In the rankings based on the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), IGU achieved a significant improvement by moving up to the 601–800 global band, compared to its previous position in the 801–1000 range. This progress reflects the university's determined pursuit of its sustainability vision.
In this year’s rankings, a total of 2,526 universities from 130 countries applied, and 2,318 of them were evaluated. Over 220,000 pieces of evidence were collected from participating institutions, and more than 3.7 million sustainability-focused academic publications were reviewed. The assessment was based on 75 metrics, 251 indicators, and over 230,000 data points. A total of 112 universities from Türkiye were ranked.
IGU earned scores in four key SDG areas, securing a place in the overall ranking:
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SDG 7 – Affordable and Clean Energy: Ranked 1st among foundation universities in Türkiye.
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SDG 4 – Quality Education: Ranked 3rd nationwide.
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SDG 10 – Reduced Inequalities: Shared 3rd place in Türkiye with Bilkent University.
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SDG 17 – Partnerships for the Goals: Ranked 4th among foundation universities in Türkiye, and placed in the 401–600 global band.
IGU climbed to the 601–800 band globally, ranking 19th among all universities in Türkiye and 4th among foundation universities. This achievement reflects the university’s steady progress in alignment with its sustainability goals.
In the SDG 7 category, IGU maintained its leadership among foundation universities in Türkiye and ranked within the 101–200 band worldwide. For SDG 4, the university placed 3rd in Türkiye and was evaluated in the 301–400 global band. In SDG 10, IGU was ranked 15th nationwide but remained in the top three among foundation universities. In the SDG 17 category, IGU ranked 13th in Türkiye and 4th among foundation universities, sharing the global 401–600 band with Boğaziçi University, Hacettepe University, Istanbul-Cerrahpaşa University, and Marmara University.
Additionally, IGU was ranked in the 801–1000 global band in SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being, and in SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, it placed 2nd among foundation universities and 7th across all universities in Türkiye.
Last year, IGU submitted reports in five different SDG areas; this year, it expanded its evaluation scope to six SDGs, successfully diversifying its academic contributions to sustainability. This development further supports the university’s commitment to enhancing its production capacity in sustainability-focused academic work.
