The University of Worcester has achieved a top three UK ranking for Quality Education, and is the number one university in the UK for Gender Equality, for the second year, in the prestigious Times Higher Education’s global University Impact Rankings.
Worcester is also ranked in the top 10 in the UK overall and in the top 10% globally, in the rankings, which highlight the contribution made by universities around the world to achieving the internationally agreed Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which the United Nations adopted in 2016.
As well as Quality Education (joint 3rd in the UK) and Gender Equality (1st), Worcester is also among the top 10 in the UK in a number of other SDGs, including 3rd for Zero Hunger, 4th for No Poverty, 4th for Life on Land, 5th for Sustainable Cities and Communities, 6th for Clean Water and Sanitation, 6th for Climate Action, and 8th for Life Below Water.
Worcester was ranked 15th globally in SDG 15, Life on Land, which assessed the University’s contribution to protecting, restoring and promoting sustainable use of the land, which included research work tackling rural life in the UK, land management in Malawi, and biodiversity issues. In addition, research into river management contributed to the University’s performance in the Life Below Water SDG.
Worcester was named Sustainability Institution of the Year in the Green Gown Awards 2019 and has a long record of sustainable practice. In the 2019 People and Planet University League Worcester was awarded First Class Honours – an achievement it has now held for more than 10 years.
It is the second year of the rankings, which are made up this year of 766 universities across the world. Overall, the University of Worcester is ranked 52nd in the world, placing it in the top 10%.
The University of Worcester is also in the top 40 globally in the rankings for SDG 11, Sustainable Cities and Communities, which assessed the University’s contribution to helping the community be “inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable”, and SDG 1, No Poverty.
Professor David Green CBE, the University’s Vice Chancellor and Chief Executive, said: “The University of Worcester has long been committed to combining a highly inclusive approach with educational excellence. So we are particularly delighted to be ranked among the top 10 in the UK in so many categories, including in the top three for Quality Education and top for Gender Equality, for the second year running.
“Sustainability is central to all of our work at the University as we strive to make a positive impact on our local and wider community. We work tirelessly with our staff, students and many other organisations to find sustainable solutions to many daily activities and challenges.”
The University was last year shortlisted for three University of the Year titles, recognising its outstanding achievements in creating a high quality, inclusive learning environment.
It has also been the best performing university in the UK for Gender Pay, with the smallest average pay gap of an institution in the nationally published data in both 2018 and 2019.
The THE Impact Rankings launched last year and are the only global rankings to document evidence of universities’ impact on society, rather than just research and teaching performance. This year’s ranking includes tables on all 17 UN SDGs, up from 11 goals last year.