Outstanding performance in THE sustainability ranking

The “THE Impact Ranking” of the British magazine Times Higher Education annually assesses how universities worldwide contribute to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the UN. Participating universities can either apply for individual categories closely aligned with the 17 SDGs or submit applications for inclusion in the overall ranking. The latter requires a commitment to at least four SDGs, including SDG 17, “Partnerships for the Goals”.

In 2025, the University of Stuttgart participated in the THE Impact Ranking for the third time and, for the first time, submitted entries in seven SDG categories for inclusion in the overall ranking. With just under 81 out of 100 points, it secured a spot in the 201–300 group out of more than 2,300 participating universities worldwide. In the national comparison, the University of Stuttgart ranked second alongside the University of Freiburg among the 10 German universities participating in the overall ranking.

The University of Stuttgart has once again earned a strong score in the “Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure” category of the Impact Ranking, which included nearly 1,200 universities worldwide. This reflects its major contribution to achieving SDG 9—namely building resilient infrastructure, promoting broad-based and sustainable industrialization, and supporting innovation. With 99.9 out of 100 points—just a thousandth shy of a perfect score—the University of Stuttgart ranks 13th in the global rankings, alongside several other institutions.

Prof. Manfred Bischoff, Vice-Rector for Research and Sustainable Development at the University of Stuttgart, comments on the success: “It fills me with great pride that we at the University of Stuttgart are making a contribution to sustainability that is acknowledged internationally and confirmed in global comparisons. Achieving 99.9 out of 100 points in the ‘Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure’ category is a truly outstanding result. It continues our performance from 2024, when we were ranked first with a full 100 points. However, I am especially pleased that our first-time participation in the overall ranking earned us a spot among the top 201–300 out of 2,300 universities. I am sure that this is also an additional incentive for the many colleagues involved. Their dedication and commitment have made this good result possible.”

At the University of Stuttgart, diversity is structurally anchored in the Vice Rectorate for Early Career Researchers and Diversity, the uniqUS staff unit, and the Institute for Diversity Studies. It is supported through targeted measures such as an equality plan, anti-discrimination and harassment guidelines, expanded accessibility, the promotion of women in science, and initiatives like the “Fü(h)r divers!” award. The University of Stuttgart is committed to reducing inequality in many ways and earned its second-highest score in this ranking category, which corresponds to SDG 10.

The University of Stuttgart earned its third-highest score in the “Clean Water and Sanitation” category (SDG 6) and received important recognition for its specialized research, international collaboration in this field, interdisciplinary teaching, and local applied projects. 

Sustainability is one of the strategic goals of the University and is reflected in its dedicated efforts across research, teaching, and technology transfer. This commitment is demonstrated through initiatives such as the Green Office, the appointment of a Vice Rector for Research and Sustainable Development, and the publication of the first sustainability report in 2024.

These efforts are driven by the vision of the University of Stuttgart to make knowledge usable for a sustainable and resilient society.

Since 2019, the British magazine Times Higher Education has assessed the social impact of universities in 17 categories aligned with the SDGs of the UN as part of the “THE Impact Ranking.” Participating universities can choose which of the 17 categories they submit evidence for in the annual ranking. For the overall ranking, SDG 17 “Partnerships for the Goals” is mandatory along with the three highest-scoring SDG categories of the university.

More than 2,300 universities from 130 countries took part in this year’s THE Impact Ranking. The University of Stuttgart participated in the ranking for the third time and, for the first time, submitted entries in seven SDG categories for inclusion in the overall ranking.