De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) has been named the 12^th best university in the world for helping to support the United Nations’ goal of fostering peace and justice.

The result comes from the 2026 Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Ratings, which measure university performance against the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

There are 17 SDGs, covering global challenges like poverty, equality, climate change and fresh water and the THE ratings consider each university’s efforts to address all 17, along with an overall score.

DMU has secured a place among the world’s top 200 universities overall, with a top 100 ranking for five individual SDGs.

Professor Simon Oldroyd, PVC Sustainability at DMU, said: “These results are a powerful endorsement of our long‑standing commitment to sustainability and the SDGs.

“To be rated 12th in the world for supporting peace, justice and strong institutions shows our lasting impact as a UN hub chair, and to see such significant progress across multiple UN Sustainable Development Goals reflects the dedication of our staff, students and TNE partners.

“I’m immensely proud of the collective effort behind that achievement. We will continue to push forward in our SDG-related work with purpose, partnership and innovation as we work to create a fairer, more sustainable future.”

DMU's overall position represents a big leap, moving from 201–300 in 2025, to the 101-200 band this year. The institution achieved an overall score of 84.9, up from 82.9 in 2024, reflecting continued year-on-year progress, with strong performance across all four contributing SDGs, each rating within the top quarter of institutions globally.

Among the individual SDG ratings, the university’s strongest performance came in SDG16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions, where it was rated 12th in the world. DMU was previously UN Academic Impact SDG Hub Chair for SDG16 and has a long-standing commitment to equality, justice and strong governance.

Another significant improvement came in SDG17: Partnership for the Goals, where DMU saw a rise from the 401–600 band in 2025 to 85th place globally. This reflects the strength of the university’s partnerships and collaborative activity and helped drive its overall improvement.

The university ranked 76th for SDG11: Sustainable Cities and Communities, where DMU currently hosts the Academic Impact Hub Chair for SDG11, reflecting its contribution to building inclusive and resilient cities.

It was rated 69th for SDG12, a goal that measures research into responsible production and consumption as well as recycling rates, reductions in waste and minimising the use of plastic.

In SDG13: Climate Action, DMU achieved 63rd place globally, underlining its ongoing commitment to addressing climate change through research, education and institutional activity, including low-carbon energy use, environmental education and climate planning.

This year’s ratings saw 1,603 universities taking part worldwide and reflects DMU’s continued progress in delivering impact across key global sustainability priorities and its strengthening position in international ratings.

DMU has also been announced as a finalist in this year’s International Green Gown Awards for Sustainability Institution of the Year, following last year’s success at the UK and Ireland Green Gown Awards, where it was named Sustainability Institution of the Year 2025.

Posted on Wednesday 24 June 2026