Australian universities have again demonstrated their leadership in driving positive global change, achieving standout results in the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings 2025. The rankings assess more than 2,500 institutions worldwide against the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), measuring universities’ contributions to social, environmental and economic progress.
Three Australian institutions featured in the global top five. Griffith University climbed dramatically to equal fourth place, up from 24th last year and 72nd in 2023, while the University of Tasmania also ranked equal fourth, topping the world tables for the SDGs “climate action” and “life on land.” CQUniversity secured 25th place overall, reinforcing Australia’s broad strength in sustainability-led teaching, research and community engagement.
Griffith achieved top-10 results across five SDGs. “We’re led by our values and prioritise innovation and social impact in our teaching and research,” said Professor Jennifer Boddy, Dean of Sustainability and Rankings. “It’s heartening to see fellow institutions on the same path.”
Overall, 24 Australian universities were represented in this year’s rankings, with 10 placing in the global top 50 and a further six in the top 200. This breadth of success highlights the significant impact of Australia’s higher education sector beyond traditional measures of research prestige.
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