Rankings

The University of Stuttgart ranks among the top 21% of universities worldwide listed in the QS World University Ranking 2026 (310th out of 1,501 universities). The University of Stuttgart receives its highest ratings for the indicators "Citations per Researcher" and "Sustainability". In both indicators, it ranks 253rd internationally (12th and 17th among the 48 German universities listed). This places the University of Stuttgart among the top 17 universities worldwide for citations per capita and sustainability. Moreover, the University of Stuttgart has notably improved in the indicators "Employment Outcomes" and "Academic Reputation". It also performs very well nationally, ranking 7th out of 48 in "International Student Diversity" and 8th out of 48 in "International Students".

The subject-specific "QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025" recognizes the University of Stuttgart for outstanding performance, particularly in the technical and engineering fields. In the field of "Engineering and Technology", the University of Stuttgart ranks 182nd internationally, placing it once again among the top 200 worldwide. Nationally, the department ranks 6th out of 21.

The University of Stuttgart ranks among the global top 100 in two individual disciplines: in "Architecture / Built Environment," it is listed internationally at 51–100 (3rd out of 9 in Germany), while in "Engineering – Mechanical, Aeronautical & Manufacturing," it ranks 82nd out of 578 worldwide (5th out of 18 nationally). This places Stuttgart’s Mechanical Engineering program among the top 14% of disciplines worldwide listed in the QS Subject Ranking. Additionally, the University of Stuttgart’s "Engineering – Civil and Structural Engineering" (101–150) and "Physics" (151–200) are ranked among the top 200 globally.

The University of Stuttgart ranks among the top 13% of universities worldwide listed in the THE World University Ranking 2026 (ranked 251–300 out of 2,191 universities). The University of Stuttgart received its highest rating for the "Industry" indicator (38th out of 2,191 international universities), placing it among the top 2% globally in this category.

In the subject specific "THE World University Rankings by Subject 2025", the University of Stuttgart ranks among the top 125 worldwide in Engineering. This success is largely due to the highly rated indicators "Research Environment" (top 6% globally), "Teaching" (top 6%), and "Industry" (top 3%). The departments of Computer Science and Physical Sciences also received very high ratings in the ranking.

In 2025, the University of Stuttgart participated for the first time in the overall THE Impact Ranking, competing in a total of seven categories. With a score of nearly 81 out of 100, it ranks in the 201–300 bracket internationally among more than 2,300 participating universities. Nationally, the University of Stuttgart ranks second, alongside the University of Freiburg, among the ten German universities that participated in the overall ranking.

In the category "Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure", the University of Stuttgart scores 99.9 out of 100 points and ranks 13th in the global ranking alongside other institutions.

In the 2025 CHE University Ranking, the University of Stuttgart received a total of 58 top ratings across the subjects Architecture, Civil Engineering, Electrical and Information Engineering, German Studies, Aerospace Engineering and Geodesy, Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics, Environmental Engineering, and Process Engineering.

In Architecture, 13 out of 16 student-evaluated criteria received an excellent rating. In Electrical and Information Engineering, 11 out of 16 student-evaluated criteria received an excellent rating. In Aerospace Engineering and Geodesy, 6 out of 16 student-evaluated criteria received an excellent rating. In Mechanical Engineering, 5 out of 16 student-evaluated criteria received an excellent rating. In Civil Engineering, 3 out of 17 student-evaluated criteria received an excellent rating. In Process Engineering, 2 out of 16 student-evaluated criteria received an excellent rating.

According to the U-Multirank 2022, with a total of twelve top rankings (group A), the University of Stuttgart is one of the "Top Performing Universities in Germany". In the indicators research and transfer of knowledge, the University of Stuttgart is among the German universities with the most top rankings (Groups A and B).

Data collection is suspended for 2023, as a common EU strategy for rankings and the pooling of different data sources is now being decided.

In the 2025 Academic Ranking of World Universities, the University of Stuttgart ranks 22nd nationally (301st–400th globally) and 5th among Germany’s TU9 universities.

In the 2025 Global Ranking of Academic Subjects (GRAS), the University of Stuttgart ranks among the top 200 universities worldwide in engineering sciences, with strong performances across six specific subject areas. In the subject Aerospace Engineering, the University of Stuttgart ranks 46th worldwide for the first time. The subjects Automation & Control, Metallurgical Engineering, and Robotic Science & Engineering are among the top 100 (ranks 76–100). Water Resources is listed among the top 150, Biotechnology among the top 200. The University of Stuttgart is also listed in the natural sciences with the subject Mathematics among the top 200.

In terms of total DFG approvals 2020-2022, the University of Stuttgart is among the top 20 German universities, ranking 19th with a DFG funding total of €188.3 million.

The German Research Foundation's funding Atlas is published every three years and ranks all German universities based on the funding they receive from the DFG. According to the Funding Atlas 2024, engineering sciences at the University of Stuttgart rank second nationally with EUR 119.2 million. In the engineering sciences, the University of Stuttgart leads in the fields of civil engineering and architecture (EUR 24.9 million) and ranks 2nd in the field of computer science, systems and electrical engineering (EUR 43.2 million).

In Horizon 2020, the University of Stuttgart was able to raise EUR 96 million for 179 projects, putting it in 11th place out of a total of 4,000 institutions in Germany for both criteria.

In the 9th Framework Program Horizon Europe, more than 45 projects with a volume of more than EUR 27 million have already been acquired. Many innovations from these projects have since found their way into industrial applications. Therefore, the European Commission has named the University of Stuttgart as a "Key Innovator" for its contribution to innovative developments. This is also represented on the "Innovation Radar" platform with more than 35 highlight innovations (as of March 2023).