UK is Europe’s sustainability leader in Times Higher Education University Impact Rankings 2025 Universities in the UK stand out globally for their progress towards tackling the world’s greatest challenges – although their relative performance is waning as institutions in Asia up their game on sustainability, the Times Higher Education (THE) University Impact Rankings 2025 have revealed.
The University of Manchester in the United Kingdom is number one in Europe and second place globally in the overall ranking for the third consecutive year, while five other UK institutions make the global top 50.
A university in the United Kingdom is also ranked first in the world for two of the SDGs: the University of Huddersfield leads globally on SDG 10 (reduced inequalities) while the University of Manchester is number one for SDG 11 (sustainable cities and communities).
Elsewhere in Europe, Ireland’s RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences is ranked first in the world on SDG 3 (good health and well-being), while eight European universities – spanning
Germany, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom – are among the 12 universities tied in first place for SDG 9 (industry, innovation and infrastructure).
This means that four of the 17 individual SDG tables are led by a European university this year – although this represents a decline from six last year. The United Kingdom tops three SDGs, down from five last year. The decline occurs as Asia makes great leaps forward in sustainability; the continent now tops 10 SDGs globally, up from five last year, and for the first time over 50 per cent of the universities ranked across all 18 tables are in Asia.
Across the 18 rankings, which are released this week at the Global Sustainable Development Congress in Istanbul, there are 619 universities ranked from Europe and 40 countries/territories represented. Russian Federation is the most represented country in the region, with 88 institution ranked.
Western Sydney University in Australia takes first place in the overall ranking for the fourth consecutive year, while Kyungpook National University in South Korea is third overall and number one in Asia.
The University Impact Rankings are the only global performance tables that assess universities against the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. Universities are ranked across 18 tables: one overall ranking and 17 tables representing each individual SDG.
This year’s rankings are released 10 years after the creation of the SDGs and amid scepticism that the goals will be met by the target year of 2030. However, the data show that universities are highly focused on delivering on the sustainability agenda and demonstrating public impact. Phil Baty, THE’s chief global affairs officer, said: “The THE Impact Rankings are the world’s only rankings to explore universities’ contribution to each and every one of the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals, across the full range of their activities: teaching, research, outreach and stewardship.
And this comprehensive analysis clearly shows that universities worldwide are stepping up to help the world take on its most pressing grand challenges, from the climate crisis to delivering economic growth to supporting peace and justice across the world.
This huge piece of research highlights the real-world impact that universities make, and their contribution to the public good.
“Our evidence is clear: universities across Europe – particularly in the UK – are leading the way on helping the world to a more sustainable future, taking world-leading positions across a wide range of individual Sustainable Development Goals.”
Country highlights
Russian Federation leads Europe in terms of representation, with 88 institutions ranked. Its top institution is Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University in the 301-400 band.
It is followed by the United Kingdom with 76 ranked universities across the 18 tables. The United Kingdom’s top institution is University of Manchester, which is second in the world overall and also tops the global table for SDG 11 (sustainable cities and communities). Meanwhile, the University of Huddersfield takes top position on SDG 10 (reduced inequalities). Swansea University enters the overall top 50 for the first time.
On a regional level, United Kingdom universities lead Europe in 11 of the 17 individual SDG categories. United Kingdom universities dominate the top of the overall table for Europe, occupying seven places in the top 10. Along with having the second highest number of participating universities in Europe, these achievements show the United Kingdom is blazing the trail for sustainable development among the region’s universities.
One other European university appears in the world overall top 10: Denmark’s Aalborg University, in joint ninth place.
Ukraine has 59 universities ranked and its top institution in the overall ranking is Sumy State University, in the 301-400 band.
Spain is represented by 57 universities, and the top institution is Polytechnic University of Valencia, in the 101-200 band.
France is represented by 35 universities, and its top institution is Institut Agro, in joint 23rd position.
Azerbaijan has 28 universities ranked, and its top institution is Baku State University, in the 401-600
band.
Poland has 27 universities in the rankings, and its top institution is Gdańsk University of Technology, in the 301-400 band overall.
Romania has 25 universities in the rankings and its top institution is University of Bucharest, in joint 93rd position.
Germany has 23 universities in the rankings and its top institution is Free University of Berlin, in the 101-200 band.
Ireland’s RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences is ranked first on SDG 3 (good health and well-being). Delft University of Technology and the University of Twente in the Netherlands, along with
Germany’s RWTH Aachen University, Technical University of Darmstadt, Technical University of Munich, TU Dresden and University of Erlangen-Nuremberg and the United Kingdom’s University of Edinburgh are in joint first place on SDG 9 (industry, innovation and infrastructure). Estonia makes its debut in the ranking with one university, the Estonian Academy of Arts, in the 1,501+ band.
