four cycles, smaller than the 20-place QS slide over the same span, so Humboldt’s THE position is the more stable read for Indian applicants planning a 2027 or 2028 intake.
Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin Other Global Rankings
Two more global bodies place Humboldt, U.S. News at the top end and ARWU at the subject level, but each publishes too narrow a window or band-level data to support a full five-year table on its own.
| Ranking Body | Edition | Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin Rank |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. News Best Global Universities | 2026-2027 | #51 globally |
| U.S. News Best Global Universities | 2025-2026 | #48 globally |
| ARWU Shanghai (overall) | 2025 | Subject-level data only; see Subject Rankings |
Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin Subject Rankings
Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin is officially ranked across more than 15 subject lists on QS, THE and ARWU 2025-2026 editions. The subject pattern is the part of the Humboldt subject rankings story that decides degree fit for most Indian applicants.
Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin in Arts and Humanities
Humboldt ranks #24 globally on QS Arts and Humanities 2026 and #23 on THE Arts and Humanities 2026, its single strongest subject area on both bodies. The two-body match inside the top 30 is the cleanest brand signal Humboldt sends, since cross-body agreement at the top end is rare.
| Ranking Body | 2026 Rank |
|---|---|
| QS Arts and Humanities | #24 |
| THE Arts and Humanities | #23 |
Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin in Law
Humboldt holds a global #37 in QS Law 2026 and #31 in THE Law 2026, putting it inside the global top 40 on both bodies. The QS-THE gap is just 6 places, the tightest cross-body match in Humboldt’s subject table.
| Ranking Body | 2026 Rank |
|---|---|
| QS Law | #37 |
| THE Law | #31 |
The tight cross-body match means the degree’s signal value for Indian LLM, Public Policy or constitutional law applicants is consistent regardless of which list a future employer checks first.
Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin in Psychology
Humboldt ranks #53 on QS Psychology 2026 and #52 on THE Psychology 2026, with ARWU placing it in the #51-75 band on its 2025 subject list. The three-body match inside the top 75 is one of the most consistent reads in the article.
| Ranking Body | Latest Rank |
|---|---|
| QS Psychology 2026 | #53 |
| THE Psychology 2026 | #52 |
| ARWU Psychology 2025 | #51-75 |
For Indian applicants targeting an MS Psychology, one of the most popular Humboldt programs among Indian intakes, the three-body consistency turns the rank into a reliable degree-value signal rather than a single-source claim.
Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin in Economics and Business
Humboldt sits at #99 in QS Economics and Econometrics 2026, just inside the global top 100. Its QS Business and Management Studies position sits in the #301-350 band, well outside the same tier, marking a clear internal split between research economics and applied business at Humboldt.
| Subject | QS 2026 Rank |
|---|---|
| Economics and Econometrics | #99 |
| Business and Management Studies | #301-350 |
The 202-place internal gap between Economics and Business at Humboldt is a routing signal: MS Economics is a top-100 degree, while MBA-style Business and Management is not part of Humboldt’s high-rank brand. Indian MBA applicants should treat this as a redirect signal rather than a slight on the campus.
Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin in Computer Science
Humboldt ranks #149 on QS Computer Science 2026 and sits in the #251-300 band on THE Computer Science 2026. The 100-plus place gap between the two bodies marks Computer Science as Humboldt’s least consistent subject area.
| Ranking Body | 2026 Rank |
|---|---|
| QS Computer Science | #149 |
| THE Computer Science | #251-300 |
For an India-side CS applicant, the QS rank sits 9 places behind Humboldt’s overall QS 2027 position of #140, meaning CS does not carry the campus’s strongest signal. TU Berlin and TUM are the higher-priority German targets for CS-only intent.
Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin in ARWU Subject Rankings 2025
The ARWU 2025 Global Ranking of Academic Subjects places Humboldt inside the top 50 of two specialised subject lists and the top 100 in five more. ARWU, which measures research output and citation weight at the subject level, gives a sharper bibliometric read than QS or THE on these niches.
| Subject | ARWU 2025 Rank |
|---|---|
| Water Resources | #32 |
| Remote Sensing | #42 |
| Mathematics | #51-75 |
| Psychology | #51-75 |
| Geography | #76-100 |
| Biological Sciences | #76-100 |
| Human Biological Sciences | #76-100 |
| Clinical Medicine | #76-100 |
Water Resources at #32 and Remote Sensing at #42 are Humboldt’s highest ARWU subject signals, both ahead of the overall positions every other body publishes. Indian PhD or research-track applicants in environmental science, geography or biology can read these niches as the campus’s strongest bibliometric brand.
Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin Regional Rankings
Humboldt holds a clear position on QS’s regional list for Europe, with its Western Europe ranking the cleanest geographic signal in this section.
Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin in QS Western Europe Rankings
Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin ranks #29 in QS Europe Rankings 2026 (Western Europe). The position is 111 places ahead of its QS World 2027 rank of #140, the largest regional-versus-world lift the campus posts.
| Regional Ranking | Latest Rank |
|---|---|
| QS Europe Rankings (Western Europe) 2026 | #29 |
For Indian students filtering on European brand value rather than global rank, the #29 Western Europe position puts Humboldt inside the top-30 zone alongside major Paris and Amsterdam research universities. The regional rank is the strongest read for India-side employers who screen by continent rather than by global tier.
The Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin rankings story for Indian students hinges on the 89-place spread between U.S. News (#51) and QS (#140), a gap that says more about ranking methodology than degree value. Pair the THE five-year average of #84 and the CD Germany rank of #5 with the four-category Germany #1 on CD subject lists, and the practical read for an Indian applicant in Law, Humanities, Arts, Psychology or Social Studies is straightforward: Humboldt is a top-100 brand in the disciplines it actually leads.
Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin Ranking FAQs
Ques. What is the QS ranking of Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin in 2027?
Ans. Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin ranks #140 in QS World University Rankings 2027, released on 18 June 2026. The position is 10 places lower than its #130 rank in QS 2026.
Ques. What is Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin’s THE ranking?
Ans. Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin ranks #89 in Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2026. The campus has stayed inside the THE global top 100 every year since 2022, with a five-year average of #84 and a five-year peak of #74 in THE 2022.
Ques. How does Humboldt University Berlin compare with IIT Bombay in QS rankings?
Ans. The two universities sit 6 ranks apart on QS 2027. IIT Bombay ranks #134 and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin ranks #140, placing both inside the same global tier. Humboldt outranks IIT Bombay on humanities, law and social science subject lists, while IIT Bombay leads on engineering and CS.
Ques. What is the Collegedunia Study Abroad ranking of Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin?
Ans. The Collegedunia Study Abroad ranking of Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin is #65 globally and #5 in Germany for the 2026 edition. Humboldt also holds the #1 rank in Germany on four CD category lists: Arts, Humanities, Law and Social Studies.
Ques. Is Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin recognised in ARWU Shanghai Rankings?
Ans. Yes. ARWU 2025 lists Humboldt across multiple subject rankings, with Water Resources at #32, Remote Sensing at #42, and Mathematics and Psychology both in the #51-75 band. Five more subjects, including Biological Sciences, Geography and Clinical Medicine, sit in the global #76-100 band on the same edition.










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