THE World University Rankings are a globally-recognised benchmark that evaluates
institutions across multiple dimensions of excellence — including teaching
environment, research volume and quality, industry and international outlook among
others. Achieving a favourable position in these rankings signals a university’s rising
global stature and strengthens its international credibility.
In the 2026 edition of THE, CUSAT succeeded in elevating its global
standing by achieving a placement in the 1001-1200 band, marking a move
up from the 1201-1500 band in the previous year. This climb indicates that CUSAT
has registered meaningful improvements — most notably in research quality and in
the international outlook metric.
This improvement demonstrates CUSAT’s intensifying global research engagement,
institutional collaborations, and visibility in the academic world. The advancement is
noteworthy because it positions CUSAT among India’s top universities in the global
ranking space and gives a strong signal to stakeholders — students, faculty, industry
partners, and funding agencies — that the institution is making strides on the world
stage.
Beyond the general world university ranking, CUSAT distinguished itself in
THE’s Impact Rankings (which assess universities against the United Nations
Sustainable Development Goals). In the 2025 edition, the University was placed in
the 401–600 band globally, securing the top rank in Kerala and the 17th position
in India. In the SDG 14 category — “Life Below Water” — CUSAT achieved a
global rank of 57, also ranking first in both the national and state contexts.
The remarkable SDG14 result reflects CUSAT’s strong research base in marine
sciences, its outreach efforts and ecosystem-conservation initiatives, and its
partnerships in oceanic and coastal studies. These achievements reinforce the
University’s identity as a marine-science hub and an institution engaged in
sustainable and regionally-relevant research.
Taken together, these accomplishments — in the general world ranking and the
thematic impact ranking—underline CUSAT’s growing global presence, its
commitment to sustainable development, and its rising emerging-university status
beyond India’s borders. Maintaining this upward trajectory will involve deepening
international research collaborations, expanding impact-driven programmes, and
leveraging the University’s distinctive marine and aquatic ecosystem strengths.
