THE Interdisciplinary Science Research: ranks UCSB #8 globally

From COE News – "UCSB Ranks Eighth Globally for Interdisciplinary Research"

“Research without walls” isn’t just a phrase at UC Santa Barbara; it is the very foundation of the university’s academic endeavors. This is especially true within the College of Engineering, where new discoveries have been made and impactful technologies designed through interdisciplinary research. The college has long embraced a culture of collaboration and is home to numerous world-renowned institutes and centers, such as the Materials Research Laboratory; the Institute for Energy Efficiency; the UCSB Quantum Foundry; the Solid State Lighting and Energy Electronics Center; the Center for Materials for Water and Energy Systems; the BioPolymers, Automated Cellular Infrastructure, Flow, and Integrated Chemistry Materials Innovation Platforms; and the Extreme and Exceptional Fungi, Archaea, and Bacteria BioFoundry.

A new ranking, the inaugural Times Higher Education Interdisciplinary Science Rankings, gives credence to UCSB’s collaborative culture. The university placed No. 8 worldwide in the 2025 rankings, which were developed in collaboration with Schmidt Science Fellows, to celebrate academic institutions driving scientific excellence and cross-disciplinary collaboration. A total of 749 universities from 92 countries and territories were included in the 2025 rankings.

“The leadership and faculty at UC Santa Barbara, particularly in the College of Engineering, long ago recognized the effectiveness of tackling society’s greatest challenges by combining diverse perspectives and expertise,” said Umesh Mishra, dean of the UCSB College of Engineering. “The ranking demonstrates that UCSB punches above its weight class, validates our commitment to interdisciplinary research, and underscores the global impact of the work conducted on our campus.”

The ranking used eleven metrics to measure university performance in three areas: inputs (funding); process (measures of success, specific facilities for interdisciplinary teams, administrative support for interdisciplinary teams, and a promotion system that recognizes interdisciplinary research); and outputs (publications, research quality, and reputation). The survey recognized research projects as interdisciplinary only if they involved two or more scientific disciplines from computer science, engineering, life sciences, and physical sciences.  

The rankings are intended to draw attention to the advantages of cross-boundary science by championing it as the best way to address today’s biggest challenges and best opportunities for innovation. According to Times High Education’s news release, the top-ranked institutions “all have a strong focus on engineering and technology. They also have interdisciplinarity woven into their DNA from undergraduate education to postgraduate programmes and research centres. Their interdisciplinary aspirations are well supported in terms of funding and administrative support.” 

Wendy Schmidt, co-founder of Schmidt Sciences, said the rankings recognized universities that were “breaking down silos and creating new ways of pursuing knowledge, bringing us closer to transformative discoveries about ourselves and our universe.”

COE News – "UCSB Ranks Eighth Globally for Interdisciplinary Research"

The UCSB Current "UCSB Ranks Eighth Globally for Interdisciplinary Science"