Times Higher Education has released its 2026 Sustainability Impact Ratings, with two Canadian universities placing in the global top 10. Queen’s University ranked fourth globally, while the University of Alberta tied for 10th.
The rankings measure universities against the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals, including no poverty, climate action, gender equality, sustainable cities, and industry and innovation. More than 1,600 universities were assessed across research, stewardship, outreach, and teaching.
Canadian universities in the 2026 ranking
Canada was the only North American country with universities in the global top 10. A total of 20 Canadian universities appeared in the overall 2026 global ranking, with four placing in the top 20.
| National rank | University | Top SDG strength | Global rank | Overall score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Queen’s University | Sustainable Cities | 4 | 97.5 |
| 2 | University of Alberta | Industry & Innovation | 10 | 96.0 |
| 3 | Western University | Industry & Innovation | 12 | 95.9 |
| 4 | McMaster University | Industry & Innovation | 18 | 95.5 |
| 5 | University of Victoria | Life on Land | 27 | 94.6 |
| 6 | Simon Fraser University | Sustainable Cities | 52 | 92.2 |
| 7 | Université Laval | Climate Action | 68 | 91.0 |
| 8 | York University | Industry & Innovation | 78 | 90.5 |
| 9 | Dalhousie University | Life Below Water | 90 | 89.7 |
| 10 | Lakehead University | No Poverty | 101–200 | 82.3–89.2 |
| 11 | Toronto Metropolitan University | Responsible Consumption | 101–200 | 82.3–89.2 |
| 12 | University of Saskatchewan | Industry & Innovation | 101–200 | 82.3–89.2 |
| 13 | Wilfred Laurier University | Clean Water | 101–200 | 82.3–89.2 |
| 14 | University of Manitoba | Good Health | 201–300 | 77.5–82.2 |
| 15 | Carleton University | Industry & Innovation | 301–400 | 73.9–77.4 |
| 16 | Brock University | Reducing Inequalities | 401–600 | 66.2–73.8 |
| 17 | Thompson Rivers University | Climate Action | 401–600 | 66.2–73.8 |
| 18 | Trent University | Life on Land | 401–600 | 66.2–73.8 |
| 19 | University of Northern British Columbia | Climate Action | 601–800 | 60.7–66.1 |
| 20 | University of Regina | Decent Work | 601–800 | 60.7–66.1 |
Queen’s University moved up two ranks from the previous year, while the University of Alberta fell by two.
Three Canadian universities tied with other institutions:
- Simon Fraser University tied for 52nd place with the Hong Kong Polytechnic University and the University of Leeds.
- Université Laval tied for 68th place with Hong Kong Baptist University and the University of Galway.
- York University tied for 78th place with the University of Pretoria.
Notably, the University of Toronto, the University of British Columbia, and McGill University were absent from the 2026 Sustainability Impact Ratings.
Global top 10
The 2026 global top 10 included universities from Canada, Asia, Europe, and Oceania. The most common top SDG strength among the global top 10 was Industry & Innovation, or SDG 9.
| Global rank | University | Top SDG strength | Overall score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Manchester | Life on Land | 98.5 |
| 2 | Griffith University | Life Below Water | 97.9 |
| 3 | Western Sydney University | Life on Land | 97.8 |
| 4 | Queen’s University | Sustainable Cities | 97.5 |
| 5 | Universiti Sains Malasia | No Poverty | 97.3 |
| 6 | Hanyang University | Industry & Innovation | 96.8 |
| 7 | Hokkaido University | Industry & Innovation | 96.3 |
| 7 | Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia | Sustainable Cities | 96.3 |
| 9 | Institut Agro | Life on Land | 96.1 |
| 10 | National Taiwan University | Industry & Innovation | 96.0 |
| =10 | University of Alberta | Industry & Innovation | 96.0 |
Five universities from the 2026 top 10 also appeared in the 2025 top 10: Queen’s University, University of Alberta, University of Manchester, Griffith University, and Western Sydney University.
In 2025, the top three institutions were Western Sydney University, the University of Manchester, and Kyungpook National University.
How the rankings are calculated
For the 2026 Sustainability Impact Ratings, Times Higher Education evaluated 1,646 universities from 116 countries and territories.
The ranking assesses university progress against the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals using four core pillars:
- Research: academic research linked to sustainability and global development;
- Stewardship: how institutions manage facilities, staff, faculty, students, and resources in support of sustainable development;
- Outreach: work with communities and partners beyond campus at local, regional, national, and international levels;
- Teaching: how universities prepare students to apply sustainability principles in future careers.
To be included, a university must submit data for SDG 17, Partnerships for the Goals, and at least three other SDGs.
A university’s overall ranking is based on its SDG 17 score and its three strongest results across the other 16 SDGs. SDG 17 accounts for 22% of the total, while each of the other three selected SDGs accounts for 26%.
The 2026 rankings are the eighth edition of the Sustainability Impact Ratings, previously known as the THE Impact Rankings.
Source article: www.cicnews.com
