New #THEunirankings reveals universities’ #GlobalImpact

Pioneering new ranking reveals universities’ social and economic impact.

Times Higher Education has published the results of the first University Impact Rankings – a pioneering new league table that assesses universities’ performance against the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.

It is the world’s first global attempt to document evidence of higher education impact and represents a radical new way of looking at university excellence that goes beyond the teaching and research focus of traditional rankings. 

Five hundred and fifty one institutions from 80 countries feature overall, across 12 tables, while the main ranking includes 462 universities from 76 nations. Universities had to actively volunteer and share an extensive range of data to be ranked.

The ranking – which is open to all accredited universities teaching undergraduates – was launched at the THE Innovation and Impact Summit at the Korean Advanced Institute of Science and Technology in South Korea.

The results reveal a new hierarchy of diverse global institutions compared with research-focused rankings with New Zealand’s University of Auckland taking first place and Canada’s McMaster University claiming second position.

The rest of the top 10 is completed by Canada’s University of British Columbia, the UK’s University of Manchester and King’s College London, Sweden’s University of Gothenburg and KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Canada’s University of Montreal, Italy’s University of Bologna and the University of Hong Kong.  

Auckland tops the league table largely thanks to its top scores for two of the goals: good-health and well-being and partnerships for the goals. It also achieves a high score for gender equality. 

Japan leads the main ranking based on overall representation, with 41 ranked institutions, while the US has 31 and Russia has 30.

However, when countries are ranked based on their institutions’ average overall scores, Canada comes top with an average total score of 86.6 out of 100. It is followed by the Republic of Ireland and Australia, with average overall scores of 85.1 and 81.6 respectively. The analysis excluded nations with fewer than five universities in the ranking.

The ranking assesses universities on metrics that are based on 11 of the 17 UN SDGs. Data were collected from universities and Elsevier and the metrics were developed in partnership with Vertigo Ventures.

The initiative – which will remain subject to ongoing consultative discussion – is expected to develop over time, with a long-term objective to recognise performance against all 17 SDGs. 

There are also 11 tables on the universities that perform best against 11 individual SDGs. 

Phil Baty, chief knowledge officer at THE, said: “Universities’ response to the first THE University Impact Rankings has been incredible and shows that there is real appetite within the sector for a new way of defining excellence – an assessment that captures unique new insights on the impact institutions have on society, against their own unique missions, not just their research and teaching performance. This new exercise puts all universities on a level playing field, as reflected in the results which includes all types of institutions from big name research powerhouses to local institutions in developing countries that have never before engaged in global rankings.”

He added: “This is the first global attempt to document evidence of higher education impact, but it is not just a ranking – it is the start of an initiative that we will continue to develop in consultation with universities, academics and sector groups. The need and desire for clear, new metrics on impact is strong and, while this is a highly challenging area of data collection, it’s also an important and necessary step forward.”

Ellie Bothwell, global rankings editor at THE, said: 

“The THE University Impact Rankings recognise the fantastic work that universities do for the good of society to tackle some of our most pressing global issues – work that often goes unrecognised and undocumented. The results in this inaugural edition shake up our very notion of what excellence looks like – universities in New Zealand, Canada and the UK sit alongside those in Iran, Malaysia and Saudi Arabia in these pioneering and truly global new rankings.” 

Laura Tucker, founder and CEO of Vertigo Ventures, the organisation behind the measurement methodology said:

“In 2019, every higher education institution should be acutely aware of its impact on society. In fact, it’s becoming increasingly intertwined with their financial futures. Since the last round of funding for example, weighting of impact has increased from 20% to 25% in the REF, meaning that measuring impact and demonstrating the difference universities are making will only get more important. This is a worldwide trend and something universities need to take very seriously – especially now, it’s being officially measured.”

Summary results and tables

Times Higher Education University Impact Rankings 2019: overall table
Copyright Times Higher Education 2019View the full table: www.timeshighereducation.com/rankings/impact/2019 
View the methodology: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/methodology-impact-rankings-2019

Includes 462 universities from 76 nations

Top universities: University of Auckland in New Zealand (1), McMaster University in Canada (2), University of British Columbia in Canada (=3), University of Manchester in UK (=3)

Top countries by representation: Japan (41), US (31), Russia (30)

Times Higher Education University Impact Rankings 2019 by SDG: good health and well-being 

Copyright Times Higher Education 2019View the full table: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/rankings/impact/2019/good-health-and-well-being-people
View the methodology: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/impact-rankings-2019-methodology-good-health-well-being

This measures universities’ research on key diseases and conditions, their support for healthcare professions, and the health of students and staff. Includes 421 universities from 74 countriesTop universities: University of Auckland in New Zealand (1), McMaster University in Canada (2), University of Montreal in Canada (3)Top countries by representation: Japan (40), US (29), Russia (29)

Times Higher Education University Impact Rankings 2019 by SDG: quality education 

Copyright Times Higher Education 2019View the full table: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/rankings/impact/2019/quality-education
View the methodology: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/impact-rankings-2019-methodology-quality-education

This focuses on universities’ contribution to early years and lifelong learning, their pedagogy research and their commitment to inclusive education. Includes 453 universities from 77 countries Top universities: University of Gothenburg in Sweden (1), Universiti Sains Malaysia in Malaysia (2), Andrés Bello University (UNAB) in Chile (3)Top countries by representation: Japan (39), Russia (33), US (30)

Times Higher Education University Impact Rankings 2019 by SDG: gender equality 

Copyright Times Higher Education 2019View the full table: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/rankings/impact/2019/gender-equality
View the methodology: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/impact-rankings-2019-methodology-gender-equality

This measures universities’ research on the study of gender, their policies on gender equality and their commitment to recruiting and promoting women.

Includes 336 universities from 70 countries Top universities: Western Sydney University in Australia (1), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam in the Netherlands (2), University of Gothenburg in Sweden (3)

Top countries by representation: Japan (28), Russia (21), US (20)

Times Higher Education University Impact Rankings 2019 by SDG: decent work and economic growth 

Copyright Times Higher Education 2019View the full table: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/rankings/impact/2019/decent-work-and-economic-growth
View the methodology: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/impact-rankings-2019-methodology-decent-work-economic-growth

This explores universities’ economics research, their employment practices and the share of students taking work placements. Includes 291 universities from 68 countriesTop universities: McMaster University in Canada (1), KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden (2), University of East Anglia in UK (3)Top countries by representation: Japan (28), Russia (24), UK (19)

Times Higher Education University Impact Rankings 2019 by SDG: industry, innovation and infrastructure 

Copyright Times Higher Education 2019View the full table: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/rankings/impact/2019/industry-innovation-and-infrastructure
View the methodology: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/impact-rankings-2019-methodology-industry-innovation-infrastructure
 
This measures universities’ research on industry and innovation, their number of patents and spin-off companies and their research income from industry. Includes 338 universities from 63 countriesTop universities: Yonsei University (Seoul campus) in South Korea (1), The University of Tokyo in Japan (2), KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden (3)Top countries by representation: Japan (36), Russia (26), Turkey (21)

Times Higher Education University Impact Rankings 2019 by SDG: reduced inequalities 
Copyright Times Higher Education 2019View the full table: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/rankings/impact/2019/reducing-inequalities
View the methodology: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/impact-rankings-2019-methodology-reduced-inequalities

This explores universities’ research on social inequalities, their policies on discrimination and their commitment to recruiting staff and students from under-represented groups. Includes 275 universities from 62 countriesTop universities: James Cook University in Australia (1), Western Sydney University in Australia (2), University of South Australia in Australia (3)Top countries by representation: Japan (27), Russia (23), US (20)

Times Higher Education University Impact Rankings 2019 by SDG: sustainable cities and communities 

Copyright Times Higher Education 2019View the full table: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/rankings/impact/2019/sustainable-cities-and-communities
View the methodology: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/impact-rankings-2019-methodology-sustainable-cities-communities

This focuses on universities’ research on sustainability, their role as custodians of arts and heritage and their internal approaches to sustainability. Includes 292 universities from 62 countriesTop universities: Kyung Hee University in South Korea (1), Auckland University of Technology in New Zealand (2), University of British Columbia in Canada (3)Top countries by representation: Japan (30), Russia (22), US (22)

Times Higher Education University Impact Rankings 2019 by SDG: responsible consumption and production 

Copyright Times Higher Education 2019View the full table: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/rankings/impact/2019/responsible-consumption-and-production
View the methodology: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/impact-rankings-2019-methodology-responsible-consumption-production

This measures universities’ research on responsible consumption and their approach to the sustainable use of resources.Includes 226 universities from 56 countriesTop universities: University of College Cork in the Republic of Ireland (1), Newcastle University in the UK (2), University of Dundee in the UK (3)Top countries by representation: Japan (24), UK (18), Russia (17) 

Times Higher Education University Impact Rankings 2019 by SDG: climate action 

Copyright Times Higher Education 2019View the full table: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/rankings/impact/2019/climate-action
View the methodology: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/impact-rankings-2019-methodology-climate-action

This explores universities’ research on climate change, their use of energy and their preparations for dealing with the consequences of climate change.Includes 255 universities from 58 countriesTop universities: University of British Columbia in Canada (1), University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in the US (2), University at Buffalo in the US (3)Top countries by representation: Japan (25), UK (17), Russia (16), US (16)

Times Higher Education University Impact Rankings 2019 by SDG: peace, justice and strong institutions 

Copyright Times Higher Education 2019View the full table: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/rankings/impact/2019/peace-justice-and-strong-institutions
View the methodology: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/impact-rankings-2019-methodology-peace-justice-strong-institutions

This evaluates universities’ research on law and international relations, their participation as advisers for government and their policies on academic freedom. Includes 274 universities from 66 countriesTop universities: National Taiwan University in Taiwan (1), Rostov State University of Economics in Russia (2), Soas, University of London in the UK (3)Top countries by representation: Japan (28), Russia (21), UK (18)

Times Higher Education University Impact Rankings 2019 by SDG: partnerships for the goals 

Copyright Times Higher Education 2019View the full table:https://www.timeshighereducation.com/rankings/impact/2019/partnerships-goals
View the methodology: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/impact-rankings-2019-methodology-partnership-for-goals

This looks at the broader ways in which universities support the SDGs through collaboration with other countries, the promotion of best practices and the publication of data. Includes 487 universities from 77 countriesTop universities: University of Auckland in New Zealand (=1), University of Manchester in UK (=1), University of Montreal in Canada (3)Top countries by representation: Japan (43), Russia (33), US (31)

Links to all tables

Overall table: www.timeshighereducation.com/rankings/impact/2019
SDG 3: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/rankings/impact/2019/good-health-and-well-being-people
SDG 4: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/rankings/impact/2019/quality-education
SDG 5: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/rankings/impact/2019/gender-equality
SDG 8: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/rankings/impact/2019/decent-work-and-economic-growth
SDG 9: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/rankings/impact/2019/industry-innovation-and-infrastructure
SDG 10: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/rankings/impact/2019/reducing-inequalities
SDG 11: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/rankings/impact/2019/sustainable-cities-and-communities
SDG 12: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/rankings/impact/2019/responsible-consumption-and-production
SDG 13: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/rankings/impact/2019/climate-action
SSD 16: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/rankings/impact/2019/peace-justice-and-strong-institutions
SDG 17: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/rankings/impact/2019/partnerships-goals
 
Methodology summary: The Times Higher Education University Impact Rankings are the only global performance tables that assess universities against the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We use carefully calibrated indicators to provide comprehensive and balanced comparisons across three broad areas: research, outreach, and stewardship.There are 17 UN SDGs and we are evaluating university performance on 11 of them in our first edition of the ranking:

• SDG 3 – Good health and well-being 
• SDG 4 – Quality education
• SDG 5 – Gender equality
• SDG 8 – Decent work and economic growth
• SDG 9 – Industry, innovation, and infrastructure
• SDG 10 – Reduced inequalities
• SDG 11 – Sustainable cities and communities
• SDG 12 – Responsible consumption and production
• SDG 13 – Climate action
• SDG 16 – Peace, justice and strong institutions
• SDG 17 – Partnerships for the goals

Universities can submit data on as many of the SDGs as they are able. SDG 17 is the only compulsory SDG for inclusion in the overall table. A university’s final score in the overall table is calculated by combining their score in SDG 17 with their top three scores out of the remaining 10 SDGs. SDG 17 accounts for 22 per cent of the overall score, while the other SDGs each carry a weight of 26 per cent. This means that different universities are scored based on a different set of SDGs, depending on their focus.The score from each SDG is scaled so that the highest score in each SDG in the overall calculation is 100. Universities must submit their own institutional data to be ranked. Bibliometric data come from Elsevier. Universities must teach undergraduates and be validated by a recognised accreditation body to be included in the ranking. The methodology was developed in conjunction with our partners Vertigo Ventures and Elsevier, and after consultation and input from individual universities, academics, and sector groups.
 
Links to all methodology pages
Overall: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/methodology-impact-rankings-2019
SDG 3: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/impact-rankings-2019-methodology-good-health-well-being
SDG 4: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/impact-rankings-2019-methodology-quality-education
SDG 5: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/impact-rankings-2019-methodology-gender-equality
SDG 8: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/impact-rankings-2019-methodology-decent-work-economic-growth
SDG 9: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/impact-rankings-2019-methodology-industry-innovation-infrastructure
SDG 10: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/impact-rankings-2019-methodology-reduced-inequalities
SDG 11: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/impact-rankings-2019-methodology-sustainable-cities-communities
SDG 12: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/impact-rankings-2019-methodology-responsible-consumption-production
SDG 13: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/impact-rankings-2019-methodology-climate-action
SDG 16: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/impact-rankings-2019-methodology-peace-justice-strong-institutions
SDG 17: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/impact-rankings-2019-methodology-partnership-for-goals
 
Find out more about the THE University Impact Rankings:
https://www.timeshighereducation.com/opinion/new-way-defining-excellence-higher-education
 
About THE:
Times Higher Education (THE) is the world’s most authoritative source of information on higher education. For more information, visit www.timeshighereducation.com or find us on Twitter @timeshighered @THEworldunirank and @THEuniadvice 
 
About Elsevier:
Elsevier is a world-leading provider of information solutions that enhance the performance of science, health and technology professionals, empowering them to make better decisions, deliver better care, and sometimes make groundbreaking discoveries that advance the boundaries of knowledge and human progress. Elsevier provides web-based, digital solutions — among them ScienceDirect, Scopus, Elsevier Research Intelligence and ClinicalKey— and publishes over 2,500 journals, including The Lancet and Cell, and more than 33,000 book titles, including a number of iconic reference works. Elsevier is part of RELX Group plc, a world-leading provider of information solutions for professional customers across industries.

About Vertigo Ventures:
Since 2009, Vertigo Ventures (VV) has been working with leading research organisations globally to help them identify, capture and report the impact of their work. VV provides a range of services, such as impact training workshops, consultancy services, and, its proprietary software VV-Impact Tracker. VV are recognised as the international impact experts, having written papers such as HEFCE commissioned Evidencing Impact guide and are regularly invited to speak at national and international sector events such as NCURA, ARMS, THE world summits, EARMA, and, INORMS. VV have also worked in close in partnership with the Times Higher Education (THE) to develop the new global University Impact Rankings that aims to measure universities’ contributions towards the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).