World’s Top 2% Scientists list: the complete guide (2026 edition)
In short: the World’s Top 2% Scientists list is a yearly ranking of researchers by a composite citation score, the c-score, made by a team led by Prof. John P. A. Ioannidis at Stanford University and published with Elsevier. It lists the top 100,000 scientists overall and the top 2% of each of 174 subfields. The 2026 edition came out on 7 October 2026 and counts citations to the end of 2025.
What the list is, and what it is not
The list started in 2019 as a public database of standardised citation indicators: the same measures, worked out the same way, for every author in a large citation database, so that researchers can be compared fairly within their own field. Universities now quote it in press releases and promotion files, which is why “Top 2% scientist” has become a line on many CVs.
It is not an award and nobody applies for it. It is calculated, every year, from citation data. It also does not measure the quality of a single paper, teaching or patents. It measures how much, and in which role, the research community cites your work.
How a scientist gets into the list
- Six citation measures are worked out for every author: total citations, h-index, a co-authorship adjusted h-index, and citations to papers where you are the only, the first or the last author. How the c-score is calculated.
- The six are combined into one c-score, which rewards impact more than the number of papers.
- Scientists are ranked inside their main subfield, one of 174. The top 2% of each subfield, and the top 100,000 overall, make the list. The selection criteria.
The 2026 list in numbers
| Country | Scientists in the 2026 list |
|---|---|
| United States | 90,921 |
| United Kingdom | 21,351 |
| China | 14,582 |
| Germany | 12,809 |
| Canada | 10,063 |
| Japan | 9,097 |
| Australia | 8,551 |
| France | 7,613 |
| Italy | 7,363 |
| Netherlands | 5,001 |
| India | 4,146 |
| Spain | 4,103 |
Counted by ScholarsColab from the 2026 list (243,949 entries), using the country recorded for each scientist. India: 4,146 scientists, by institution and field.
Two lists every year
Career-long: all citations up to the end of the last year. Senior scientists with a long record lead it. Single-year: only the citations received in that one year. It shows who is being cited strongly now, so younger researchers often enter this one first. Both lists give every measure with and without self-citations.
Can you get into it?
Yes, if your citations as a lead author grow faster than those of your subfield. The measures that move most are the authorship ones, because many researchers have most of their citations as middle authors, which those measures do not count. What to focus on.
Questions people ask
What is the World’s Top 2% Scientists list?
A yearly list, made by a team led by Prof. John P. A. Ioannidis of Stanford University and published with Elsevier, that ranks researchers by a composite citation indicator (the c-score). It includes the top 100,000 scientists by c-score and anyone in the top 2% of their subfield.
Is the Top 2% list made by Stanford University?
It is made by researchers at Stanford University led by Prof. John P. A. Ioannidis, with the data and hosting from Elsevier. It is not an award given by the university; the list is calculated from citation data.
When is the Top 2% list released?
Once a year, usually between August and October. The 2026 edition (data version 9) was published on 7 October 2026 and counts citations up to the end of 2025.
Can I apply for the Top 2% list?
No. Nobody applies or is nominated. The list is calculated from the author profiles in the citation database, so the only things you can do are keep your profile correct and raise the measures the c-score uses.
More on the Top 2% list
Your own numbers against the Top 2% of your subfield. The free check opens soon.
See the Top 2% Standing Check