- Türkiye ranked first in Europe and second worldwide in the number of universities placed in the top 200, top 500 and top 1,000 in the UI GreenMetric 2026 ranking

- Five Turkish universities ranked among the world’s top 100, while 21 universities made the top 200

- Among 2,016 universities from 110 countries evaluated in the ranking, Istanbul Technical University ranked 28th and Yıldız Technical University 45th, placing them among the world’s top 50 greenest universities

- CoHE President Özvar: “The leading role of our universities in the green transition is growing stronger”

September 25, 2026

Turkish universities have risen to the top of Europe in the UI GreenMetric 2026, one of the world’s leading sustainability rankings. Türkiye ranked first in Europe and second worldwide in the number of universities placed in the top 200, top 500 and top 1,000.

The results of the UI GreenMetric 2026 ranking, which evaluates the sustainability performance of universities worldwide, have been announced. This year, 2,016 higher education institutions from 110 countries were evaluated, including 150 universities from Türkiye. Türkiye also ranked first in Europe and second worldwide in terms of the total number of universities included in the ranking.

Five universities from Türkiye ranked among the world’s top 100 greenest universities. A total of 21 Turkish universities made the top 200, 53 made the top 500, and 99 made the top 1,000.

In terms of the number of universities in the top 100, Türkiye ranked second in Europe, following Italy, which had seven universities. In the top 200, Türkiye ranked first in Europe with 21 universities and second worldwide, following Indonesia, which had 29 universities. Italy followed Türkiye with 19 universities.

- Two Turkish universities in the world’s top 50

Istanbul Technical University ranked 28th and Yıldız Technical University ranked 45th worldwide, placing both among the world’s top 50 greenest universities.

The other Turkish universities in the top 100 were Erciyes University at 63rd, Ege University at 74th, and Özyeğin University at 86th.

The universities ranked between 100th and 200th were Başkent University (102), Middle East Technical University (105), Sakarya University (114), İzmir Institute of Technology (117), Dokuz Eylül University (134), Düzce University (138), Mersin University (139), Hasan Kalyoncu University (141), Sabancı University (144), Atatürk University (157), Kütahya Dumlupınar University (161), Bartın University (169), Niğde Ömer Halisdemir University (173), Trakya University (176), Tokat Gaziosmanpaşa University (178), and Kütahya University of Health Sciences (190).

- 53 Turkish universities in the top 500

A total of 53 universities from Türkiye ranked among the world’s top 500 greenest universities. With this number, Türkiye ranked first in Europe and second worldwide, following Indonesia with 60 universities.

A total of 99 Turkish universities made the top 1,000. Türkiye ranked first in Europe and second worldwide in this category as well. With 150 universities included in the ranking overall, Türkiye was the European country with the highest number of universities represented and ranked second worldwide.

- Two universities from the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus in the top 1,000

As was the case last year, Northern Cyprus was also included among the 110 countries evaluated by GreenMetric this year. Two universities from the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) made the world’s top 1,000 greenest universities. Cyprus International University ranked 55th worldwide, while Near East University ranked 836th.

- Sustainable and climate-friendly campuses are becoming more widespread

The Sustainable and Climate-Friendly Campus Project, launched by the Council of Higher Education (CoHE) to improve energy efficiency, promote environmentally friendly practices, and strengthen the concept of sustainable campuses at universities, is encouraging universities to advance their green transition efforts.

Turkish universities’ strong representation across different categories stood out in the GreenMetric ranking, which evaluates universities’ sustainability performance in areas including campus setting and infrastructure, energy, waste management, water use, transportation, and education.

- Özvar: “All 208 of our universities will play an active role at COP31”

CoHE President Erol Özvar expressed his satisfaction with the performance of Turkish universities in the GreenMetric 2026 ranking, saying, “We are seeing the strong performance of our universities in sustainability and the green transition spread to an increasingly broader base. Ranking first in Europe in the number of universities placed in the top 200, top 500 and top 1,000 is an important indication of the steps we have taken in this area.”

Referring to the vision outlined by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on climate action and a just transition at the “UN Secretary-General’s Climate Action Event” during his visit to the United States, Özvar said Türkiye was taking determined steps in the fight against the climate crisis.

Emphasizing that universities would make a strong contribution to COP31, which will be hosted by Türkiye, through their scientific expertise, Özvar said, “We have incorporated the scientific expertise of all our universities into the COP31 process. All 208 of our universities will play an active role in this global climate action.”

Özvar emphasized that CoHE considers green and digital skills to be among the key elements of transformation in higher education, adding that they would continue to support universities’ green transition efforts, ranging from energy efficiency to water and waste management, sustainable transportation, and environmentally friendly campus practices.