World's best universities for sustainability and social impact revealed

QS Quacquarelli Symonds, released the 2024 QS World University Rankings: Sustainability*.

The rankings, now featuring 1397 institutions — over double the number from last year's pilot — evaluate universities based on their social and environmental impact, as well as governance. The University of Toronto leads as the world's most sustainable university, followed by the University of California, Berkeley, and The University of Manchester in second and third places, respectively.

Jessica Turner, CEO of QS, emphasizes the Rankings' significance as a tool for measuring universities' efforts in addressing critical existential challenges. She notes a shift in student priorities, with 79% valuing institutional sustainability practices and 82% actively researching them, reflecting their growing concern for social and environmental impact.

Highlights:

• Canada boasts exceptional Environmental Education, and the University of British Columbia ranks highest globally for Equality.
• UC Berkeley is a leader in Environmental Impact. In the US, Stanford, the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, and Columbia University excel in Employability & Opportunities.
• The UK shines in Governance and Knowledge Exchange, with the University of Manchester and Imperial College London in the top 10.
• Delft University of Technology (14th) is the premier Continental European university.
• Sweden's Lund University stands out in Equality, Knowledge Exchange, and Environmental Research.
• The University of Tokyo (22nd) is Asia's leader, ranking third in Social Impact and fifth in Environmental Impact.
• The National University of Singapore is #1 for Environmental Research.
• Fudan University (142nd) and the University of Delhi (220th) are the highest ranked in China and India, respectively.
• The University of Sydney tops in Social Impact, while the Australian National University ranks second globally.
• The University of Cape Town (50th) leads Africa in Sustainability, with the American University of Beirut topping the Middle East and Universidade de São Paulo (67th) leading in Latin America.