The University of Bologna ranks as Italy’s top university for sustainable development Confirmation – for the seventh consecutive year – comes from the new edition of the THE Sustainability Impact Ratings, the international ranking that assesses universities’ contribution to achieving the seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda.
Nationally, the University of Bologna shares first place 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, which move from the 101–200 band in the previous edition to the 201–300 band.
“For the University of Bologna, sustainability is not simply a goal to pursue; it is an integral part of its identity. These results make that very clear”, said Rector Giovanni Molari. "Being among the best in the world in innovation and infrastructure, and in first place in Italy for quality of education, climate action and clean energy highlights the University of Bologna’s full commitment to building a fairer and more sustainable future".
The most significant result for the University of Bologna is in the field of Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure (SDG 9), where the University climbs eight places and reaches 19th place worldwide (and first place in Italy). This achievement reflects the University of Bologna’s strong focus on applied research, technology transfer and collaboration with industry.
The University also ranks first nationally in four other categories: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions (SDG 16), Quality Education (SDG 4), Climate Action (SDG 13) and Affordable and Clean Energy (SDG 7).
Globally, the University of Bologna is among the top 50 for Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions (SDG 16), ranking 44th, and among the top 100 for Decent Work and Economic Growth (SDG 8), ranking 95th.
The THE Sustainability Impact Ratings is the only international university ranking based exclusively on the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals. A total of 1,603 universities from around the world were included in the 2026 edition.
