QS World University Rankings by Subject 2022 reveal Ajou University's improved performance in 9 categories. 

Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), a British company specializing in analysis of higher education institutions around the world, ranks the world's universities in five subject categories based on analysis of research merit, reputation, and other factors. The five subject categories are Life Sciences & Medicine, Engineering & Technology, Natural Sciences, Social Sciences & Management, and Arts & Humanities. QS further divides these 5 categories into 51 sub-categories (7 to 15 per category) to decide its rankings (60 to 670 per category). The subject categories and sub-categories observed by QS do not convert directly into departments and subjects in place at Korean universities, but QS World University Rankings serve as an indicator of universities' general research capacity and competitiveness.

Ajou University achieved global rankings in the 451st-500th range in 2 of the 5 subject categories, Life Sciences & Medicine and Engineering & Technology. Those rankings convert to 11th (Life Sciences & Medicine) and 14th (Engineering & Technology) when compared to all other Korean universities recognized by QS World University Rankings by Subject 2022.

Ajou University fared well in the sub-categories as well, achieving rankings in 10 of the 51 sub-categories, with 9 of those rankings higher than the previous year. Its best ranking in the sub-categories was in Pharmacy & Pharmacology (251st-300th), with rankings in the 301st-350th range in Medicine and Electrical & Electronics. Ajou University was among only 15 Korean universities that ranked in at least 10 sub-categories in QS World University Rankings by Subject 2022. 

Ajou University was ranked in the 351st-400th range in Chemical Engineering, Computer Science & Information Systems, and Biological Sciences, in the 401st-450th range in Business & Management Studies and Chemistry, and in the 451st-500th range in Mechanical, Aeronautical & Manufacturing and Mathematics.

QS World University Rankings by Subject 2022 saw Ajou University rank for the first time in 4 sub-categories: Business & Management Studies, Mechanical, Aeronautical & Manufacturing, Mathematics, Chemistry, and Business & Management Studies.

Each year, QS analyzes and ranks every university in the world in groupings that include Global and Asia and by subject. The indicators that were analyzed to produce QS World University Rankings by Subject 2022 were "academic peer review," "employer reputation," "citations per faculty," "international student ratio," and "international staff ratio."