QS World University Rankings 2025

The results of the twenty-first edition of the QS World University Rankings, the classification of the world's best universities compiled by QS Quacquarelli Symonds, which bases its evaluation on a method that takes into account various characteristics of a university, have been published. USI is ranked 405th out of 1503 universities assessed and, as in previous years, 8th in Switzerland.

"The change in our overall position compared to the previous year does not worry the university," says Chancellor Luisa Lambertini, "because our main indicators such as student numbers, research funding and regional impact are still very positive. USI's position remains good, especially in relation to its age and size, placing us in the top 27% of the universities reviewed".

Additionally, as stated recently by several other Swiss universities, USI continues to look at these rankings with interest, but they do not guide its strategic and management choices. The university does not have direct access to QS's calculations and interpretation tools, but the data to which the ranking refers are those of the academic year 2021/2022. During the period in question, USI's profile changed as a consequence of the expansion of its academic community and in particular of the affiliation of the Faculty of Theology in Lugano and of the numerous professorial appointments within the Faculty of Biomedical Sciences. These strategic choices modified the composition of USI's academic community. In fact, a large number of new people entered the calculation, adding valuable and sought-after skills: for a number of technical and publication-related reasons, the QS WUR ranking translated this expansion into negative changes in some areas. USI's performance declined in the following indicators: in the student/faculty ratio (as a result of the significant growth in students) and in the internationality rate of students and professors - all parameters in which the University nevertheless ranks among the top in Switzerland - as well as in the number of citations per academic.

 For details on the QS World University Rankings 2025 (available from 10 p.m. on 4 June 2024): www.topuniversities.com/qs-world-university-rankings

USI rankings overview: Ranking | USI