The UB is listed as the only university in Spain among the top 200 worldwide universities in Shanghai Ranking

Once more, the world ranking is led by American universities. The first positions are held by Harvard and Stanford, while Cambridge is listed as third. A total of thirteen Spanish centers are listed among the top 500 universities worldwide. The Autonomous University of Barcelona, the Complutense University of Madrid, the University of , Granada and the University of Valencia are listed in the 201-300 segments. The Autonomous University of Madrid, Polytechnic University of Valencia, Pompeu Fabra University and the University of the Basque Country are listed in the 301-400 segments.

The Shanghai Ranking is created with the analysis of bibliometric data in six indicators: relevant awards (Nobel, Fields medal) obtained by students and teaching staff, the most cited researchers in the 21 areas determined by Thomson ISI, the published articles in Nature and Science, recorded articles in the Science Citation Index-Expanded (SCIE), and the Social Science Citation Index (SSCI), and last, the academic performance regarding the dimensions of the institution.