The front view of Hanyang University's main building in Seongdong District, Seoul / Korea Times file
LONDON — Four Korean universities made it to the Times Higher Education (THE) Sustainability Impact Ratings 2026's top 20, with Hanyang University ranking sixth globally in results that underscore the rising international standing of Korean higher education.
According to the rankings released Wednesday, Hanyang University was the highest-ranked Korean institution, followed by Korea University at joint 12th, Pusan National University in Busan at joint 16th and Kyungpook National University in Daegu at joint 20th. Hanyang’s rise was particularly notable, as it climbed from joint 44th last year to the global top 10.
The results were announced as part of THE’s newly rebranded Sustainability Impact Ratings, formerly known as the Impact Rankings. The framework evaluates universities’ contributions to all 17 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), assessing areas such as poverty reduction, health, education, gender equality, climate action, innovation and partnerships.
Unlike traditional university rankings that focus heavily on research output, citations and institutional reputation, the Sustainability Impact Ratings assess how universities contribute to society through teaching, research, community engagement and the management of their own resources.
