UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State tied for No. 4 among 240 ranked universities in the United States in the “QS World University Rankings: Sustainability” for 2026, released Nov. 18. Internationally, the University ranked No. 21 out of 2,002 participating institutions worldwide. 

Penn State also ranked at No. 1 among Big Ten institutions and No. 2 among U.S. public universities. 

The 2026 rankings provide a framework to show how universities are taking action to tackle the world’s greatest environmental, social and governance challenges, according to international rankings organization Quacquarelli Symonds (QS). 

Penn State’s commitment to sustainability is reflected across University operations, its research enterprise, and through course-based and experiential learning opportunities for students. Examples of the University’s sustainability efforts can be found in Penn State Sustainability’s flagship programming, which includes the Sustainable Communities Collaborative, Local Climate Action Program, Sustainable Labs Program, and the annual student-led Global Sustainable Action Conference, co-hosted with Penn State Global.  

Penn State maintained its high performance even as the number of participating institutions worldwide increased by 251 this year. The QS Sustainability Rankings have experienced a 186% growth in participating institutions between the inaugural 2023 rankings (700 institutions) and the 2026 rankings (2,001). Read more about the methodology for the 2026 Sustainability rankings.  

“Penn State continues to be a leading institution in sustainability, from our cutting-edge research focused on the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals to sustainability education and our operational efforts,” said Sabine Klahr, vice provost for Penn State Global. “This work has real-world impact, both in the local communities we serve here in Pennsylvania and around the world.” 

QS noted that results from an international student survey done in 2024 showed 88% of prospective students rate sustainability as moderately, very or extremely important. Forty percent of prospective students in the survey actively researched an institution’s sustainability strategy. 

The global ranking combines three categories to arrive at one overall international “Sustainability” assessment: Environmental Impact, Social Impact, and Governance. In addition, each of the categories is made up of a series of performance lenses under which universities are ranked, including Environmental Research; Knowledge Exchange; Employability and Outcomes; Equality; Environmental Education; and Environmental Sustainability. 

See more about Penn State’s performance in the QS Sustainability Rankings on the QS website. 

According to QS, the “World University Ranking: Sustainability” system is based on a framework of environmental and social impacts, as well as good institutional governance practices through research, teaching and community engagement.  

Earlier this year, Penn State ranked No. 3 in the U.S. and No. 64 globally in the 2025 Times Higher Education University Impact Rankings, which assess universities against the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Read more about Penn State’s progress on the SDGs. 

For more information about Penn State’s sustainability initiatives, visit sustainability.psu.edu, contact sustainability@psu.edu, or follow @sustainpsu on LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook. Penn State Sustainability events can be found on the events calendar or subscribe to Mainstream e-news.