Top universities in the world for global impact 2025

By seeta.bhardwa@…, 18 June, 2025

From the crisis of plastic in the oceans to gender disparities in pay, the world’s biggest concerns are more and more in the minds of consumers and corporations. And no one understands the importance of tackling these better than universities and students.

But which universities are incorporating these global issues into their governance? And how can we measure the real impact that universities are making on their students and their wider communities?

Times Higher Education has put together the Impact Rankings to shine a light on those institutions that are working hard to tackle global issues such as gender inequality, quality education for all, climate change, promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, economic growth and good health and well-being.

To compile the rankings, we mapped how universities around the world are committing to the 17 United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The SDGs are a global call to action to tackle poverty, climate change and inequality.

Universities were invited to submit data on how they were progressing on the SDGs. More than 2,000 universities submitted data this year across the SDGs. You can read more about the methodology here.

This ranking is a crucial resource for students choosing universities because it moves away from assessing universities on their research output and focuses instead on the impact that universities are having on some of the world’s most pressing issues.

Top five universities in the overall Impact Rankings 2025

1. Western Sydney University

Western Sydney University tops the ranking for the fourth year running.

The university scored particularly highly for SDG 15 (life on land) and SDG 12 (responsible consumption and production).

The university has prioritised research in areas relating to SDG 4 (quality education), SDGs 13, 14 and 15 (relating to environment and sustainability), SDG 3 (good health and well-being) and SDGs 11 and 12 (sustainable cities and communities, and responsible consumption and production).

A series of key initiatives has also been introduced on campus to increase its sustainability, including implementing a pilot solar-powered car park on the Kingswood Campus, offsetting the carbon footprint of international travel and installing more electric-vehicle charging stations on campus.

2. University of Manchester

The University of Manchester takes second place this year.

The UK university has demonstrated its commitment to the SDGs through a range of research institutes and centres, including the Manchester Environmental Research Institute, the Manchester Institute of Innovation Research and the Sustainable Consumption Institute, among others.

On campus, the university has implemented the Living Campus plan, which aims to address the challenges of growing an urban campus while encouraging local biodiversity. The students’ union has also set a target for the university to become plastic-free by 2025.

3. Kyungpook National University

Kyungpook National University in South Korea is the highest ranking university in Asia in this year’s Impact Rankings.

The university scores highly for SDG 9 (industry, innovation and infrastructure) and SDG 17 (partnership for the goals). 

Kyungpook National University conducts research in various areas such as cancer diagnosis, approaches to wastewater removal, and the removal of metals in water. 

=4 Griffith University

Griffith University has climbed 20 places to take this year’s joint-fourth position. Griffith University is still a relatively young university having been established in 1975. 

The Australian university scores highly for SDG 15 (life on land) and SDG 14 (life below water). 

In terms of research the university is home to a range of research centres conducting research in topics such as health policy, low-carbon energy, climate action and social change. 

Students can join a range of clubs relating to the SDGs including marine society, sustainable medicine society and women in engineering. 

=4. University of Tasmania

The University of Tasmania is the third university from Australia to feature in the top five of the 2025 Impact Rankings.

It also claims first place for SDG 13 (climate action) for the third year in a row.

The university has been carbon neutral-certified since 2016. There is also a sustainability committee made up of senior leadership and student representatives at the university. The committee aims to identify and share actions that embed sustainability into university life.

Across campus a variety of green initiatives are under way, such as the waste-minimisation action plan and the sustainable transport plan.


Impact Ranking 2025: Top 100

Impact Rank 2025Impact Rank 2024UniversityCountry/region
11Western Sydney UniversityAustralia
2=2University of ManchesterUnited Kingdom
3=39Kyungpook National University (KNU)South Korea
=424Griffith UniversityAustralia
=4=2University of TasmaniaAustralia
=69Arizona State University (Tempe)United States
=68Queen’s UniversityCanada
86University of AlbertaCanada
=94Aalborg UniversityDenmark
=9=81Universitas AirlanggaIndonesia
117UNSW SydneyAustralia
1212University of GlasgowUnited Kingdom
13=67Pusan National UniversitySouth Korea
=1430McMaster UniversityCanada
=14=55National Taiwan University (NTU)Taiwan
=1418Universiti Sains MalaysiaMalaysia
=14=13University of VictoriaCanada
=14=21Western UniversityCanada
=1923Kyung Hee UniversitySouth Korea
=19=19The Hong Kong University of Science and TechnologyHong Kong
=21-Flinders UniversityAustralia
=2111Yonsei University (Seoul campus)South Korea
=23=21Institut AgroFrance
=23=36University of JohannesburgSouth Africa
=25=52Central Queensland UniversityAustralia
=25=81King Fahd University of Petroleum and MineralsSaudi Arabia
=2563University of MalayaMalaysia
=28=13University of AucklandNew Zealand
=2810University of ExeterUnited Kingdom
3031University of IndonesiaIndonesia
=31=25National Cheng Kung University (NCKU)Taiwan
=31=44University of WollongongAustralia
33=13University of Technology SydneyAustralia
34=36Durham UniversityUnited Kingdom
3517Simon Fraser UniversityCanada
36=65Swansea UniversityUnited Kingdom
37101–200Abdullah Gül UniversityTurkey
3835York UniversityCanada
39=39University of NewcastleAustralia
4099King Faisal UniversitySaudi Arabia
=41=81Amrita Vishwa VidyapeethamIndia
=4150National Yang Ming Chiao Tung UniversityTaiwan
43201–300Near East UniversityNorthern Cyprus
=44=75Chiang Mai UniversityThailand
=4443Chulalongkorn UniversityThailand
=44101–200Hanyang UniversitySouth Korea
=44=72Hokkaido UniversityJapan
=4834Istanbul Technical UniversityTurkey
=48101–200Lovely Professional UniversityIndia
=5024Macquarie UniversityAustralia
=50=28University of ReadingUnited Kingdom
52=19Université LavalCanada
=53=48Northumbria UniversityUnited Kingdom
=53201–300Universiti Kebangsaan MalaysiaMalaysia
55=28Université de MontréalCanada
=56101–200JSS Academy of Higher Education and ResearchIndia
=565RMIT UniversityAustralia
=56=77The Hong Kong Polytechnic UniversityHong Kong
=59201–300Bahçeşehir UniversityTurkey
=59=39Bournemouth UniversityUnited Kingdom
=61=25Michigan State UniversityUnited States
=61=89University of CanterburyNew Zealand
6342University of PretoriaSouth Africa
=64=77Bangor UniversityUnited Kingdom
=64=19Mahidol UniversityThailand
=6451Penn State (Main campus)United States
=64=81Thammasat UniversityThailand
=6447University of GalwayIreland
=69101–200Hong Kong Baptist UniversityHong Kong
=69=65IMT AtlantiqueFrance
=71=13Florida International UniversityUnited States
=71301–400Korea UniversitySouth Korea
=71=44The Chinese University of Hong KongHong Kong
=71=89University of EdinburghUnited Kingdom
=71=52University of LeedsUnited Kingdom
76=61University of LimerickIreland
=77101–200National Yunlin University of Science and TechnologyTaiwan
=77=25University of StrathclydeUnited Kingdom
79101–200Queen’s University BelfastUnited Kingdom
8057University of CoimbraPortugal
81201–300Sunway UniversityMalaysia
=82201–300An-Najah National UniversityPalestine
=82101–200Universitas Gadjah MadaIndonesia
=84101–200Afe Babalola UniversityNigeria
=84=75Massey UniversityNew Zealand
=84=48University of AberdeenUnited Kingdom
=84101–200University of PlymouthUnited Kingdom
=88=65Dalhousie UniversityCanada
=88=89University of LiverpoolUnited Kingdom
=90=92Al Ain UniversityUnited Arab Emirates
=90101–200King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST)Saudi Arabia
=90101–200Lakehead UniversityCanada
=93=67Université Catholique de LouvainBelgium
=93101–200University of BucharestRomania
=93101–200Walailak UniversityThailand
=9688Middle East Technical UniversityTurkey
=96101–200Shoolini University of Biotechnology and Management SciencesIndia
=98201–300Chonnam National UniversitySouth Korea
=98101–200Lancaster UniversityUnited Kingdom
=98=61Nottingham Trent UniversityUnited Kingdom
=98101–200Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd UniversitySaudi Arabia

Explore the full Impact Ranking here 

Standfirst

These are the universities committed to fostering the Sustainable Development Goals and working towards equality and a sustainable future. Explore the top 100 universities making a global impact in the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings 

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