ITU Ranks Among the World's Top 50 Most Impactful Universities for Sustainable Development!

According to the Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings 2025, which evaluate universities worldwide in terms of Sustainable Development Goals, ITU ranked among the top 50 globally. Our university also achieved an impressive 3rd place globally in the goal “Quality Education!

With its vision as a Responsibility- and Impact-Oriented Research University, Istanbul Technical University (ITU) continues to transform ideas into societal benefit for our country and humanity, in alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). ITU’s efforts contribute to the 17 SDGs set by the United Nations (UN), which aim for significant progress by 2030. The results achieved by ITU in the Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings 2025 once again showcase the university’s success.

ITU ranked in the Top 50 for 5 Goals and in the Top 100 for 8 Goals!

ITU secured 48th place among 2,318 universities evaluated in the THE Impact Rankings 2025 with a score of 92.6 out of 100.

Despite the increase in the number of universities assessed, ITU has shown consistent progress in the overall ranking in THE Impact Rankings over the years. Since 2020, sustainable, socially responsible, and high-impact initiatives at ITU have driven the university from the 601+ level into the top 50. ITU previously ranked between 101-200 in 2021 and 2022, climbed to 58th place in 2023, and further advanced to 34th place in 2024. Maintaining its position among the top 50 and securing 48th place in the latest rankings is a source of pride for the ITU community.

Istanbul Technical University ranked 3rd worldwide in the Goal 4, “Quality Education”, 23rd in the Goal 8, “Decent Work and Economic Growth”, 31st in the Goal 9, “Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure”, 42nd in the Goal 6, “Clean Water and Sanitation”, and 44th in the Goal 15, “Life on Land”, placing in the top 50 for five goals.

ITU also achieved remarkable success by securing a place in the top 100 for 8 SDGs, namely: Goal 1, “No Poverty” , Goal 2, “Zero Hunger”, Goal 4, “Quality Education”, Goal 6, “Clean Water and Sanitation”, Goal 8, “Decent Work and Economic Growth”, Goal 9, “Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure”, Goal 14, “Life Below Water”, and Goal 15 , “Life on Land.”

Reaching the peak in the goal “Quality Education”

ITU continues to strengthen its efforts in the Goal 4, “Quality Education” with a strong focus on sustainability and open science practices. The university has demonstrated steady progress, rising from 48th place in 2021 to 3^rd place in 2025, passing through ranks 18^th, 10^th, and 5^th along the way.

ITU Libraries’ open science initiatives and the efforts of the ITU Academic Archive Commission contribute significantly to education accessibility, equity, and quality, supporting the Goal 4. To read the interview with Dr. Burcu Bulut, our university's EELISA Open Science Ambassador, about open science studies at ITU and EELISA, please click here.

ITU has contributed to Goal 4 by integrating sustainability into its academic curriculum through Türkiye’s first and only Sustainability Master of Science Program. Since the Fall 2023-2024 semester, the program has welcomed students from various disciplines, enriching Goal 4 with a commitment to equitable education for all. Students enrolled in the program engage with the latest scientific and technological developments for sustainable development. The program fosters an interdisciplinary approach, allowing research in areas such as smart, green, and resilient cities, circular economy and sustainability strategies, sustainable and smart industries, and environmental and climate change studies. Through their theses, master's students are encouraged to strengthen university-industry ties. Moreover, the collaborations within the EELISA European University offer a guiding function for the program's students.

Recognizing the environmental, social, and political significance of the Polar Regions and their impact on climate change, ITU has launched a Master of Science Program. This initiative aims to position ITU as Türkiye’s first university to provide polar education within the University of the Arctic (UArctic) network, contributing to Goal 4 while offering a multidisciplinary research platform.

University-Industry collaboration to build "Partnerships for the Goals"

ITU’s impact on Goal 17 titled “Partnerships for the Goals” stems from its university-industry collaborations and EELISA European University partnerships.

ITU actively develops numerous collaborations with industrial organizations, adopting a co-creation model and supporting research that generates solutions for the complex future challenges humanity will increasingly face in a polycrisis environment.

The EELISA European University strengthens global cooperation for sustainable development by facilitating knowledge and expertise exchange at an international level. ITU’s engineering and technology projects under EELISA contribute to the creation of innovative solutions, while workshops, summer schools, and certification programs raise awareness and train individuals to address global sustainability challenges. ITU’s EELISA projects foster the sharing and application of technological innovations, advancing the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and global development agenda.

Policies for "Decent Work and Economic Growth"

ITU systematically strengthens its commitment to sustainability across various fields, guided by comprehensive policies that reinforce Goal 8, "Decent Work and Economic Growth." The university champions the development of innovative solutions in areas like green technologies, renewable energy, and sustainable production. These efforts, supported by ITU's diverse policies, include resource optimization through energy-saving applications and recycling projects, encouraging young professionals towards sustainability-focused careers, and fostering collaborations with the private sector that involve innovative practices for inclusive economic growth.

Protecting and supporting "Life on Land" with the "Bio Blitz"

ITU has organized Bio Blitz events since 2022 to record and monitor biodiversity. These initiatives contribute to Goal 15, "Life on Land," by highlighting the urgent need for significant measures to prevent biodiversity loss. Notably, the ITU Species Count 2025 event at Ayazağa Campus alone documented approximately 400 different species in just one day.

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are listed as follows: "No Poverty; Zero Hunger; Good Health and Well-being; Quality Education; Gender Equality; Clean Water and Sanitation; Affordable and Clean Energy; Decent Work and Economic Growth; Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure; Reduced Inequalities; Sustainable Cities and Communities; Responsible Consumption and Production; Climate Action; Life Below Water; Life on Land; Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions; and Partnerships for the Goals." ITU’s Sustainability Office publishes sustainability reports, sharing activities conducted under the SDGs framework.

THE Impact Rankings methodology

The Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings evaluate universities based on research, administration, outreach, and teaching using various indicators. To be included in the overall rankings, a university must submit data for Goal 17 along with at least three additional SDGs. Universities can provide data for as many goals as they are able.

For each university, Goal 17, “Partnerships for the Goals” accounts for 22% of the total yearly score, while the three best results among the remaining 16 goals each contribute 26%.

This means universities are scored based on different SDG sets, depending on their focus areas. Each SDG is assessed across three distinct metric categories, and the overall ranking score is calculated as an average of the total scores from the past two years.