Times Higher Education (THE) released their 2026 university rankings at the World Academic Summit hosted by King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) in Saudi Arabia. Bologna University was the highest placed Italian institution in 130th place.
The University of Oxford topped the list for the world’s best university for the tenth consecutive year, according to the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2026, released today.
The United States continues to dominate the global stage, claiming seven of the top ten positions, while the United Kingdom takes the remaining three. Oxford maintains its stronghold at number one, followed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in second place. Princeton and Cambridge universities share third position.
This year’s rankings analyse almost 19 million research papers and more than 1.5 million academic reputation survey votes. THE assessed a record 2,191 universities from 115 countries and territories, with Senegal, Libya, and Yemen appearing for the first time.
Where do Italian universities rank?
Among Italian institutions, the University of Bologna remains the national leader for the sixth consecutive year. It rose to 130th place globally, improving from last year’s 146th. In 2022, Bologna University became a partner for the new United Nations University.
The Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa follows at 137th, and Sapienza University of Rome climbs to 170th.
Other Italian universities in the top 250 include the Polytechnic University of Milan, the Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna in Pisa, and the University of Padua. Each of these institutions has improved its global position, reflecting steady progress in research, international outlook, and academic reputation.
You can find the full list on the THE website.
