Excellence in Sustainability – University of Sopron Again Among the Global Leaders in THE Rankings

The Impact Rankings, published by one of the world’s most prestigious higher education ranking organizations, assess how universities address pressing global challenges—such as environmental protection, social equity, economic development, and international cooperation—through education, research, and community engagement.

In 2025, the University of Sopron maintained its position in the 801–1000 range globally and ranked 4th among 12 Hungarian universities. It ranked 1st in Hungary for Life on Land and Responsible Consumption and Production. The university also placed:

• 2nd in Climate Action and Clean Water and Sanitation,
• 3rd in Life Below Water, Zero Hunger, Decent Work and Economic Growth, and Affordable and Clean Energy,
• 4th in Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions, Gender Equality, No Poverty, and Good Health and Well-being,
• 5th in Reduced Inequalities, Sustainable Cities and Communities, Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, and Quality Education,
• 7th in Partnerships for the Goals.

In total, 179 indicators were evaluated to measure the university’s contributions to sustainability. Based on these results, the University of Sopron has identified numerous development objectives for the future. The final rankings are determined using a methodology that considers both submitted data and scientometric indicators.

“Being included again among the world’s top performers is not only a confirmation of the high-level professional work taking place at our university, but also a motivation for future generations,” emphasized Prof. Dr. Attila Fábián, Rector of the University of Sopron.
“As Hungary’s Green University and the first carbon-positive university in the country, we remain committed to sustainable development, raising the quality of education, and scientific excellence. In the coming years, our goal is to strengthen our international academic presence while maintaining a student-friendly environment and addressing the social challenges of the future.”

The global ranking is led for the fourth consecutive year by Western Sydney University (Australia), followed by the University of Manchester (UK) in second place and Kyungpook National University (South Korea) in third. The top-ranked university from an emerging economy is Universitas Airlangga (Indonesia), placed jointly in ninth position. More than half of the institutions in the ranking are from Asia, and Asian universities achieved the highest score in 10 out of the 17 SDGs.

The full ranking is available here: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/impactrankings

Excellence in Sustainability – University of Sopron Again Among the Global Leaders in THE Rankings

The University of Sopron, known as Hungary’s Green University and the country’s first carbon-positive higher education institution, has once again earned a distinguished position in the Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings 2025. Maintaining its strong global standing from last year, the university ranks in the 801–1000 bracket internationally and achieved an impressive 4th place nationally.

In several subcategories, such as Life on Land and Responsible Consumption and Production, the University of Sopron outperformed all other Hungarian universities. This year, more than 2,500 institutions from 130 countries were evaluated based on their contributions to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), across 17 subcategories.

The Impact Rankings, published by one of the world’s most prestigious higher education ranking organizations, assess how universities address pressing global challenges—such as environmental protection, social equity, economic development, and international cooperation—through education, research, and community engagement.

In 2025, the University of Sopron maintained its position in the 801–1000 range globally and ranked 4th among 12 Hungarian universities. It ranked 1st in Hungary for Life on Land and Responsible Consumption and Production. The university also placed:

• 2nd in Climate Action and Clean Water and Sanitation,
• 3rd in Life Below Water, Zero Hunger, Decent Work and Economic Growth, and Affordable and Clean Energy,
• 4th in Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions, Gender Equality, No Poverty, and Good Health and Well-being,
• 5th in Reduced Inequalities, Sustainable Cities and Communities, Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, and Quality Education,
• 7th in Partnerships for the Goals.

In total, 179 indicators were evaluated to measure the university’s contributions to sustainability. Based on these results, the University of Sopron has identified numerous development objectives for the future. The final rankings are determined using a methodology that considers both submitted data and scientometric indicators.

“Being included again among the world’s top performers is not only a confirmation of the high-level professional work taking place at our university, but also a motivation for future generations,” emphasized Prof. Dr. Attila Fábián, Rector of the University of Sopron.
“As Hungary’s Green University and the first carbon-positive university in the country, we remain committed to sustainable development, raising the quality of education, and scientific excellence. In the coming years, our goal is to strengthen our international academic presence while maintaining a student-friendly environment and addressing the social challenges of the future.”

The global ranking is led for the fourth consecutive year by Western Sydney University (Australia), followed by the University of Manchester (UK) in second place and Kyungpook National University (South Korea) in third. The top-ranked university from an emerging economy is Universitas Airlangga (Indonesia), placed jointly in ninth position. More than half of the institutions in the ranking are from Asia, and Asian universities achieved the highest score in 10 out of the 17 SDGs.

The full ranking is available here: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/impactrankings