Record 1,700 universities submit data for Impact Rankings

Browse the full Impact Rankings 2023 results. To participate in next year’s Impact Rankings, email us

More than 1,700 institutions have submitted data to Times Higher Education to participate in the fifth edition of the Impact Rankings.

One hundred and fifteen territories are now represented in the rankings, which are the first to measure the progress of universities across the globe towards the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

In total, 1,707 institutions have submitted data for the 2023 iteration, a 12 per cent increase on last year.

The country with the most institutions taking part is Russia, with 92, followed closely by Japan (91) and then Turkey (84). The UK has the seventh highest number of submissions, with 61 universities participating. The US comes in at ninth, with 56 submissions.

The Impact Rankings include 18 tables – one for each of the 17 individual SDGs as well as one overall ranking. Excluding SDG 17 (partnerships for the goals), the only goal that universities must provide data on to be included in the overall ranking, SDG 4 (quality education) received the most submissions. The table with the next highest participation rate is SDG 3, good health and well-being, followed by SDG 5, gender equality.

Regionally, Asia has the highest number of submissions (827), followed by Europe (498), South America (124), North America (114), Africa (106) and Oceania (37).

Universities in Asia and Europe were most likely to submit data for the tables measuring education, health and well-being, and gender equality, in that order, while those in North America were more likely to participate in the table for health and well-being than education or gender equality.

Oceania’s universities were more likely to take part in the tables assessing climate action (SDG 13) and sustainable cities and communities (SDG 11) than those of any other continent.

Universities from wealthier continents were less likely to participate in SDG 1, no poverty: less than half of universities that took part in the rankings from each of Europe, North America and Oceania submitted information for this table. Sixty-one per cent of African universities that took part in the overall rankings submitted data for SG 1, along with 60 per cent from South America and 57 per cent from Asia.

The Impact Rankings 2023 will be launched at THE’s Global Sustainable Development Congress. The event brings together more than 1,500 university leaders and experts to tackle the big issues around the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and features over 200 speakers from business, government, civil society and higher education. Register to attend.