PETALING JAYA: Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) has broken into the top 10 universities for its work in meeting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
According to the Times Higher Education (THE) Sustainability Impact Ratings 2026, USM is now ranked fifth globally.
The university is also Asia’s highest ranked entry for the rankings.
The university holds the number one rank globally for its SDG 17 (Partnerships for the goals) rating.
Also in the top 10 is Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia which leaped from a shared 53rd spot in 2025 to a shared seventh spot, sharing the rank with Japan’s Hokkaido University.
Meanwhile, Universiti Malaya is ranked 24th while Sunway University jumped from 81 in 2025 to 45 in 2026.
Rounding off the Malaysian entries is Management and Science University which climbed from the 101-200 band to a shared 88th spot, sharing the rank with Nottingham Trent University, United Kingdom.
Meanwhile, the University of Manchester, United Kingdom is number one followed by Griffith University, Australia, in the ratings.
Overall, 1,646 universities from 116 countries or territories are featured in this eighth edition of the rankings.
The Asian region accounts for more than half of the universities in the global ranking with five Asian universities in the global top 10.
THE chief global affairs officer Phil Baty said the ratings have become a trusted resource for universities and governments worldwide.
“It is particularly exciting to see the sheer diversity of success stories when it comes to social and economic impact: this rating system proves that excellence comes in many shapes, sizes and contexts – not just from the traditionally dominant universities of the Global North,” he said in a statement on Wednesday (June 24).
Previously known as the THE Impact Rankings, this is the only global performance table that assesses universities against all 17 of the SDGs.
The ranking is based on data on SDGs submitted by the universities.
Institutions that provide data on SDG 17 and at least three other SDGs are included in the overall ranking.
