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Photo caption: The 2026 QS World University Rankings published today show UC has held its position of 261st out of more than 8000 universities.
Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury (UC) is placed 261st in the latest QS World University Rankings released today, the same position it held last year despite the number of universities evaluated rising from 5,633 to 8,467.
The rankings, produced annually by global higher education consultancy Quacquarelli Symonds, assess performance across a number of categories: research and discovery, employability and outcomes, learning experience, sustainability, and global engagement.
UC Tumu Tuarua Rangahau | Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research and Innovation Professor Lucy Johnston says it is extremely pleasing to see an increase in UC’s component scores and rankings on two highly weighted indicators – academic reputation and citations per faculty.
“This report from QS confirms that our university and our researchers are seen positively on the global stage and is further evidence of the world-leading research being conducted at UC.”
The University rose 18 places for academic reputation, which is based on the opinions of academics around the world about the various institutions.
UC also improved by 32 places for the number of citations per faculty, a measure of the impact and quality of scientific work it produces.
Professor Johnston says ranking systems such as QS allow the University to benchmark against others in the sector and provide valuable insight to direct research efforts.
“The results show UC academics are impressing their international peers with the quality and influence of their research,” she says.
UC rates in the top 100 universities worldwide for its attractiveness to international academic staff, up four places on last year, and is also ranked in the top 100 for sustainability - second in New Zealand - with a rise of eight places from last year’s ranking. It is second in New Zealand for employment outcomes.
