The University of Pretoria (UP) has strengthened its international standing, after placing 63rd worldwide in the 2025 Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings and securing seventh spot globally for Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 17 (Partnership for the Goals). The rankings measure actions taken by higher education institutions towards achieving the United Nations’ 17 SDGs.

This year, only three African universities were ranked in the global top 100, including UP. The 2025 results were announced at THE’s Global Sustainable Development Congress in Istanbul, Türkiye, and released in June 2025.

“UP is proud to have achieved this outstanding result, which reflects our long-standing focus on driving positive societal impact through transformative education, innovation, research and partnerships with communities around the world,” said UP Vice-Chancellor and Principal Professor Francis Petersen. “I extend my gratitude to all members of the UP community, whose dedication and collaborative spirit made this possible. Together, we continue to strengthen UP’s role as a catalyst for positive change, both locally and globally.”

Another significant achievement is the University’s international ranking of 41 for SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions), and holding the top position in both Africa and South Africa. This highlights UP’s leading role in promoting peace, justice and good governance on the continent, all critical foundations for sustainable development.

The University also maintained its position as the second-highest ranked university in Africa and South Africa. The number of ranked universities increased to 2 318 in 2025 (an 18% increase compared to 2024), reflecting intensified global competition. In Africa, the number of ranked universities increased from 210 in 2024 to 300 this year, while in South Africa, it increased from eight in 2024 to 14 in 2025.

The rankings and the data behind them are providing a new international framework with which to better understand the role of universities in meeting the SDGs, as well as a tool to guide policy, investment and international collaboration decisions to support university impact.

SDG 17 is the only goal for which universities are required to submit data, ensuring a fair and common baseline for comparison. UP submitted more than 300 pieces of evidence for evaluation, highlighting institutional operations, policies, research outputs and strategies involving collaborative work by dozens of departments and units across the University. The adjudicators evaluated this evidence using 100 metrics and 220 measurements to judge overall performance, including research output related to SDGs.

Ranking progress

UP is ranked in the top 50 for four SDGs:

• SDG 1 (No Poverty) – ranked 36 out of 1 267 ranked universities;
• SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) – ranked 45 out of 1 350 ranked universities;
• SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions) – ranked 41 out of 1 265 ranked universities; and
• SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals) – ranked seven out of 2 318 ranked universities.

It has also been placed in the top 100 for three SDGs:

• SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) – ranked 96 out of 955 ranked universities;
• SDG 5 (Gender Equality) – 63 out of 1 559 ranked universities; and
• SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities) – 89 out of 1 261 universities.

The University is ranked in the top 200 for:

• SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure) – ranked in the 101 – 200 band out of 1 156 ranked universities.
• It is ranked in the top 300 for three SDGs:
• SDG 4 (Quality Education) – ranked in the 201 – 300 band out of 1 975 ranked universities;
• SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) – ranked between 201 – 300 out of 1 154 ranked universities); and
• SDG 15 (Life on Land) – ranked between 201 – 300 out of 854 ranked universities.

In South Africa, UP is ranked:

• first for SDGs 2, 15 and 16;
• second for SDGs 1, 5, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 and 17; and
• third for SDGs 3 and 4.

In Africa, it’s ranked:

• first for SDG 16;
• second for SDGs 2 and 17;
• third for SDGs 1, 5 and 10; and
• fourth for SDGs 8 and 9.

According to Prof Petersen, UP’s seventh-place ranking for SDG 17, along with its overall performance, is particularly significant as it reflects three of the institution’s five strategic perspectives: working to elevate the University’s global standing and influence; positioning UP as a global intellectual leader on African matters for Africa and the world; and increasing the University’s contributions to societal development and community engagement.

“This accomplishment is also deeply aligned with the aspirations of the African Union’s Agenda 2063 – The Africa We Want – as it underscores UP’s commitment to forging transformative partnerships that advance inclusive and sustainable development across our continent and beyond,” Prof Petersen said.