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On Track – University of Potsdam Achieves Excellent Position in THE Ranking of Best Universities Worldwide

Media information 09-10-2024 / No. 094

A finger points to one of five yellow stars.
Photo : AdobeStock/sichon
An excellent ranking

In the current 20th edition of the renowned “Times Higher Education” (THE) ranking, the University of Potsdam was able to retain its top position from the previous year. Ranked in the 201-250 group, it occupies an excellent position in the field of 2,092 ranked universities from 115 countries worldwide. There are eight German universities in the top 100, led by the Technical University of Munich (26), the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (38) and the University of Heidelberg (47). Among the 50 German universities included in the ranking, the University of Potsdam comes in at the 21st place.

Leading for the ninth year in a row is Oxford University (UK), followed MIT – Massachusetts Institute of Technology (USA) and Harvard University (USA). Overall, US and UK universities continue to make up all of the institutions in the top 10 of the ranking, but their position is no longer as dominant as in previous years. It is the first time that a Brazilian institution – the University of São Paulo – is among the top 200. Ranking in the 201–250 group, the University of Potsdam is on a par with the George Washington University (USA), Goethe University Frankfurt, as well as its partner universities Tel Aviv University (Israel) and University College Dublin (Ireland).

The THE ranking, alongside the Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) and the QS World University Ranking, are considered to be among the world’s most important university rankings. The THE rankings focus on five criteria: teaching, research strength (productivity and reputation), research quality (citations), knowledge transfer, and international outlook.

“The UP has performed very well over the years in an increasingly large international field. Our performance is particularly strong when it comes to research and we are pleased to receive top scores for research productivity, citations, and impact,” says Vice President for Research, Early Career Researchers, and Equal Opportunities, Prof. Dr. Barbara Höhle. “This highlights the relevance of our research and motivates us for the future. Potsdam researchers are recognized internationally and Potsdam research is radiating on an international scale!”

Vice President for Teaching, Studies, and Europe at the University of Potsdam, Dr. Britta van Kempen, is also delighted with the good results: “This success is also a result of our steady international networking and cooperation efforts. With our European University Alliance EDUC and our many other collaborations worldwide, it is not only research that takes place but also joint teaching and mobility projects that promote student exchange and the reputation of the University of Potsdam as a whole. The ranking results show how important strategic internationalization is with regard to the university’s ability to compete with other institutions around the world.”

As recently as July 2024, the University of Potsdam took one of the top spots in the THE U 50 ranking for universities under 50 years of age. With a total of 600 ranked universities from more than 100 countries, the University of Potsdam was among the top 21 worldwide and ranked 1st within Germany. In addition, the University of Potsdam was able to improve its ranking compared to previous years and has now reached the 301-400 group in the prestigious Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) 2024, also called Shanghai Ranking. In the third important ranking, the QS University Ranking, the University of Potsdam was on position 474 in a field of more than 1,500 universities.

Internet: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/2025/world-ranking

Contact: Dr. Silke Brodersen, International Office
Phone: +49 331 977-124436
E-Mail: silke.brodersenuni-potsdamde

Media information 09-10-2024 / No. 094