University of Bayreuth, Press release No. 003/2025 - 10 January 2025
University of Bayreuth makes a significant leap in the QS Sustainability Ranking 2025
The University of Bayreuth has made an impressive leap forward in the latest QS World University Rankings: Sustainability 2025, rising to rank 318 worldwide out of nearly 1,800 institutions. Within Germany, it now shares the 19th position with the University of Konstanz.
Particularly positive is the development in the three assessed categories: Social Impact, Environmental Impact, and Governance, where the university has achieved significant progress. The ranking is primarily based on data from reputation surveys, bibliometric data, and data submitted by participating universities. The score for Social Impact increased from 63.7 to 78.8 points, Environmental Impact from 46 to 63 points, and Governance from 23.7 to 63.7 points (with a maximum of 100 points in each category). Notable achievements include outstanding results in the subcategories Environmental Research with 90.3 points and Health & Wellbeing with 95 points.
Prof. Dr. Susanne Tittlbach, Vice President for Digitalization, Innovation, and Sustainability and Chair of Social and Health Sciences of Sport, states: "This encouraging result highlights our continuous and diverse efforts in the field of sustainability. We are particularly pleased with the rise from rank 651 to 318, demonstrating that our strategies and measures are taking effect. This result not only reflects our commitment but also the impact we achieve through our sustainability initiatives – whether through targeted research projects, sustainable campus design, or promoting social responsibility across all areas of our university's activities. The progress in the ranking confirms that we are on the right path toward realizing our vision of a sustainable and responsible university." The University of Bayreuth will continue to intensify its sustainable development efforts.
About QS World University Rankings: Sustainability
First published as a pilot project in 2022 and fully established in 2023, it evaluates universities worldwide based on social, environmental, and governance criteria (ESG). Factors such as the impact of research related to the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the influence of alumni on global challenges are included in the assessment. The QS Sustainability Ranking measures the social and environmental impact of universities not only as educational and research institutions but also as significant employers. It offers students, educational institutions, governments, and other stakeholders insight into the extent to which universities achieve sustainable performance.
Since its first edition, the number of evaluated institutions has increased by nearly 150%. The current ranking includes over 350 new institutions, bringing the total number to 1,743. The top-ranked universities in 2025 are the University of Toronto, Canada; ETH Zurich, Switzerland; Lund University, Sweden; and the University of California, Berkeley, USA, which share the third position.
Link to the ranking: https://www.topuniversities.com/sustainability-rankings
Sustainability is practiced in many areas at the University of Bayreuth. To find out more go to:
https://www.uni-bayreuth.de/en/greenstudies
https://www.uni-bayreuth.de/en
https://www.bayceer.uni-bayreuth.de/bayceer/index.php?lang=en
Florian GillitzerStrategische Projekte und universitäres Reporting (SPuR)
Telefon: 0921 / 55-5209
E-Mail: florian.gillitzer@uni-bayreuth.de
Anja-Maria MeisterPressesprecherin der Universität Bayreuth
Telefon: +49 (0) 921 / 55-5300
E-Mail: anja.meister@uni-bayreuth.de