Germany: 111 Nobel Laureates
University of Columbia: 83 Nobel Laureates
The whole country struggled to produce just a little more than one American university. They may think more independently, but it seems that it was so independent as to fail to advance human knowledge much more than a single American university.
In other words adding up all Nobel laureates by Country would yield the number of total laureates. Adding by alumni, past and present positions (at all universities) would yield a high multiple of total laureates, because the vast majority of laureates would not have spend their whole life at one institution.
For example: Horst Ludwig Störmer https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horst_Ludwig_St%C3%B6rmer
German scientist, but point goes to University of Columbia
Also, the number of Laureates in sciences relates more to the funding of research rather than the quality of education. Any affiliation with a US institution gives you better access (in the short or long run) to research funding.
There are a good few European countries above the US.
i.e. is a Peace Laureate the same value in showing the superiority of a particular university as a Chemistry Laureate or even Literature Laureate?
The list looks very different if you take that into account.
Love that the Faroe Islands is at the top with one prize.
New York Yankees: 27 World Series Championships.
Really makes you think.
Has the university produced the Nobel laureates, or are they merely currently based there?
Also, producing Nobel laureates is not the primary goal of education. Independent thinking is a skill that is useful to everyone, in many areas of life.