We are proud to share that the University of Reading is celebrating strong international recognition across two major global rankings – reinforcing our position as a leading university for both academic excellence and sustainability.
Reading has been placed in the world’s top 100 universities for its contribution to sustainable development for the fourth consecutive year in the Times Higher Education (THE) Sustainability Impact Ratings 2026 and retained its place among the world’s top 200 universities in the QS World University Rankings 2027.
Top 100 globally for sustainability impact
The University of Reading has been recognised as one of the world’s top universities by THE Sustainability Impact Ratings 2026 – being placed at 91 globally and within the top 5% of institutions worldwide. It has also been rated 14th highest among UK universities.
The rankings, which assess universities on their contributions to the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), highlighted Reading’s sustained commitment to tackling global challenges including consumption and production, inequalities, climate action and hunger.
Vice-Chancellor of the University of Reading, Professor Robert Van de Noort, said:
“Maintaining the University of Reading’s position in the world’s top 100 in these ratings for the fourth year running is a reflection of how deeply sustainability is part of the life of this University.
“It is embedded in our research, our teaching, our campus operations and our partnerships with communities and organisations around the world.”
Reading has participated in all 17 SDG categories since first entering the rankings in 2020, underlining its long-standing commitment to the full range of global sustainability goals.
Find out more about Reading in THE Sustainability Impact Ratings 2026
Continued strength in global university rankings
The University of Reading remains among the world’s top 200 universities, at joint 196, in the QS World University Rankings 2027. The ranking, which evaluates more than 1,500 institutions around the world, put Reading in the top 13% of global universities ranked by QS. In the UK, Reading is ranked at 28, out of 93 UK institutions featured.
A rise of 12 places for Sustainability sees Reading climb into the global top 30, now ranked at joint 30 overall. This rise builds on the University’s improvement in this rank in recent years, reflecting our commitment to environmental and social responsibility. Among UK institutions, Reading is ranked at 12 for Sustainability – a rise of four places on the previous year.
Within the UK, Reading is also ranked 11th highest for Employment Outcomes and performs strongly across multiple indicators including Academic Reputation (28th), Employer Reputation (32nd) and International Faculty (33rd).
Vice-Chancellor Professor Robert Van de Noort said: “This year’s results are particularly notable for the rise in our scores for citations and employment outcomes, demonstrating our strength in research output and the way we are preparing our graduates with the skills and experience they need for their future careers.
“I’m also pleased to see our ongoing commitment to sustainability reflected in a stronger position.
Taken together, these results show a university with distinctive features and broad strengths.”
Find out more about Reading in the QS World University Rankings 2027
