Penn State was ranked No. 2 among 237 universities in the United States in the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings: Sustainability for 2025, released Tuesday, December 10. Internationally, the university rose 18 places in this year’s rankings to tie for No. 19 out of 1,743 universities globally.

Penn State was the top-ranked Big Ten school and the No. 2 public school in the country.

The 2025 rankings provide a framework to show how universities are taking action to tackle the world’s greatest environmental, social, and governance challenges. The ranking combines three categories: “Environmental Impact,” where Penn State ranked No. 23; “Social Impact,” where Penn State tied for No. 23; and “Governance,” where Penn State tied for No. 73.

“We’re proud to recognize Penn State’s strong and consistent presence in the QS World University Rankings,” Lara Fowler, chief sustainability officer at Penn State, said in a release. “Our success in advancing sustainability reflects the collective passion, innovation, and dedication of our University community. This meaningful work — championed by our students, faculty, staff, administrators, and community partners — creates ripples of positive change across our campuses and extends to the state and global communities where we have a vital presence.”

Over the summer, Penn State placed No. 89 in QS’ general rankings of global universities. The university was rated as the No. 24 of all 197 United States institutions. It was the No. 8 public university and No. 6 in the Big Ten.

Folks can read more about the sustainability rankings and their methodology here.

About the Author

Joe Lister

Joe, shockingly, was Onward State's managing editor from 2024-25. It was an honor. He's off employed doing journalism things, hopefully. If you want to complain about anything he's ever written, you can find him on Twitter (iamjoelister), email (jlister2021@gmail.com), or Signal (iamjoelister.93).

How Centre County Voted In The 2026 Midterm Elections

Centre County saw a 55.32% voter turnout rate in the general election.

Man Accused of Stealing Vehicle From State College Hotel & Driving Drunk

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for November 12.

‘Blood In The Water’: Penn State Football Cornerback Audavion Collins & Secondary Elevating Surrounding Units

“He does a good job of making everyone else around him better because he’s the hardest-working guy on the field at all times.”