DGIST Ranks 4th Globally and 1st in South Korea
in "Citations per Faculty" in the 2026 QS World University Rankings
DGIST (President Lee Geonwoo) ranked 4th in the world and 1st in South Korea in the "Citations per Faculty" category in the "2026 QS World University Rankings (QS WUR)" announced by the British university evaluation agency QS (Quacquarelli Symonds).
"Citations per Faculty" is an indicator that evaluates how frequently research papers by a university's faculty are cited by researchers worldwide. It is considered a core metric that most directly reflects the quality of a university's research and its academic influence. This year, the ranking was calculated based on papers published by DGIST from 2019 to 2023, with citation counts from 2019 to 2024.
DGIST recorded 431.7 citations per faculty member over five years, achieving a score more than eight times the global average of 52.0 and earning a perfect score in this indicator. Despite its short history?founded in 2004, with the graduate school established in 2011 and the undergraduate program in 2014?DGIST entered the QS WUR for the first time in 2024 at 7th place globally, and this year climbed three spots to 4th place, establishing itself as a top-tier global research university.
This achievement is attributed to DGIST's vision of "a convergence university changing the world through innovation," which fosters interdisciplinary research that transcends traditional academic boundaries. Collaboration across various fields beyond conventional departments is leading to innovative and influential research outcomes.
Lee Geonwoo, President of DGIST, stated, "Achieving 4th place in the world within just 11 years of undergraduate and 14 years of graduate programs is a testament to DGIST's unique research philosophy being recognized internationally." He added, "We will focus our capabilities on the recently selected future strategic areas of Physical AI, Human Digital Twin, and Quantum Sensing, and further strengthen global partnerships to become a world-leading innovation hub."
Meanwhile, the QS World University Rankings is a global university evaluation published annually based on nine indicators, including academic and employer reputation, faculty-student ratio, citations per faculty, internationalization, and sustainability. It serves as a key benchmark for assessing the competitiveness of higher education institutions worldwide. This year, Harvard University ranked first globally in the "Citations per Faculty" category, followed by City University of Hong Kong and the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) in second and third place, respectively. DGIST ranked fourth, demonstrating its research capabilities at the highest level in Asia, following these prestigious global universities.
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