image: Dr. Constanze Schelhorn, head of publishing at MDPI
Credit: MDPI
MDPI, the open access (OA) publisher, today announced that 330 MDPI journals have been included in Clarivate’s latest Journal Citation Reports (JCRs). Equally significant, 29 MDPI journals achieved their first Journal Impact Factor (JIF), while 254 MDPI journals received an increased metric. Overall, the 2026 JCR demonstrates continued growth in the visibility and influence of OA research across MDPI’s portfolio.
Based on citation performance, 231 MDPI journals (70%) placed in the top 50% (first or second quartile) in at least one of their respective categories, up from 195 journals (65%) in last year’s Autumn update. Of these, 78 journals received a top-quartile ranking, while 11 also ranked in the top 10% by category—a testament to their growing influence and academic prestige.
Moreover, a total of 33 MDPI journals achieved a Journal Impact Factor of 5.0 or higher. Notably, Machine Learning and Knowledge Extraction received a JIF of 8.4, up from 6.0 in 2025, while Antioxidants rose from 6.6 to 8.2. These improvements reflect the growing influence, visibility, and quality of these journals, broadening access to trusted research globally.
Dr. Constanze Schelhorn, head of publishing at MDPI, said: “Receiving a Journal Impact Factor is an important milestone in a journal's development and increases its visibility within the scholarly publishing landscape. For our newly indexed journals, it reflects years of commitment from editors, reviewers, authors, and editorial teams to establishing trusted venues for scholars.”
“At the same time, metrics cannot fully capture a journal's value or the impact of the research it publishes. The JCR metrics should therefore be considered alongside other indicators, including the quality and integrity of editorial processes, article-level performance, and the broader contribution journals make to their research communities.”
As of June 2026, MDPI journals have received 25.2 million citations in Web of Science, making MDPI the most cited fully OA publisher. Alongside citation performance, MDPI continues to invest in editorial quality, research integrity, and peer-review oversight across its journal portfolio.
363 MDPI Journals Receive CiteScores for 2025
The news follows the release of the Scopus 2025 CiteScores earlier this month, in which 363 MDPI journals were included. This report provides a four-year perspective on citation performance, including the following key statistics:
- 314 MDPI journals ranked in the top 50% (Q1 and Q2) in at least one subject category;
- 178 MDPI journals held a Q1 rank, with 42 journals placed in the top 10% by subject;
- 234 MDPI journals received an increased CiteScore, while 41 received their first CiteScore;
- 52 journals moved to a higher quartile in at least one of their assigned categories.
Notably, both Foods and Life achieved a 99th percentile ranking by category, positioning them as leading journals in their respective fields—also reflective of the high visibility and global impact of the open access research they publish.
Stefan Tochev, CEO at MDPI, said: “The majority of MDPI’s indexed journals are now ranked in the top 50% of their respective fields, across both the 2026 JCR and CiteScores metrics. These results reflect sustained improvements across our portfolio and the continued contribution of our editors, reviewers, authors, and journal teams.”