Accolades VH1 ranked the album tenth on their 2015 list of "The 12 Most Underrated Nu Metal Albums", while Revolver included it on a 2021 list of the "20 Essential Nu-Metal Albums". In 2020, Metal Hammer listed it as being one of the best metal albums released between 1996 and 1997, and also included it in their lists of the top 10 albums of 1997 and the top 20 best metal albums of 1997. When ranking Incubus's discography in 2020, Kerrang! placed S.C.I.E.N.C.E. third, remarking, "for fans of the band’s heavier, zanier leanings, this remains the high bar against which Incubus releases are now measured. Given the subsequent departures from this template, however, it’s likely those early adopters have been left disappointed. You could therefore argue that S.C.I.E.N.C.E. is something of a creative albatross around the band’s neck." In 2024, Ultimate Guitar included it on a list titled "10 Classic Albums That Defined the '90s Alternative Metal Scene".
Accolades VH1 ranked the album tenth on their 2015 list of "The 12 Most Underrated Nu Metal Albums", while Revolver included it on a 2021 list of the "20 Essential Nu-Metal Albums". In 2020, Metal Hammer listed it as being one of the best metal albums released between 1996 and 1997, and also included it in their lists of the top 10 albums of 1997 and the top 20 best metal albums of 1997. When ranking Incubus's discography in 2020, Kerrang! placed S.C.I.E.N.C.E. third, remarking, "for fans of the band’s heavier, zanier leanings, this remains the high bar against which Incubus releases are now measured. Given the subsequent departures from this template, however, it’s likely those early adopters have been left disappointed. You could therefore argue that S.C.I.E.N.C.E. is something of a creative albatross around the band’s neck." In 2024, Ultimate Guitar included it on a list titled "10 Classic Albums That Defined the '90s Alternative Metal Scene".