Times Higher Education World University Ranking 2026: USI climbs a tier

The Times Higher Education World University Rankings for 2026, one of the most recognised and influential academic rankings globally, have been released. Università della Svizzera italiana has shown a notable improvement by advancing from the 301–350 range in the 2025 edition to the 251–300 range in 2026. This advancement is particularly significant given the increased competition, as the total number of ranked universities has increased from 2,092 to 2,191.

The result reflects a strong performance across the five ranking pillars, with USI's score positioned in the top 25% of universities worldwide. Notably, it stands out in the Industry pillar, reaching 169th place globally, demonstrating its ability to transfer knowledge and skills to the economic and productive fabric. In the International Outlook pillar, USI ranks 6th out of 2,191 universities worldwide, reinforcing the university's significant international presence and its appeal to students, researchers, and academic partners from around the globe.

USI's result in the Times Higher Education World University Ranking 2026 is also significant in light of its performance in the QS World University Ranking, where USI ranks 473rd. Although the two rankings are based on reference periods that differ by only a few months, they have significant differences in methodology and inclusion criteria. The QS ranking places considerable emphasis on academic reputation (30%) and employer reputation (15%), whereas the Times Higher Education ranking takes a more balanced approach. THE evaluates teaching, research, citation quality, industry relations, and international outlook. Additionally, THE requires universities to participate voluntarily, which helps ensure consistent data collection. In contrast, QS automatically includes all institutions in its databases, even those that do not participate directly. In this more methodologically structured context, USI's presence in the 251–300 range of the THE ranking is a solid indicator of the university's quality.

The result achieved in the THE Ranking – obtained in an increasingly competitive environment – demonstrates the university's ability to combine the proximity and interdisciplinarity typical of small universities with internationally recognised levels of quality. Commitment to research, international openness and collaboration with the business world will remain central elements of USI's strategy in the coming years.

About rankings

University rankings are created through standardised data collection procedures that measure various indicators to compare the quality and performance of various universities. These rankings are compiled annually through the analysis of a large amount of data. The indicators used in these rankings include bibliometric data (citations and references in scientific publications), the impact of universities' research, the quality of teaching, and their international outlook. The results of these rankings may vary due to differences in the indicators used and their relative weighting in the ranking calculation.

While Università della Svizzera italiana has made significant strides in recent years, especially considering its age and size, it is important to approach these results cautiously. Rankings, including those we have achieved, are just one of many indicators of a university's quality.