MSU ranks in top 7% for interdisciplinary science 

Times Higher Education of London has released the 2026 edition of its Interdisciplinary Science Rankings, placing MSU in the top 7% in the world.

Among 991 institutions across 94 countries, MSU ranked No. 56 globally. MSU’s worldwide rank places the university at No. 20 out of 47 participating U.S. universities and No. 19 out of the 28 participating Association of American Universities member institutions.

Interdisciplinary science rankings measure the strength of research occurring across fields — not just within traditional scientific disciplines, but in collaborations that bridge the sciences, social sciences, engineering and medical or health fields. These rankings consider performance across 11 categories, including research quality, societal impact, international collaboration and cross-field publication strength. The 2026 release marks only the second year of this ranking, which is quickly emerging as an important indicator of how universities are addressing complex global challenges.

“Interdisciplinary science is where many of the world’s most urgent challenges will be solved, and Michigan State is proud to be among the global leaders advancing this work,” said MSU Provost Laura Lee McIntyre. “This ranking reflects the strength of our faculty, the creativity of our students and our commitment to bringing together diverse fields to generate real-world solutions.”

MSU’s position in the top tier of global institutions reflects its growing momentum in collaborative research areas, including climate and environmental resilience, advanced materials and microelectronics, sustainable agriculture, digital innovation, public and community health, and the social and behavioral sciences.

Recent initiatives such as the Engineering and Digital Innovation Center, the MSU Water Alliance and the Henry Ford Health + MSU Health Sciences partnership continue to elevate MSU’s capacity to foster interdisciplinary teams and accelerate discovery across the state, the country and the world.

Times Higher Education is one of four major global ranking organizations, alongside QS, the Academic Ranking of World Universities (Shanghai), and U.S. News & World Report. MSU consistently earns strong placements across these measures, including top 10 global positions in communication, education, and environmental science and engineering.