UTS shows sustainability leadership

UTS placed 47th in the world – and fifth in Australia – in the global 2025 QS Sustainability Rankings, which track universities’ ability to tackle the world’s greatest environmental, social and governance (ESG) challenges.

The rankings assessed 1,744 higher education institutions globally across a range of ESG indicators, and 38 in Australia, with UTS ranking highly across each category:

• 29th for social impact globally (7th in Australia) – looking at equality, employment opportunities, knowledge exchange and health and wellbeing
• 73rd for environmental impact globally (5th in Australia) – examining the impact and reputation of education, research and sustainability initiatives
• 19th for governance globally (1st in Australia) – the university processes supporting sustainability in education, research and operations

The university’s performance was ranked 43rd in the world in 2024 and 69th in 2023. UTS was also ranked 13th in the world in the 2024 Times Higher Education Impact Rankings.

“We take great pride in our strong commitment to ESG principles and creating real impact within our communities. This recognition reflects how our efforts are delivering key outcomes for our community,” says UTS Vice-Chancellor, Professor Andrew Parfitt.

Congratulations to our staff, students, alumni and partners whose collective efforts have been instrumental in our sustainability success.
- Professor Andrew Parfitt

 “In recent years, we have focused on tracking how what we do aligns with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The results are evident in our performance in both the QS and Times Higher Education rankings.”

“We’re addressing global ESG challenges from a diverse range of perspectives. Our researchers are driving innovations to tackle the effect of climate change and protect our environment, our educators are enhancing access for disadvantaged students, and our operational teams are embedding sustainability into every process.”