We are ranked in the top 1% of the world for sustainability by both the QS Sustainability Ranking and the THE Impact Ranking.
THE ranks us as being the 14th best university in the world, and best in NZ, for work towards the UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16 ‘Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions’.
THE ranks us as 53rd equal best university in the world for SGD 5 ‘Gender Equality’.
Ranked by THE as 91st equal for SDG17 ‘Partnership for the Goals’.
In the top 1% globally (ranked top 200 in the THE Impact Rankings) for seven other SDGs:
2026 QS Sustainability University Rankings placed Victoria University of Wellington at 195th in the world.
The sustainability ranking is assessed against 2000 tertiary institutions worldwide, putting us in the top 1% of global institutions for achieving social, environmental and governance sustainability.
Learn more about the 2026 QS World University Rankings: Sustainability
We are the first university in New Zealand to be ranked by STARS (The Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System) resulting in a Gold ranking.
The framework encompasses long-term sustainability goals for already high-achieving institutions, as well as entry points of recognition for institutions that are taking first steps toward sustainability. Read our report.
