UK universities dominate Europe in THE Impact Rankings 2025 but face growing competition from Asia
University of Manchester leads Europe in sustainability rankings as UK institutions take seven of the top 10 spots, with Asia making significant gains in SDG performance.
The Times Higher Education Impact Rankings 2025 reveal the United Kingdom as the European leader in sustainability-focused higher education, with the University of Manchester ranked second globally and first in Europe. The rankings assess over 2,500 institutions worldwide on their contributions to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Seven of the top 10 European institutions are based in the UK, including the University of Glasgow, University of Exeter, and Durham University. The University of Manchester also takes the top global spot for SDG 11 (sustainable cities and communities), while the University of Huddersfield leads on SDG 10 (reduced inequalities).
Top 10 universities in Europe
The 2025 European top 10, based on overall performance in the Impact Rankings, are:
University of Manchester (UK) – Global rank: 2
Aalborg University (Denmark) – =9
University of Glasgow (UK) – 12
Institut Agro (France) – =23
University of Exeter (UK) – =28
Durham University (UK) – 34
Swansea University (UK) – 36
Near East University (Northern Cyprus) – 43
University of Reading (UK) – =50
Northumbria University (UK) – =53
These institutions performed strongly across a range of SDGs, including clean water, responsible consumption, and peace and justice.
Asia makes gains as UK performance plateaus
While the UK leads Europe with 76 institutions ranked and strong performance across 11 of the 17 SDG categories, there are signs of shifting global dynamics. Institutions in Asia now top 10 of the 17 individual SDG tables, up from five in 2024, and represent over half of all ranked universities worldwide.
By contrast, European universities lead in just four SDGs this year, down from six previously. The UK, which led five SDGs last year, now tops three. This shift reflects growing investment and focus on sustainability in Asia, particularly in South Korea and India.
Spotlight on SDG category leaders
In addition to the University of Manchester and Huddersfield’s global SDG wins, other European universities taking top positions include:
RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences (Ireland) – 1st globally for SDG 3 (good health and well-being)
Delft University of Technology and University of Edinburgh – joint 1st for SDG 9 (industry, innovation and infrastructure), alongside six other European institutions
Swansea University and University of Exeter – tied for 2nd on SDG 12 (responsible consumption and production)
Notably, Denmark's Aalborg University enters the global top 10, reflecting broader Northern European strength in sustainability research and teaching.
Public impact and long-term priorities
The rankings coincide with the 10th anniversary of the UN SDGs and come amid concerns that many targets will not be met by the 2030 deadline. Nonetheless, university participation continues to grow, with a record 2,526 institutions included this year.
Phil Baty, chief global affairs officer at THE, says: “The Times Higher Education Impact Rankings have become an important tool to hold universities to account for their efforts in achieving real impact for society. This year’s results provide powerful new evidence of the extraordinary, and often overlooked, work that universities around the world are doing to directly contribute to some of the world’s biggest shared challenges, from climate change to poverty, to social justice and building peaceful societies.
“The results are also cause for celebration, with clear evidence of how universities are rising to the challenge. The UK’s higher education sector is among the world’s strongest, not only in its traditional roles of teaching and research, but in driving positive societal change.”
