The growing focus on rankings measuring social and environmental responsibility

Ellen Boeren

Chapter 11 in How to Read and Interpret University Rankings, 2026, pp 133-146 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: Throughout the years, rankings have been criticised for putting too much emphasis on research, ignoring universities’ social responsibilities and the wider impact they can make on their communities. In recent years, QS and THE have translated these observations into new ranking products, both underpinned by the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This chapter will introduce the reader to the SDGs and the details of these rankings, followed by a brief discussion of alternative league tables in the domain of social and environmental issues, notable UI Greenmetrics and STARS. The chapter includes a comparison between universities’ performances on the QS versus THE ranking and highlights the ongoing need to interpret league table results in parallel with their methodological guides.

Keywords: SDG; Environment; Sustainability; Social responsibility; Higher education; University rankings (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
ISBN: 9781035333455
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