In the recently published Times Higher Education Sustainability Impact Ratings 2026, which assesses higher education institutions from around the world in terms of their commitment to the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals, the University of Gdańsk ranks highly amongst all global universities and tops the list of Polish institutions. This ranking is currently one of the most prestigious, comprehensive and rapidly developing global rankings, analysing all aspects of higher education institutions’ activities.
The University of Gdańsk was ranked in the 301-400 range globally out of over 1,600 institutions listed, and was the highest-ranked Polish university in the ranking.
The University of Gdańsk’s most notable achievement on an international scale is its result in Goal 5: Gender Equality: the university ranked 39th in the world out of 1,095 institutions. This result places UG among the very best in the world and means that the university’s policies, research and institutional practices regarding gender equality are assessed at a level comparable to that of the world’s leading universities. This is undoubtedly UG’s flagship area of activity within the entire ranking.
The university also performs well in other aspects. In Goal 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions, the University of Gdańsk ranks in the high 101-200 bracket globally, having moved up from the 301-400 bracket last year. Similarly, in Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities, the university ranks in the 101-200 bracket globally.
It is precisely these areas mentioned above - Goals 5, 10 and 16, together with the mandatory Goal 17 - have been identified by the ranking organisation as those in which the university has achieved the most or made the greatest progress during the most recent reporting period, and it is these that contributed to the final overall score, placing the University of Gdańsk at the top of the national rankings.
In the next three Goals - 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), 14. (Life below water) and 15. (Life on land) - the University of Gdańsk ranks between 201 and 300 globally. The result for Goal 14, in particular, is consistent with the university’s research profile, which is linked to its location on the Baltic Sea and the development of marine sciences.
In the areas of Goal 17. Partnerships for the Goals and Goal 3. Good Health and Well-being, the University of Gdańsk ranks in the 301-400 range globally. For Goal 4. Quality Education, the result falls within the 401-600 range, indicating that higher education, as a ranking category, remains a challenge for all Polish universities reporting on this goal.
The University of Gdańsk’s leading position
‘Maintaining a high position in the THE Impact ranking for the sixth year running confirms that the University of Gdańsk is consistently fulfilling its mission as a socially responsible, open university committed to addressing the most important challenges of the modern world. I am particularly pleased that our efforts to promote equality, partnerships and sustainable development are recognised and highly regarded on the international stage. This proves that the University of Gdańsk not only responds to the needs of the present day, but also actively helps shape the direction of change for the benefit of people, the region and the environment,’ emphasises the Rector of the University of Gdańsk, prof. Piotr Stepnowski.
The results for the University of Gdańsk regarding the achievement of individual goals, together with a comparison of the results of Polish universities in the Sustainability Impact Ratings 2026, are presented in the attached table.
The results of the Times Higher Education Sustainability Impact Ratings are available at the following link:
https://www.timeshighereducation.com/impactrankings
The full methodology for the Times Higher Education Sustainability Impact Ratings:
https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/impact-rankings/methodology