Top 10 Life Sciences Journals (2026 Ranking)

Explore the leading academic journals in Life Sciences. This list features high-impact publications ranked by their latest metrics, APC fees, and indexing status.

Highest Citation Rate Life Sciences Journal 2026

The highest citation rate life sciences journal currently in our catalog is Nature, with a 2026 OpenAlex Citation Rate of 69.50, published by Nature Portfolio. The ranked list below shows the full life sciences journal ranking by Citation Rate.

Data refreshed from our latest data refresh. Search any life sciences journal citation rate by ISSN →

Ranked List: Top Life Sciences Publications
#1
Nature
Nature Portfolio · ISSN: 0028-0836
CR: 69.50
#2
Cell
Elsevier · ISSN: 0092-8674
CR: 66.80
#3
Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences
Springer · ISSN: 1420-9071
CR: 64.50
Open Access
#4
Science
American Association for the Advancement of Science · ISSN: 0036-8075
CR: 63.70
#5
Frontiers in Bee Science
Frontiers Media S.A. · ISSN: 2813-5911
CR: 56.90
Open Access
#6
Marine and Fishery Sciences
Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Desarrollo Pesquero (INIDEP) · ISSN: 2683-7951
CR: 56.90
Open Access
#7
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
National Academy of Sciences · ISSN: 0027-8424
CR: 54.05
#8
Nature Communications
Nature Portfolio · ISSN: 2041-1723
CR: 17.70
Open Access
#9
eLife
eLife Sciences Publications Ltd · ISSN: 2050-084X
CR: 8.70
Open Access
#10
PLoS ONE
Public Library of Science · ISSN: 1932-6203
CR: 3.70
Open Access

All Journals in Life Sciences

Academia Molecular Biology and Genomics

Academia.edu Journals

3064-9765 IF 0.69
Advances in Oceanography and Limnology

PAGEPress Publications

1947-5721 IF 1.50
BMC Medical Genomics

BMC

1755-8794 IF 2.87
Budownictwo o Zoptymalizowanym Potencjale Energetycznym

The Publishing Office of Czestochowa University of Technology

2299-8535 IF 0.23
Cell

Elsevier

0092-8674 IF 64.50
Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences

Springer

1420-9071 IF 64.50
Frontiers in Bee Science

Frontiers Media S.A.

2813-5911 IF 56.90
Frontiers in Bioscience-Scholar

IMR Press

1945-0516 IF 3.49
Genomics

Elsevier

0888-7543 IF 3.03
International Aquatic Research

Islamic Azad University​

2008-4935
Journal of Genetic Resources

University of Mazandaran

2423-4257
Marine and Fishery Sciences

Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Desarrollo Pesquero (INIDEP)

2683-7951 IF 56.90
Nature

Nature Portfolio

0028-0836 IF 14.74
Nature Communications

Nature Portfolio

2041-1723 IF 14.53
PLoS ONE

Public Library of Science

1932-6203 IF 2.54
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

National Academy of Sciences

0027-8424 IF 6.78
Redox Biochemistry and Chemistry

Elsevier

2773-1766 IF 3.49
Science

American Association for the Advancement of Science

0036-8075 IF 16.89
eLife

eLife Sciences Publications Ltd

2050-084X IF 2.51

Life Sciences Journals — Frequently Asked Questions

What is the highest citation rate life sciences journal in 2026?

The top-ranked life sciences journal on this page is the highest-impact-factor publication in our catalog for this field, sourced from our latest data refresh. Compare it with the rest of the ranked list above to see how citation rates distribute across this discipline.

How do I search journal of life sciences citation rate?

Use the ISSN Checker to look up any life sciences journal by ISSN — you get the latest OpenAlex Citation Rate, CiteScore, quartile, indexing badges, and OA status in one view. Or browse the ranked list above directly.

Are there open access life sciences journals with high citation rate?

Yes — life sciences titles flagged with the green Open Access badge above are both peer-reviewed and freely readable. Several are also DOAJ-listed and Scopus-indexed.

What does life sciences journal ranking mean?

The life sciences journal ranking on this page is by OpenAlex Citation Rate — the average citation count for articles published in the prior two years. Other ranking systems (CiteScore, SJR, OpenAlex Quartiles) apply different windows and weightings. Read what journal citation rate means »

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