The Australian National University (ANU) is the 16th best university in the world for social and environmental sustainability, improving 32 places compared to the previous year, according to the QS World University Rankings Sustainability 2026 .
Out of 38 Australian institutions, ANU ranks third in the country, climbing four places. The University's overall score increased by 5.1 points to 97.2 out of 100.
QS also recognised ANU as a leader in environmental sustainability and knowledge exchange, ranking it second in Australia in both areas.
The University also ranks:
- sixth globally for social impact.
- eighth in Australia and 56th globally for its governance standards.
- 19th globally for impact of education.
- 28th globally for environmental sustainability, improving 30 places.
- 30th globally for environmental impact, representing a 55-place improvement.
"As the national university, ANU remains committed to tackling major environmental challenges, including emissions reduction, waste management and improving energy efficiency across our many buildings and facilities on our campuses," Interim Vice-Chancellor Professor Rebekah Brown said.
"Our performance in the latest QS sustainability rankings reflects our dedication to reducing our carbon footprint and being a sector-leader in sustainability, which we do through our world-class research and teaching, as well as driving university-wide action and fostering innovative solutions."
The QS sustainability rankings are determined by measuring several factors that reflect an institution's commitment across three categories: environmental impact, social impact and governance.
The 2026 edition of the QS sustainability rankings system features 2002 institutions across 108 countries and territories. According to QS, Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom are the leaders across all categories measured.
ANU is also fostering the next generation of leaders in sustainability. The University has over 600 researchers working on climate and energy-related issues, with 28 per cent of ANU courses including content related to environmental sustainability.
"Scoring well in this ranking shows ANU is not only educating for sustainability but also generating research, community engagement and institutional operations that are helping to transform society," Professor Brown said.
"It demonstrates that ANU offers more than academic excellence; we offer an education driven by a clear and meaningful purpose."
In line with the University's continued dedication to be a leader in environmental sustainability, ANU plans to strengthen its climate targets in 2025 with the launch of a new Environmental Sustainability Plan (ESP) 2026-2030.
"The University is committed to best practice in emissions reduction in line with climate science and we will have more to say about our updated climate targets, including how these targets have been set and how progress will be measured. We will update our community in due course," Professor Brown said.
In the overall QS World University Rankings 2026 , released in June 2025, ANU maintained its ranking of fourth in Australia.
