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Impact Rankings 2025: keeping the light burning

These rankings celebrate universities’ impact – but also hold institutions to account, highlighting where the sector is falling short

Published on
June 18, 2025
Last updated
June 18, 2025
Ellie Bothwell
University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman campus holds its annual Lantern Parade
Source: NurPhoto/Corbis via Getty Images

Browse the full results of theÌýImpact Rankings 2025

There is a village in the Philippines that until recently was shrouded in darkness every evening; residents simply couldn’t afford to use electricity. They wanted solar-powered street lamps and, through a project with a local NGO and US-based undergraduate students, one was designed and installed in the village. But with no resources to replicate it, it lit up just one small corner of the village.

The students got to know the villagers better and together they created an affordable, portable ; students provided the prototype and then taught villagers how to build it themselves.Ìý

“We’re helping them create their own light,†summarised Mandy Bratton, executive director of the Center for Global Sustainable Development at the University of California, San Diego, when she told me the story last year. The students involved were on the centre’s Global Ties programme, which partners interdisciplinary teams of undergraduates with non-profit NGOs and the communities with which they work to co-create solutions to urgent challenges. The team are now developing aÌýdevice that will harness solar energy to charge phones in disaster situations.

The lantern is just one powerful example of the countless ways in which universities make a positive, tangible impact on communities across the world. The ÌÇÐÄVlog Impact Rankings aims to shine a spotlight on this vital work – demonstrating the many ways in which universities are contributing to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. They are a celebration of universities’ impact through their core activities of research, stewardship, outreach and teaching, and require institutions to better document and publicise their work in this area. But they also hold institutions to account, highlighting where the sector is falling short and which areas demand more progress.

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This year’s results include data on a record 2,526 universities across 130 countries and territories. As in previous years, there are 18 rankings tables – one overall ranking, and one ranking for each of the 17 SDGs. Ìý

The latest data shows that universities in East and South-east Asia are improving rapidly when it comes to their contributions towards sustainable development, as explored in our main analysis. However, globally, universities are falling short on their mental health support for staff, while many are still not assessing their students’ learning about sustainability.

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This year’s ranking also comes 10 years after the creation of the SDGs and amid scepticism that the goals will be met by the target year of 2030. A recent led by academics in Mexico concluded that no countries were on track to meet all 17 SDGs, while international funding cuts in the US and elsewhere further threaten their progress.Ìý

Despite the hurdles, universities are continuing to make an impact and striving to keep the momentum going. Even in South Sudan, where conflict, the climate crisis and poor infrastructure and funding mean pursuing the SDGs is a major challenge, universities are still playing a positive role, as explained by an academic in the country and one of his collaborators in the UK.

As nations potentially stall on sustainable development, it becomes ever more vital for universities to take up the mantle – to continue to do the life-changing work they have always done and to shout even louder about it. It might just bring some more light into the world.

ellie.bothwell@timeshighereducation.com

Countries/regions represented in the overall Impact Rankings 2025

Country/region Number of institutions Top institution Rank
India 135 Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham =41
Pakistan 120 University of Lahore 101–200
Philippines 113 Ateneo de Manila University 101–200
Turkey 109 Abdullah Gül University 37
Iraq 88 Al-Mustaqbal University 201–300
Thailand 83 Chiang Mai University =44
Ìý Chulalongkorn University =44
Russian Federation 80 Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University 301–400
Ìý RUDN University 301–400
United Kingdom 73 University of Manchester 2
Indonesia 71 Universitas Airlangga =9
Japan 68 Hokkaido University =44
Uzbekistan 59 Alisher Navo’i Tashkent State University of Uzbek Language and Literature 201–300
Ìý National University of Uzbekistan named after Mirzo Ulugbek 201–300
Ìý Tashkent Institute of Irrigation and Agricultural Mechanisation 201–300
Brazil 56 University of São Paulo 101–200
Ukraine 55 Sumy State University 301–400
Algeria 53 University of El Oued 301–400
Taiwan 53 National Taiwan University (NTU) =14
Spain 52 Polytechnic University of Valencia 101–200
Ìý University of Barcelona 101–200
Ìý University of Jaén 101–200
Egypt 51 Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport 101–200
United States 46 Arizona State University (Tempe) =6
Kazakhstan 36 Al-Farabi Kazakh National University 401–600
Nigeria 36 Afe Babalola University =84
France 34 Institut Agro =23
Iran 34 Iran University of Medical Sciences 301–400
Saudi Arabia 34 King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals =25
Colombia 33 CES University 401–600
Ìý Del Rosario University 401–600
Ìý Simón Bolívar University (Colombia) 401–600
Ìý Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana (UPB) 401–600
Malaysia 31 Universiti Sains Malaysia =14
South Korea 28 Kyungpook National University (KNU) 3
Azerbaijan 25 Baku State University 401–600
Ìý Khazar University 401–601
Poland 25 Gdańsk University of Technology 301–400
Ìý University of GdaÅ„sk 301–400
Romania 25 University of Bucharest =93
Canada 24 Queen’s University =6
Chile 24 Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile 101–200
Italy 24 Politecnico di Milano 101–200
Ìý University of Bologna 101–200
Ìý University of Florence 101–200
Ìý University of Padua 101–200
Australia 20 Western Sydney University 1
Bangladesh 20 Daffodil International University (DIU) 101–200
Greece 20 National and Kapodistrian University of Athens 201–300
Mexico 20 National Autonomous University of Mexico 101–200
20 Tecnológico de Monterrey 101–200
Ecuador 17 Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral 401–600
Ìý UEES, Espiritu Santo University 401–600
Ìý Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja 401–600
Jordan 17 Al-Ahliyya Amman University 101–200
Portugal 16 University of Coimbra 80
Vietnam 16 FPT University 301–400
Ìý National Economics University 301–400
Ìý Nguyen Tat Thanh University 301–400
Ìý UEH University 301–400
Morocco 14 Ibn Tofaïl University 401–600
Ìý International University of Rabat 401–600
Turkmenistan 14 Dovletmammet Azadi Turkmen National Institute of World Languages 1501+
Ìý Institute of Telecommunications and Informatics of Turkmenistan 1501+
Ìý International University for the Humanities and Development 1501+
Ìý Magtymguly Turkmen State University 1501+
Ìý Myrat Garryyev State Medical University of Turkmenistan 1501+
Ìý Oguz Han Engineering and Technology University of Turkmenistan 1501+
Ìý Seyitnazar Seydi Turkmen State Pedagogical Institute 1501+
Ìý State Energy Institute of Turkmenistan 1501+
Ìý Turkmen Agricultural Institute 1501+
Ìý Turkmen Agricultural University named after S.A. Niyazov 1501+
Ìý Turkmen State Architecture and Construction Institute 1501+
Ìý Turkmen State Institute of Economics and Management 1501+
Ìý Turkmen State Institute of Finance 1501+
Ìý Yagshigeldi Kakayev International University of Oil and Gas 1501+
Czechia 13 Palacký University Olomouc 201–300
South Africa 13 University of Johannesburg =23
United Arab Emirates 13 Al Ain University =90
Hungary 12 University of Debrecen 301–400
Ìý University of Szeged 301–400
Ghana 11 Ashesi University 601–800
Ìý University of Cape Coast 601–800
Germany 10 Free University of Berlin 101–200
Kenya 10 University of Nairobi 801–1000
Lebanon 10 Holy Spirit University of Kaslik 101–200
Ìý Lebanese American University 101–200
Peru 9 Universidad Científica del Sur 401–600
Ìý Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas (UPC) 401–600
Tunisia 9 University of Tunis El Manar 101–200
China 8 Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech) 201–300
Finland 8 Lappeenranta-Lahti University of Technology LUT 101–200
Ìý University of Helsinki 101–200
Ireland 8 University of Galway =64
Sri Lanka 8 General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University 401–600
Angola 7 Instituto Superior de Ciências de Educação de Cabinda 1501+
Ìý Instituto Superior Politécnico de Benguela 1501+
Ìý Universidade Agostinho Neto 1501+
Ìý Universidade do Namibe 1501+
Ìý Universidade Katyavala Bwila 1501+
Ìý Universidade Kimpa Vita 1501+
Ìý Universidade Rainha Njinga a Mbande (URNM) 1501+
Argentina 7 National University of Córdoba 301–400
Lithuania 7 Kaunas University of Technology 401–600
Ìý Lithuanian University of Health Sciences 401–600
Ìý Mykolas Romeris University 401–600
New Zealand 7 University of Auckland 28
Somalia 7 Abrar University 1501+
Ìý Accord University 1501+
Ìý Barawa International University 1501+
Ìý Daaru Salaam University 1501+
Ìý East Africa University 1501+
Ìý SIMAD University 1501+
Ìý Zamzam University for Science and Technology 1501+
Belarus 6 Belarusian State University of Informatics and Radioelectronics 1501+
Ìý Francisk Skorina Gomel State University 1501+
Ìý University of Civil Protection 1501+
Ìý Vitebsk State Medical University 1501+
Ìý Vitebsk State Technological University 1501+
Ìý Yanka Kupala State University of Grodno 1501+
Costa Rica 6 University of Costa Rica 301–400
Georgia 6 New Vision University 801–1000
Latvia 6 University of Latvia 201–300
Netherlands 6 Delft University of Technology 101–200
Oman 6 Dhofar University 601–800
Palestine 6 An-Najah National University 82
Switzerland 6 University of Geneva 201–300
Syria 6 Damascus University 1001–1500
Croatia 5 University of Split 201–300
Cyprus 5 Frederick University 301–400
Hong Kong 5 The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology =19
Kosovo 5 UBT 1001–1500
Kuwait 5 American University of the Middle East 201–300
Libya 5 Alasmarya Islamic University 1501+
Ìý Omar Al-Mukhtar University 1501+
Ìý Sabratha University 1501+
Ìý University of Zawia 1501+
Ìý University of Zintan 1501+
Slovakia 5 Comenius University in Bratislava 601–800
Tanzania 5 Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology 801–1000
Belgium 4 Université Catholique de Louvain =93
Bulgaria 4 Sofia University 401–600
Northern Cyprus 4 Near East University 43
Sweden 4 KTH Royal Institute of Technology 101–200
Ìý Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences 101–200
Uganda 4 Makerere University 401–600
Venezuela 4 Andrés Bello Catholic University (UCAB) 801–1000
Afghanistan 3 Kabul Polytechnic University 1001–1500
Armenia 3 Armenian National Agrarian University 1501+
Ìý Armenian State University of Economics 1501+
Ìý State University of Shirak 1501+
Bahrain 3 Ahlia University 201–300
Dominican Republic 3 Universidad Iberoamericana 801–1000
Macao 3 Macao Polytechnic University 301–400
Malawi 3 Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources 801–1000
Ìý Malawi University of Science and Technology (MUST) 801–1000
North Macedonia 3 South East European University SEEU 1001–1500
Paraguay 3 Autonomous University of Asunción 1501+
Ìý Universidad Nacional de Asunción 1501+
Ìý Universidad Nacional de Itapúa 1501+
Yemen 3 Al-Razi University 1501+
Ìý Queen Arwa University 1501+
Ìý Taiz University 1501+
Austria 2 IMC University of Applied Sciences Krems 1001–1500
Ìý Montanuniversität Leoben 1001–1500
Brunei Darussalam 2 Universiti Teknologi Brunei 801–1000
Denmark 2 Aalborg University =9
Fiji 2 Fiji National University 801–1000
Ìý University of the South Pacific 801–1000
Iceland 2 University of Iceland 201–300
Mauritius 2 University of Mauritius 1001–1500
Ìý University of Technology, Mauritius 1001–1500
Mongolia 2 University of Finance and Economics, Mongolia 1001–1500
Panama 2 Universidad Autónoma de Chiriquí 1501+
Ìý Universidad del Istmo Panamá 1501+
Rwanda 2 University of Rwanda 1001–1500
Slovenia 2 University of Maribor 801–1000
Zimbabwe 2 Africa University 1501+
Ìý Gwanda State University 1501+
Albania 1 Polis University 1501+
Anguilla 1 Global Humanistic University 1501+
Bosnia and Herzegovina 1 University of Mostar 601–800
Botswana 1 University of Botswana 1501+
Burkina Faso 1 2iE -Ìý International Institute for Water and Environmental Engineering 801–1000
Cambodia 1 University of Puthisastra 1001–1500
Comoros 1 Midocean University 1501+
Cote d'Ivoire 1 International University of Grand Bassam 1501+
Cuba 1 University of Havana 1001–1500
El Salvador 1 Universidad Francisco Gavidia 1501+
Estonia 1 Estonian Academy of Arts 1501+
Haiti 1 Queensland University 1501+
Israel 1 University of Haifa 101–200
Jamaica 1 The University of the West Indies 601–800
Maldives 1 Villa College 401–600
Moldova 1 Technical University of Moldova 1001–1500
Namibia 1 Namibia University of Science and Technology 1501+
Papua New Guinea 1 The Papua New Guinea University of Technology 1501+
Qatar 1 Qatar University 101–200
Sierra Leone 1 Njala University 1001–1500
Sudan 1 Mashreq University 1501+
Uruguay 1 ORT Uruguay University 601–800

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