Academic Centre
Last year, the University of Latvia (UL) significantly scaled the QS World University Rankings, its ranking by 200 places higher than the previous year. This year, UL has been ranked even higher, 781st–790th out of 5 663 world’s higher education institutions evaluated in the rankings. UL has been recognized as the best in Latvia according to such strategic parameters as citations, employment, international research network, as well as sustainability.
“Rankings are not an end in themselves, however, they indicate whether we are on the right track and are successfully integrated into the international educational and research environment. A modern, development-oriented university requires three things: top-level research in strategically important areas, world-class scientists and a high-quality study process based on the latest methods, as well as the ability to attract experts from all over the world, creating a positive impact on society,” emphasizes UL Rector, Prof. Gundars Bērziņš.
UL received the highest ranking in the QS World University Rankings 2025 released early on 5 June for the high graduate employment. The ranking of UL research activity has risen significantly: this aspect is essential for the promotion of research quality and international networking, and, moreover, positively affects the university’s participation in the joint solution of global challenges. UL has been highly assessed by employers, the university’s academic reputation, as well as sustainable development indicators, have also been evaluated favourably.
The QS World University Rankings are amongst the world’s most influential and widely recognized university rankings. This year, almost twice as many higher education institutions were evaluated than last year, but only 1 503 universities succeeded in entering the QS Rankings.
The QS Rankings evaluates several criteria – academic reputation, citations, reputation amongst employers, employment results, social and environmental impact of universities as centres of education and research, as well as the proportion of foreign students and academic staff, and the international research network.
Latvian higher education institutions in the QS Rankings are also represented by Riga Technical University (ranked 721st–730th), and Riga Stradiņš University (ranked 951st–1000th). In the QS World University Rankings, the highest-ranked is Massachusetts Institute of Technology, taking the 1st place, while the 2nd place is taken by the University of Cambridge, and the 3rd place – by the University of Oxford.
More information about the results of the QS World University Rankings can be found on the website.
