QS World University Rankings recently presented this year's subject-based ranking list. What distinguishes the method used by QS is that they not only measure research excellence, but also quality of education. This is achieved through surveys regarding "academic reputation" and "employer reputation”. On the research side, the method includes the use of citation analysis and measurement of the H-index (which aims to measure both productivity and impact). The weighting of the indicators varies from subject to subject.

Stockholm University is ranked among the top 100 higher education institutes in the world in eight subject areas. The subjects are Geography (20), Environmental Science (38), Sociology (49), and in the range 51-100, Linguistics, Law, Biological Sciences, Geological and Marine sciences, and Media and Communication Studies.

The following subjects maintain a position in the range 101-150: Chemistry, Philosophy, Pedagogy, and Economics. Stockholm University occupies, according to QS, the national first place in Geography, Sociology, Linguistics (together with Lund and Uppsala), Media and Communications, and in joint second place together Lund, Geological and Marine Sciences and Law.