The University of Montpellier reaffirms its international standing in the 2026 QS Rankings

[Press Release] - Published on June 30, 2025 in the Press Room

Following the release of the prestigious QS World University Rankings 2026 on June 19, the University of Montpellier has consolidated its position among the world’s top 500 universities, climbing an impressive 18 spots in the rankings despite ever-increasing competition from Asian universities. This international recognition highlights the excellence of its academic programs and research, particularly in the fields of environmental sciences and agriculture. More broadly, France ranks as the fourth-most represented higher education system in the EU in this ranking.

A leading ranking for global higher education

The QS World University Rankings, published annually by the British firm Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), is now one of the three leading global rankings, alongside the Shanghai Ranking (ARWU) and the Times Higher Education (THE) rankings. The 2026 edition ranks more than 1,500 universities worldwide, after analyzing more than 5,600 participating institutions.

To compile this ranking, QS uses nine performance indicators: academic reputation (30 %), employer reputation (15 %), faculty-to-student ratio (10 %), citations per Professor 20 %), international research network (5%), graduate employability (5%), proportion of international students and staff (10%), and a sustainable development impact indicator (5%).

The University of Montpellier: An Internationally Recognized Academic Institution

The subject rankings for 2026 point to equally promising results. The university is thus continuing its momentum of continuous improvement, with the goal of enhancing its visibility and impact in scientific and academic fields. Pending the publication of these results, the University of Montpellier ranked repeatedly among the top institutions in certain subject areas in 2025, such as agriculture and forestry (^75th worldwide) and biological sciences (^94th worldwide). It also ranks among the top 100 in fields such as earth and marine sciences, environmental sciences, life sciences, geophysics, and geology.

The University of Montpellier also ranks highly in various international rankings

UM alsoUM in the Shanghai Ranking—which covers several subject areas—among the top 200 universities in the world, as well as in the THE Impact Ranking, which measures higher education institutions’ commitment to and performance in sustainable development. In its^sixth edition,UM its top spot among French institutions and ranks in the overall 101–200 range of the world’s best institutions thanks to its long-standing commitment to sustainable development. This year, it ranks in the global top 50 for two goals related to the institution’s core themes: food, health, and protection. Indeed,UM in the “Good Health and Well-being” Sustainable Development Goal (SDG), ranking^30thglobally and^first in France. Furthermore,UM significantUM on the “Life Below Water” SDG, ranking^30thglobally and,^{for the first time, first} in France, once again demonstratingUM excellenceUM the field of ecology.

Finally, the University of Montpellier maintains its position in the CWTS Leiden Ranking. This ranking, which provides important information on the scientific performance of more than 1,500 leading universities worldwide, is based on scientific publications and their citations. In the 2024 global ranking, the University of Montpellier once again confirms its scientific influence both nationally and internationally, ranking^4th nationally (the top university outside Paris) and^203rd globally.

According to the Reuters ranking of the most innovative universities, the University of Montpellier is the second-ranked university in France and ranks^17th in Europe.