Colombia University Research Rankings
Compare Colombia universities using recent research output, citation impact, growth and a transparent research-performance score.
Research landscape
The current ITS Research Intelligence dataset contains 154 index-ready universities in Colombia. Across those institutions, the average five-year research output is approximately 1,761 works and the average five-year citation count is approximately 6,805. The average publication-growth signal is 23.4%. These figures describe the institutions that pass the public quality gate; they are not intended to represent every tertiary institution in the country.
Country rankings are useful for benchmarking because they reduce some of the structural differences that make global comparisons difficult. They still should not be treated as a complete assessment of institutional quality: teaching, student outcomes, funding levels, research field mix and institutional mission are outside this research-performance score. The value of the page is in seeing who is producing research, how that activity is changing, and where citation visibility is concentrated.
Top research universities in Colombia
| Rank | University | Country | Score | 5-year works | 5-year citations | Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Universidad de Los Andes | Colombia | 72.2 | 7,813 | 73,333 | -4.4% |
| #2 | Universidad de Antioquia | Colombia | 68.1 | 20,203 | 101,233 | 0.8% |
| #3 | Universidad Nacional de Colombia | Colombia | 67.8 | 27,966 | 116,685 | 6.1% |
| #4 | University of the Coast | Colombia | 66.4 | 3,841 | 37,800 | 18.3% |
| #5 | Pontificia Universidad Javeriana | Colombia | 63.7 | 12,626 | 52,963 | -6.8% |
| #6 | Universidad del Norte | Colombia | 63.2 | 3,419 | 25,883 | -5.5% |
| #7 | Universidad del Rosario | Colombia | 62.8 | 7,266 | 35,161 | -12.3% |
| #8 | Universidad del Valle | Colombia | 62.2 | 10,610 | 39,640 | 3.3% |
| #9 | Universidad Antonio Nariño | Colombia | 61.8 | 1,897 | 13,039 | 25.0% |
| #10 | Universidad de La Sabana | Colombia | 60.2 | 4,364 | 22,542 | 12.6% |
| #11 | Universidad De Santander | Colombia | 59.3 | 1,872 | 12,533 | 11.0% |
| #12 | Industrial University of Santander | Colombia | 59.2 | 5,817 | 22,571 | -8.4% |
| #13 | Icesi University | Colombia | 59.2 | 2,872 | 16,920 | 8.3% |
| #14 | Universidad Simón Bolívar | Colombia | 59.2 | 2,111 | 12,455 | 29.6% |
| #15 | University of Cartagena | Colombia | 58.9 | 5,118 | 20,986 | 1.4% |
| #16 | Institución Universitaria Visión de las Américas | Colombia | 58.7 | 792 | 8,616 | -39.8% |
| #17 | Universidad El Bosque | Colombia | 58.6 | 4,069 | 18,437 | -1.4% |
| #18 | Universidad de Medellín | Colombia | 58.6 | 2,504 | 15,548 | 9.5% |
| #19 | Universidad EAFIT | Colombia | 57.4 | 2,978 | 14,472 | -3.4% |
| #20 | University of Atlántico | Colombia | 57.3 | 2,878 | 12,459 | 35.4% |
| #21 | Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana | Colombia | 56.3 | 4,131 | 14,673 | -10.5% |
| #22 | University of Córdoba | Colombia | 55.7 | 1,806 | 8,312 | 64.7% |
| #23 | Universidad de América | Colombia | 55.4 | 471 | 4,808 | 62.8% |
| #24 | University of Cauca | Colombia | 54.9 | 3,420 | 11,264 | 36.2% |
| #25 | Institución Universitaria ITM | Colombia | 54.7 | 1,900 | 9,168 | 4.2% |
| #26 | Universidad CES | Colombia | 54.6 | 2,203 | 7,241 | 33.5% |
| #27 | Universidad Autónoma de Occidente | Colombia | 54.5 | 1,579 | 6,643 | 34.9% |
| #28 | Technological University of Pereira | Colombia | 54.5 | 2,810 | 8,983 | 20.4% |
| #29 | Universidad Cooperativa de Colombia | Colombia | 54.4 | 3,669 | 10,430 | 67.8% |
| #30 | Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas | Colombia | 54.3 | 5,888 | 12,655 | 69.6% |
| #31 | Universidad Santiago de Cali | Colombia | 54.1 | 2,219 | 10,785 | -2.7% |
| #32 | Universidad Tecnológica de Bolívar | Colombia | 53.9 | 1,341 | 7,791 | 6.0% |
| #33 | Universidad Autonoma de Manizales | Colombia | 53.7 | 993 | 5,947 | 6.5% |
| #34 | Fundación Universitaria Konrad Lorenz | Colombia | 53.4 | 526 | 3,811 | -2.9% |
| #35 | University of Caldas | Colombia | 53.3 | 4,452 | 10,381 | 10.4% |
| #36 | Pedagogical and Technological University of Colombia | Colombia | 53.0 | 4,835 | 12,314 | -15.5% |
| #37 | University of Tolima | Colombia | 52.8 | 2,406 | 7,084 | 19.5% |
| #38 | Universidad Santo Tomás | Colombia | 52.6 | 1,904 | 7,054 | -11.7% |
| #39 | EIA University | Colombia | 52.4 | 987 | 4,247 | 46.4% |
| #40 | Military University Nueva Granada | Colombia | 52.3 | 3,437 | 9,183 | 11.5% |
| #41 | Universidad Autónoma de Bucaramanga | Colombia | 50.6 | 1,987 | 4,933 | 11.3% |
| #42 | University of La Salle | Colombia | 50.6 | 1,428 | 5,958 | -25.3% |
| #43 | Universidad de San Buenaventura, Bogota | Colombia | 50.5 | 1,385 | 4,842 | -10.0% |
| #44 | University of Magdalena | Colombia | 50.4 | 2,376 | 5,978 | 16.4% |
| #45 | Fundación Universitaria Sanitas | Colombia | 50.4 | 1,360 | 4,364 | 34.8% |
| #46 | Institución Universitaria Pascual Bravo | Colombia | 50.2 | 659 | 3,944 | -7.7% |
| #47 | Universidad de la Amazonia | Colombia | 50.2 | 2,012 | 5,397 | 17.2% |
| #48 | Universidad FUCS | Colombia | 50.2 | 1,749 | 5,124 | 5.7% |
| #49 | Universidad Nacional Abierta y a Distancia | Colombia | 50.1 | 2,475 | 6,902 | 13.0% |
| #50 | University of Quindío | Colombia | 50.0 | 1,919 | 5,070 | -3.8% |
| #51 | University of Pamplona | Colombia | 50.0 | 2,375 | 5,084 | 17.1% |
| #52 | Universidad de Manizales | Colombia | 49.2 | 1,912 | 4,062 | 41.2% |
| #53 | Universidad EAN | Colombia | 49.1 | 543 | 3,070 | -1.0% |
| #54 | Universidad de Bogotá Jorge Tadeo Lozano | Colombia | 48.9 | 1,000 | 3,641 | -13.4% |
| #55 | University of Sucre | Colombia | 48.9 | 1,806 | 4,392 | 10.6% |
| #56 | University of Nariño | Colombia | 48.8 | 1,855 | 4,573 | -0.1% |
| #57 | University of Applied and Environmental Sciences | Colombia | 48.7 | 801 | 3,283 | -5.9% |
| #58 | Universidad Libre de Colombia | Colombia | 48.5 | 3,606 | 5,283 | 12.6% |
| #59 | Universidad del Sinú | Colombia | 48.5 | 1,859 | 4,161 | 30.8% |
| #60 | Escuela Colombiana de Ingenieria Julio Garavito | Colombia | 48.3 | 778 | 2,668 | 55.0% |
| #61 | Popular University of Cesar | Colombia | 48.2 | 1,584 | 3,471 | 90.6% |
| #62 | National Training Service | Colombia | 47.9 | 2,639 | 4,533 | -47.2% |
| #63 | Universidad Autónoma del Caribe | Colombia | 47.8 | 620 | 1,815 | 71.9% |
| #64 | Sergio Arboleda University | Colombia | 47.3 | 638 | 2,479 | -10.9% |
| #65 | Corporación Universitaria Minuto de Dios | Colombia | 47.3 | 3,612 | 5,495 | 18.5% |
| #66 | Universidad Surcolombiana | Colombia | 47.1 | 1,607 | 3,426 | 12.6% |
| #67 | Francisco de Paula Santander University | Colombia | 46.9 | 2,355 | 4,924 | -40.4% |
| #68 | Universidad de Ibagué | Colombia | 46.3 | 846 | 2,950 | -18.6% |
| #69 | Universidad Colegio Mayor de Cundinamarca | Colombia | 46.1 | 509 | 1,799 | 10.1% |
| #70 | Universidad Pedagógica Nacional | Colombia | 45.7 | 761 | 1,051 | 179.3% |
| #71 | Universidad de los Llanos | Colombia | 45.7 | 1,357 | 2,713 | 16.1% |
| #72 | Fundación Universitaria Los Libertadores | Colombia | 45.6 | 636 | 2,177 | 46.5% |
| #73 | Universidad Católica Luis Amigó | Colombia | 45.5 | 1,327 | 3,093 | -8.0% |
| #74 | Corporación Universitaria Remington | Colombia | 45.4 | 896 | 2,258 | 66.9% |
| #75 | Fundación Universitaria del Área Andina | Colombia | 44.8 | 1,175 | 2,315 | 60.6% |
| #76 | Universidad Externado de Colombia | Colombia | 44.5 | 2,287 | 2,976 | -53.8% |
| #77 | Central University of Valle del Cauca | Colombia | 44.2 | 447 | 1,272 | 129.9% |
| #78 | Universidad Metropolitana | Colombia | 44.2 | 524 | 1,413 | 51.2% |
| #79 | Universidad Católica de Oriente | Colombia | 44.1 | 425 | 1,764 | 12.3% |
| #80 | University of La Guajira | Colombia | 44.0 | 1,081 | 2,490 | -4.9% |
| #81 | University of Boyaca | Colombia | 43.9 | 976 | 2,096 | -13.4% |
| #82 | Antioquia Institute of Technology | Colombia | 43.8 | 959 | 1,778 | 19.5% |
| #83 | Corporación Unificada Nacional de Educación Superior | Colombia | 43.7 | 508 | 1,811 | 3.9% |
| #84 | Catholic University of Colombia | Colombia | 43.6 | 1,004 | 2,130 | -28.1% |
| #85 | Universitaria de Investigación y Desarrollo | Colombia | 43.3 | 422 | 1,553 | 53.2% |
| #86 | Escuela Colombiana de Carreras Industriales | Colombia | 43.3 | 532 | 1,795 | 11.5% |
| #87 | University of Cundinamarca | Colombia | 43.1 | 1,094 | 1,678 | 36.0% |
| #88 | Universidad Católica de Manizales | Colombia | 42.6 | 519 | 1,545 | 1.4% |
| #89 | Politécnico Colombiano Jaime Isaza Cadavid | Colombia | 42.6 | 529 | 1,329 | 36.3% |
| #90 | Universidad Manuela Beltrán | Colombia | 42.3 | 567 | 1,108 | 33.5% |
| #91 | Universidad Católica de Pereira | Colombia | 42.1 | 395 | 1,493 | 11.2% |
| #92 | Institución Universitaria Colegio Mayor de Antioquia | Colombia | 42.1 | 339 | 1,288 | 13.1% |
| #93 | Technological University of Choco | Colombia | 42.1 | 388 | 1,046 | 78.6% |
| #94 | Colombia Adventist University | Colombia | 41.9 | 356 | 638 | 221.5% |
| #95 | Corporación Universitaria Rafael Nuñez | Colombia | 41.8 | 757 | 1,500 | -3.7% |
| #96 | Central University | Colombia | 41.5 | 195 | 1,412 | -36.7% |
| #97 | Saint Martin University | Colombia | 40.5 | 468 | 843 | 53.4% |
| #98 | Corporación Universitaria del Caribe | Colombia | 40.4 | 656 | 1,168 | 11.7% |
| #99 | Corporación Universitaria del Meta | Colombia | 40.0 | 649 | 428 | 286.7% |
| #100 | Unidades Tecnológicas de Santander | Colombia | 39.8 | 433 | 927 | 50.0% |
Research fields where Colombia universities rank
Number of Colombia universities in the top 100 of each ITS research-field ranking.
How ITS Research Score v3 is constructed
One formula applies to every index-ready institution, using the five most recent complete calendar years: 25% research output, 25% citations, 20% h-index and 5% i10-index (log-normalized so the largest universities do not dominate linearly), 15% citation impact (the institution’s percentile on citations per work, reduced below 500 works so small samples cannot win by chance), 5% publication growth and 5% international-collaboration share. When collaboration data is not yet available, the other weights are rescaled.
Data-quality controls: the unfinished current year is never counted, and a year in which recorded output jumps to more than three times the institution’s usual level while being at least 90% open access is treated as a bulk dataset or repository deposit and scored at the usual level. An affiliation check also removes institutions whose papers mostly do not name them in the author address (OpenAlex sometimes assigns a large university’s papers to a namesake school or college). Raw data are kept and every adjustment is logged. Open-access share and topic diversity are published as separate rankings and do not affect the main score. Citation impact is not field-normalized.
These indicators assess research activity only. They do not measure teaching quality, student experience, employability, reputation, finances or accreditation. Missing data are left missing rather than fabricated.