Dr Julian Skyrme, Executive Director of Social Responsibility and Civic Engagement at The University of Manchester, who leads the institution’s entry to the ranking, said: “Each year, we submit a wealth of evidence demonstrating how we embed social responsibility across all areas of our work—from sustainability and cultural engagement to research impact, widening participation and the student experience. This continued recognition highlights the dedication of our entire University community to making a positive difference locally and globally.”
The University of Manchester came top in the world for SDG11 – Sustainable Cities and Communities. Significantly contributing to this is the investment made in four public-facing cultural institutions. Manchester Museum has recently been recognised as one of Europe’s leading museums after winning the European Museum of the Year Award (EMYA) 2025.
The annual prize is one of the most prestigious museum awards in the world and Manchester Museum is the first university museum to receive it, earning recognition for the way it balances globally-significant academic research with community engagement and social responsibility.
The University has also directly addressed the energy impact of its campus in a landmark deal to see up to 65% of its electricity demand supplied via a new renewable project. In support of SDG7 – Affordable and Clean Energy and SDG12 – Responsible Consumption and Production, the University is building a 104,000 solar panel farm to generate green energy and also create a significant biodiversity enhancement to previously low-grade farmland.
The University was ranked second in the world for SDG15 – Life on Land. Particularly key contributions towards this goal have come from Professor Rich Bardgett for his climate research on restoring grasslands in the UN’s Decade on Ecosystem Restoration initiative. Alongside this is Dr Johan Oldekop’s leading research on socially driven reforestation policies to better protect our environment.
President and Vice Chancellor, The University of Manchester, Professor Duncan Ivison said: “It’s a tremendous achievement for our University community to once again be recognised as the UK and Europe’s top-ranked university - and second in the world - in this year’s THE Impact Rankings. This reflects not only the depth of our commitment to social responsibility but also the passion and dedication of our staff, students, and partners who bring that commitment to life every day.
"As we prepare to launch our new strategy, Manchester 2035, this recognition is a powerful reminder of the role we can play, both here in Manchester and around the world, in leading on addressing the major challenges of our time: advancing sustainability, tackling inequality, and supporting inclusive growth.”
The University of Manchester has also, this week, been ranked 35th in the annual QS World University Rankings which evaluate over 8,000 institutions around the world. The results reflect the University’s international profile and continued excellence in research, with other standout performances in indicators such as the International Research Network and International Students.
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