University rankings, USI among the best 350 universities according to Times Higher Education

In the latest Times Higher Education (THE) rankings of the best universities worldwide, Università della Svizzera italiana (USI) is placed in the 301-350 range out of 2092 surveyed universities. On a national level, USI is ranked 7th. The university has achieved particularly positive results in terms of internationality.

In the 2025 World University Rankings (WUR), Times Higher Education again relied on the evaluation methodology introduced in 2023, which is based on parameters collected in five areas: teaching, research environment, research quality, international outlook, and industry. The first three areas, relating to teaching and research, account for around 90% of the rating.

Università della Svizzera italiana is ranked 5th worldwide for International Outlook, confirming its excellent international performance in other rankings and analyses. USI is also among the top 25% of universities worldwide in the areas of teaching, industry, and research quality.

The full rankings can be available on the Times Higher Education website. The University of Oxford (UK) is in first place, followed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (USA) and Harvard University (USA). Regarding Swiss universities, the Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH) ranks 11th overall, and the Federal Polytechnic School of Lausanne (EPFL) ranks 32nd.

"USI's position is strong, particularly given its age and size, and positions us in the top 15% of the rankings." - stated Rector Luisa Lambertini - "The international academic environment is extremely competitive. These results confirm the quality of our work and should be considered alongside our other key indicators, such as student numbers, research funding, and impact on the region, all of which are very positive."

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About rankings

University rankings are created through standardised data collection procedures that measure various indicators to compare the quality and performance of various universities. These rankings are compiled annually through the analysis of a large amount of data. The indicators used in these rankings include bibliometric data (citations and references in scientific publications), the impact of universities' research, the quality of teaching, and their international outlook. The results of these rankings may vary due to differences in the indicators used and their relative weighting in the ranking calculation.

While Università della Svizzera italiana has made significant strides in recent years, especially considering its age and size, it is important to approach these results cautiously. Rankings, including those we've achieved, are just one of many indicators of a university's quality.