Sustainable Development Goals: 34 French institutions are impactful, says the THE

All audiences

Which are the best higher education institutions in terms of sustainability? The Times Higher Education (THE) answers this questions with its Impact Rankings 2025, ranking 2,500 universities from 130 countries depending on their efforts to reach the UN sustainable development goals. With 34 schools and institutions ranked, one more than last year, France is ranked third in Europe, behind the UK and Spain.

The Times Higher Education ranking measures the success of universities and schools throughout the world to complete the 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs) as defined by the UN. According to the THE, this ranking is the “only impact ranking in the world” measuring institutions in relation with these objectives in four fields: research, “the most obvious and traditional way for a unviersity to contribute to the achievement of SDGs”, sensible management from institutions, teaching and awareness-raising about these objectives, in addition to these teaching.

Two French schools in the Top 100

Complying with these various metrics, France has 34 higher education institutions ranked in this Impact Ranking.

Two schools are in the Top 100:

Institut Agro, at the 23th position worldwide and 1st position in France, defines itself as “a great school agro-ecology, food and environment transitions”, particularly stands out for objective 2, “end hunger, ensure food security, improve nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture”, reaching the 3rd position in this SDG;
IMT Atlantique, an advanced generalist schools of engineering and research centre, reached the 69th position worldwide and 2nd position in France, thanks to its excellent result for SDG 12, “Responsible consumption and production”.

A total 34 French institutions awarded

Farther in the THE Impact Ranking are 22 additional French institutions, ranked in the Top 1000:

from 100th to 200th position: Institut Mines Télécom Business School and University of Bordeaux;
from the 200th to 300th position: Ecole des mines de Saint-Etienne, IMT Alès, IMT Nord-Europe, University of Montpellier and University of Nantes;
from 300th to 400th: emlyon Business School et Excelia;
from 400th to 600th: Centrale Nantes, EDHEC Business School and IMT Mines Albi;
from 600th to 800th: Ecole Arts et Métiers, CY Cergy Paris Université, Ecole Centrale de Lyon, INSA Lyon, Université Côte d’azur and Université Rennes 1;
from 800th to 1,000th: ENTPE (École nationale des travaux publics de l'État), ESSCA School of Management, University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne and Université Polytechnique des Hauts de France.

Beyond the 1,000th position, from 1,000th to 1,500th, ten additional institutions are ranked: Audencia, Advanced business school of Burgundy, ENSTA Bretagne, University Jean Moulin-Lyon 3, University of Lille, University of Pau et des Pays de l’Adour, CESI (Centre des études supérieures industrielles), school of Condé, University Panthéon Assas-Paris 2 and Universitéy of Angers.

According to the Times Higher Education, by excelling in various SDGs these institutions “prove their commitment to face the most urgent challenges worldwide, and particularly in environmental sustainability, social inclusion, economic growth and partnerships”.