Best Animal Science and Veterinary Universities in the World 2026

Each institution’s position within the ranking is determined by the aggregate sum of D-indexes (Discipline H-index) of all ranking scholars affiliated with the institution whose primary publication area lies within Animal Science and Veterinary disciplines. The D-index is a refined metric that exclusively includes publications and corresponding citation data pertinent to the specific discipline under examination, offering a focused measure of scientific impact within the respective field.

Scope of Research and Scholar Selection Criteria

The ranking is based on an extensive analysis of 279,971 scientist profiles identified from diverse bibliometric data sources. From this broad pool, 44,677 scientists specializing specifically in Animal Science and Veterinary disciplines were selected for detailed evaluation.

To qualify for inclusion, an individual scientist must have a D-index threshold of at least 20, with the majority of their tier publications concentrated in Animal Science and Veterinary. Beyond bibliometric criteria, scholars’ awards and notable achievements within the field were also carefully considered. The D-index threshold for identifying top researchers is dynamically adjusted in increments of 10, depending on the total estimated number of scholars for the discipline, ensuring inclusion of the top 1% of leading experts. Additionally, a maximum proximity of 30% or less between a scientist's general H-index and their D-index was required to maintain disciplinary focus and relevance.

Additional Verification Practices

Understanding that raw bibliometric data alone cannot fully capture the nuanced contributions of individual researchers, the team behind this ranking carried out rigorous manual verification of all scientist profiles. Each profile was cross-correlated against publications in a wide range of trustworthy and authoritative sources to ensure data accuracy and validity.

While the number of publications in prominent journals and conference proceedings does not directly influence the researcher’s ranking position, it is acknowledged as an invaluable secondary signal indicative of a scientist’s contribution to the research area.

Institutional rankings are primarily established using each researcher’s H-index derived from the consolidated data of OpenAlex and CrossRef, two of the most prominent and respected bibliometric databases accessible to the global research community.

For a comprehensive overview of the methodology and validation procedures, we encourage readers to visit our methodology page.

Research.com’s Mission and Agenda

At Research.com, our mission is to motivate scientists, business leaders, and policymakers worldwide to explore the trajectories of leading experts in their fields. By providing transparent and reliable information, we enable the global research community to identify top scholars within specific disciplines, across various countries, and within research institutions. This fosters collaboration, strategic decision-making, and informed investments that collectively advance scientific progress.

Key Results of the Ranking

• Top 3 Institutions by Number of Leading Scientists:
  1. Wageningen University & Research – 51 scientists
  2. University of Guelph – 43 scientists
  3. Universidade de São Paulo – 35 scientists
• Most Prominent Scholars Representing: Texas A&M University, University of Castilla-La Mancha, Pennsylvania State University, University of Calgary, University of British Columbia, Murdoch University, University of Florida, Tufts University, University of Guelph, ETH Zurich.
• Top Individual Scholars:
  • Professor Guoyao Wu (Texas A&M University): World’s top scientist with a D-index of 156.
  • Fuller W. Bazer (Texas A&M University): Second place worldwide with a D-index of 139.
  • José de la Fuente (University of Castilla-La Mancha): Third place with a D-index of 106.
• Institutional Averages:
  • The average total D-index for the top 5% universities is 1200, compared to an overall average of 179 across all 511 institutions included.
  • Scientists affiliated with the top 5% of universities published on average 5,457 articles in Animal Science and Veterinary disciplines, versus 791 articles on average for all 511 universities.
  • The average citation count for researchers in the top 1% universities is 363,361, significantly surpassing the average of 30,826 citations for all institutions in the ranking.