Azerbaijani universities have significantly strengthened their positions across several authoritative international rankings – QS World University Rankings, QS World University Rankings by Subject, and THE World University Rankings. At the same time, Baku State University (BSU) delivered one of the most notable results among the country's institutions, climbing 123 places in the overall QS ranking and entering the top 200 of THE Sustainability Impact Ratings for the first time.
How many Azerbaijani universities entered the QS ranking in 2026?
According to the Ministry of Science and Education of Azerbaijan, the number of the country's universities entering the QS World University Rankings top 800 grew to three, while the figure for the top 1,000 rose from six to seven. The total number of Azerbaijani universities featured in the ranking reached ten.
The subject-based QS World University Rankings by Subject 2026 also deserves particular attention – seven Azerbaijani universities appeared in it for the first time, across 22 disciplines. As a result, the number of universities in the ranking nearly doubled, while the number of represented fields of study grew fourfold.
Growth in THE World University Rankings representation
Positive momentum has been recorded in the THE World University Rankings as well. While Azerbaijani universities were entirely absent from it in 2020, the country now counts four institutions in the ranking, with one having secured a place in the top 1,000 – double the figure from the previous year. Beyond that, 28 Azerbaijani higher education institutions entered the THE Impact Rankings list, and four universities are represented in the THE Interdisciplinary Science Rankings, two of which placed in the top 500.
How did Baku State University improve its position in QS?
According to the QS World University Rankings 2027, published on 18 June, BSU climbed 123 places to 565th, becoming the top-ranked university in Azerbaijan and across the South Caucasus. This year's edition assessed 8,808 universities from 106 countries, with only 1,504 making the final list. Assessment was based on the following criteria:
- academic reputation
- employer reputation
- citations per faculty
- international faculty and student composition
- level of international research collaboration
In the regional QS Europe ranking, BSU also rose 58 places to 278th among European universities. The university additionally entered the QS World University Rankings by Subject for the first time across two broad subject areas – Natural Sciences (401-500) and Engineering & Technology (501-550) – while the total number of narrow subject areas represented reached eight.
BSU in THE Sustainability Impact Ratings
In the THE Sustainability Impact Ratings 2026, which assessed over 1,600 universities worldwide, BSU entered the 101-200 band for the first time – a considerable jump from the 401-600 range it occupied the previous year. The assessment centred on each institution's contribution to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, with educational and research activity, social responsibility, inclusivity, governance quality, environmental stewardship, and institutional development serving as the primary criteria.
BSU demonstrated results across 16 of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Across five of them, the university placed in the global top 100:
- 23rd place for SDG 1 “No Poverty”.
- 30th place for SDG 5 “Gender Equality”.
- 40th place for SDG 10 “Reduced Inequalities”.
- 63rd place for SDG 4 “Quality Education”.
- 92nd place for SDG 16 “Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions”.
Particularly noteworthy is BSU's placement among the thirty best universities in the world for gender equality – a result that speaks to international recognition of the university's approach to social responsibility and inclusive governance.
A BSU delegation is currently at the QS Higher Ed Summit: Europe 2026 in Budapest, where discussions cover university internationalisation, research development, and the use of artificial intelligence in education.
The growing presence of Azerbaijani universities in the QS and THE rankings reflects systemic change within the national higher education landscape – broader international partnerships, modernised governance, and stronger research output. BSU's trajectory demonstrates that consistent progress in global rankings comes from sustained, multi-dimensional work: from academic reputation through to institutional transparency.
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