University of Bologna ranked first in Italy for sustainable development in 2026
June 29, 2026
The University of Bologna has been ranked Italy’s top university for sustainable development in the THE Impact Rankings 2026 for the seventh consecutive year.
The renowned international ranking assesses universities’ contributions to achieving the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda.
Leading in Italy and excelling worldwide
The University of Bologna shares first place nationally with Politecnico di Milano, with both institutions placed in the 101–200 band of the overall ranking. They are followed by the University of Florence and the University of Padua, both ranked in the 201–300 band.
Among the University of Bologna’s most notable achievements is its performance in Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure (SDG 9), where it climbed eight positions from the previous edition to reach 19th place worldwide, while also ranking first in Italy.
The University also secured four additional national first-place rankings in Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions (SDG 16), Quality Education (SDG 4), Climate Action (SDG 13), and Affordable and Clean Energy (SDG 7).
At the global level, the University of Bologna ranks among the top 50 worldwide for Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions (SDG 16), placing 44th, and among the top 100 for Decent Work and Economic Growth (SDG 8), where it ranks 95th.
The 2026 edition of the THE Impact Rankings included 1,603 universities from around the world. These results confirm not only the University of Bologna’s leadership in Italy, but also its growing international standing, reflected in its steadily improving performance across the rankings.
