Four University of Otago – Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka subjects have been ranked in the top 50 globally.
Released today, the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2026 places Otago's sports-related subjects 22nd, anatomy and physiology 36th, dentistry 50th, and hospitality and leisure management 50th. These subjects are also ranked 1st in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation) Distinguished Professor Gregory Cook
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation) Distinguished Professor Gregory Cook welcomes the results.
"We know Otago provides a world-class education in a range of subjects, so it is great to see that reflected in these results," he says.
"I'm incredibly proud of the work by our kaimahi to ensure Otago is among the best in the world."
Otago maintains its position as one of New Zealand's top two-ranked universities with eight subjects in the top 100 globally.
Archaeology; philosophy; and theology, divinity and religious studies have been ranked in the 51-100 band, while classic and ancient history is in the 51-150 band.
Nursing; geography; and pharmacy and pharmacology have been ranked in the 101-150 band. Anthropology is in the 101-200 band. Law; English language and literature; psychology; and agriculture and forestry have ranked in the 151-200 band. Medicine has ranked at 157.
A further eight subjects have ranked between 201 and 300 in the world, and six more in the global top 500.
The rankings are determined by five indicators: academic reputation, employer reputation, research citations per paper, H-index, and international research network.
Otago's results in QS's broad disciplines, which are ranked differently than individual subject, has also improved on last year – social sciences and management went from 270th to 199th; life sciences and medicine from 124th= to 115th; arts and humanities 231st= to 191st; and natural sciences 374th= to 326th. Engineering and technology is in the 451-500 band.
