She says that when it comes to universities’ competitive advantage, the debate has long gone beyond national borders.
“In such an environment, it is becoming increasingly challenging to improve and maintain international rankings. Therefore, KTU sees the positive change in the latest QS WUR rankings as valid proof that our strategic and quality management goals are appropriate and that we are focusing on the right things,” emphasises Jurkšienė.
Among the top 4 universities in the Baltic
“KTU has not only improved its position in Lithuania but has also become one of the strongest universities in the Baltic States, ranking fourth behind Tartu University, Vilnius University and Tallinn University of Technology,” says Agnė Latvelė, Project Manager of KTU Strategy Monitoring and Quality Department.
According to her, KTU is also ranked as the best university in Lithuania in terms of the number of citations. In this category, the university is ranked 1st in Lithuania and 761st overall. In terms of the international student ratio, KTU was ranked 489th among the world’s top universities.
“In terms of the overall ranking data, KTU has significantly improved its score for the International Research Network indicator, achieving a global ranking of 556th. This criterion evaluates the quantity and variety of an institution’s international research partnerships. Such collaborations not only benefit the overall quality and transparency of research but also contribute to solving the most pressing global problems. KTU is the Lithuanian university demonstrating the fastest growth in the research field, according to the latest scientific ranking criteria applied by the ‘Reitingai’ magazine,” says Jurkšienė.
The biggest change in KTU’s score in the QS WUR ranking this year is in the Sustainability indicator, where the University’s overall score has risen by 56 positions, and KTU is 521st among all ranked universities in the world.
QS WUR ranks the world’s universities on the following indicators: Academic Reputation (30%), Employer Reputation (15%), Faculty Student Ratio (10%), Citations per Faculty (20%), International Research Network (5%), International Faculty and International Students (5% each), Employment Outcomes (5%), Sustainability (5%).
KTU has climbed 400 positions in the global sustainability ranking
The strengthening of KTU’s position in sustainability is also evident in the latest rankings of Times Higher Education Impact 2025 (THE Impact 2025), another global higher education ranking body, published on 18 June.
This year, KTU has risen by over 400 places to become one of the world’s 401–600 most sustainable higher education institutions (out of 2,526 assessed), contributing to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“This is a significant achievement! Firstly, although sustainability is sometimes dismissed as a ‘catchy phrase’ and not fully understood in the context of specific activities, it is recognised as a key aspect of our university’s operations. It is not an exclusive goal or a separate priority; it is already an integral and undeniable part of our activities, actions, and behaviour,” emphasises Jurkšienė.
According to her, it is important to note that, in the latest THE Impact 2025 ranking, KTU achieved the best position of any Lithuanian university assessed against the 17th MDG (Partnership for the Goals).
“The overlap in the publication of the ranking results confirms that they are not random. Whether the QS and THE international ranking methodologies can be applied to our country or any other country with a smaller population and less funding is certainly a matter of debate. However, in this case, it is encouraging to note that, despite the different methodologies employed by these international organisations, the results are consistently correlated and justify the strengthening of KTU’s position as a reliable and valuable partner on the international stage,” said the Director of KTU Strategy and Quality Management.
