According to both the THE Ranking and the QS Rankings, Freie Universität is one of the best universities in Germany. The university held its own in the Times Higher Education (THE) Ranking that was just published, again ranking as the fifth highest placed university in Germany and 75 worldwide, as opposed to 72 last year.

According to the prestigious QS World University Ranking, Freie Universität is among the six best universities in Germany. In the 2016/2017 ranking, which was published in September in London, Freie Universität was ranked 123 worldwide. Since the last ranking, the university showed improvement in the reputation of its graduates among employers and the number of citations by researchers.

In the QS World University Ranking by Subject, published in March, Freie Universität Berlin placed first in Germany in six subjects: archaeology (rank 11 worldwide), English language and literature (among the best 100 worldwide), anthropology (29), political science and international relations (18), and sociology (22). The seven subjects in which the university came in second in Germany include: history, modern languages, pharmacy and pharmacology, and veterinary medicine.