GLOBAL UNIVERSITIES’ PROGRESS TOWARDS THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS REVEALED IN IMPACT RANKINGS 2022
- Record 1,524 universities from 110 countries/regions ranked on work towards the UN’s SDGs across 18 tables – an overall ranking and one for each of the 17 SDGs
- Overall ranking of 1,406 universities topped by Australia as Western Sydney University is named number one in the world
- Mainland China joins global top 30
- Japan features in world top 10 and is second most-represented country overall
- US’s Arizona State University is second in world overall and number one for three SDGs
- UK has 20 universities in overall top 100 – more than any other nation
- Taiwan is home to two universities in global top 40
- Pakistan is third most-represented nation overall
- India breaks into world top 50
- Brazil among top 10 most-represented countries overall
- Saudi Arabia’s King Abdulaziz University ranks joint fourth globally, while nation features in top 10 for seven SDGs
- Turkey is fourth most-represented nation overall
- Canada has 10 universities in global top 50
- Indonesia makes global top 20 and features in top 10 for three SDGs
- Thailand’s Chulalongkorn University ranks joint 16th globally, while Chiang Mai University is number one for SDG 5
- 19 universities from 14 countries and regions achieve number one positions across the rankings
- View the full Impact Rankings 2022 results: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/rankings/impact/2022/overall
- View the full Impact Rankings 2022 methodology: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/impact-rankings-2022-methodology
London, 27 April 2022
Global universities’ progress towards tackling the world’s greatest challenges are laid bare in the Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings 2022, released today.
The world’s only rankings measuring universities’ contributions to the United Nations' (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the THE Impact Rankings assess university commitment to sustainability across four broad areas: research, stewardship, outreach and teaching. Progress is measured for each of the individual 17 SDGs, as well as across the goals as a whole.
A record 1,524 institutions from 110 countries/regions have participated across the rankings this year, a 23 per cent increase since last year, reflecting the growing importance of the SDGs within higher education institutions globally.
Australia’s Western Sydney University claims the top spot in the overall ranking, which includes 1,406 institutions, after topping the table for SDG 6 (clean water and sanitation) and coming second in SDG 12 (responsible consumption and production).
Impact Rankings 2022: overall top 10
2022 rank |
Institution |
Country/region |
Score |
1 |
Western Sydney University |
Australia |
99.1 |
2 |
Arizona State University (Tempe) |
United States |
98.5 |
3 |
Western University |
Canada |
97.8 |
=4 |
King Abdulaziz University |
Saudi Arabia |
97.5 |
=4 |
Universiti Sains Malaysia |
Malaysia |
97.5 |
6 |
University of Auckland |
New Zealand |
96.7 |
7 |
Queen’s University |
Canada |
96.6 |
8 |
Newcastle University |
United Kingdom |
96.5 |
9 |
University of Manchester |
United Kingdom |
96.4 |
10 |
Hokkaido University |
Japan |
96.2 |
Impact Rankings 2022: Number One Ranked Institutions
Ranking | University | Country/Region |
Overall | Western Sydney University | Australia |
SDG1 | Western University | Canada |
SDG2 | Hokkaido University | Japan |
SDG3 | Iran University of Medical Sciences | Iran |
SDG4 | Aalborg University | Denmark |
SDG5 | Chiang Mai University | Thailand |
SDG6 | Western Sydney University | Australia |
SDG7 | Fudan University | China |
SDG8 | University of the Witwatersrand | South Africa |
SDG9 | University of British Columbia | Canada |
SDG9 | Technical University of Munich | Germany |
SDG9 | University of Twente | Netherlands |
SDG10 | University of Canberra | Australia |
SDG11 | Arizona State University (Tempe) | United States |
SDG12 | University of Canterbury | New Zealand |
SDG13 | University of Tasmania | Australia |
SDG14 | Arizona State University (Tempe) | United States |
SDG15 | Arizona State University (Tempe) | United States |
SDG16 | Universiti Sains Malaysia | Malaysia |
SDG17 | University of Liverpool | United Kingdom |
SDG17 | Universiti Sains Malaysia | Malaysia |
Phil Baty, Chief Knowledge Officer, THE, commented:
“The Times Higher Education Impact Rankings are re-defining excellence in global higher education – based on how universities’ are improving our world, not on traditional measures such as wealth and scholarly prestige. It is inspiring to see such a large, diverse and rapidly-growing community of universities from all continents committed to subjecting themselves to scrutiny, to measure and demonstrate their impact and to showcase best practice in delivering the Sustainable Development Goals. Students, as well as governments, are increasingly demanding such commitments and these demands will strengthen.
“It is particularly exciting to see that universities outside the traditional Western elites are shining out as beacons in this fresh approach to university rankings, giving an exciting new perspective on a diverse sector and broadening student choice.”
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