CQUniversity climbs global sustainability rankings
CQUniversity Australia has achieved a significant improvement in the latest QS World University Rankings: Sustainability 2026, rising to 389th globally out of 2,001 institutions – up from 420th in the previous year.
The result places CQUniversity among the top 20 per cent of the world’s most sustainable universities, reflecting the University’s growing commitment to environmental stewardship, social impact and strong governance.
Within Australia, CQUniversity ranks 26th out of 38 institutions, and 33rd in Oceania, highlighting the University’s consistent performance across a competitive higher education sector.
CQUniversity Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Nick Klomp said the result demonstrates the University’s ongoing efforts to embed sustainability across all aspects of its operations and education.
“This is a strong result for CQUniversity and a reflection of our commitment to creating a more sustainable future – not just through research and teaching, but also through how we operate and engage with our communities,” Professor Klomp said.
“We’re proud to see improvement across the sustainability indicators, particularly in the areas of equality, health and wellbeing and good governance – all of which align closely with our values as a socially responsible university.”
In the 2026 rankings, CQUniversity scored especially strongly for Equality (33rd globally) and Health and Wellbeing (209th globally), underscoring the University’s focus on inclusion, accessibility and community health outcomes.
The QS Sustainability Rankings assess universities across three categories – Environmental Impact, Social Impact and Governance – using data on research performance, institutional practices and social responsibility.
CQUniversity achieved an overall score of 73.7 out of 100, with standout performances in Governance (82.1), Social Impact (79.9), and Environmental Research (83.0).
“Sustainability is central to who we are as a university,” Professor Klomp said.
“As Australia’s most inclusive and engaged university, we recognise that our impact extends well beyond our campuses. This ranking shows we’re contributing meaningfully to the global sustainability agenda.”
Background:
- Global rank: 389th out of 2,001 institutions
- Australian rank: 26th out of 38 institutions
- Oceania rank: 33rd out of 47 institutions
- Overall score: 73.7 out of 100
- Top scoring areas: Equality (98.6), Health & Wellbeing (94.2), Governance (82.1), Environmental Research (83.0)
