The 2024 QS Sustainability Rankings place Concordia in the global top 100

The university is rated eighth worldwide in the Environmental Sustainability category

December 11, 2023

By Howard Bokser

The exterior of a building with a glass-windowed corridor and a green wall below.

Concordia’s pledge to advance environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues is more than aspirational. Volt-age — the university’s recently launched program that will research innovative energy sources, critical infrastructure and affordable green energy — is just the latest of its tangible actions toward that commitment.

Those efforts will make a difference in the long run — and are being noticed today.

In the newly released 2024 QS Sustainability Rankings, the university placed 96th out of 1,403 institutions worldwide, rising from the 201-220 position last year even though the number of ranked institutions doubled. Concordia remains 13th in Canada, although the total number of Canadian institutions increased from 26 to 31 this year.

The QS Sustainability Rankings, which were introduced for 2023, evaluate how universities confront ESG concerns. The rankings rate institutions using various measures that are grouped into three categories: Environmental Impact, Social Impact and the newly added Governance.

Concordia did not submit data for QS’s inaugural sustainability rankings last year, and QS likely gathered its data from publicly available sources for non-participating institutions.

For the 2024 rankings, Concordia did actively participate in the data-submission process. Therefore, its improved results more accurately reflect the university’s engagement with environmental and social sustainability.

Concordia highest standing was in Environmental Sustainability, where it placed eighth globally. The indicator evaluates an institution’s strategy and operations towards an environmentally sustainable future, and how and whether it has committed to environmental-impact alleviation.

In June, Concordia placed in the 101-200 slot out of 1,591 institutions worldwide in the 2023 Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings, which assess universities against the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

2024 THE World University Rankings by Subject

Concordia ranked in eight out of 11 subjects in the 2024 THE World University Rankings by Subject, released in October. While the university’s subject placement remained steady from the previous year, the pool of ranked institutions expanded for each discipline.

Concordia’s position improved in four subjects internationally:

Computer Science (251-300, up from 301-400 last year)
Business and Economics (301-400, up from 401-500 last year)
Social Sciences (301-400, up from 401-500 last year)
Physical Sciences (501-600, up from 601-800)

The university’s highest ranked subjects were Education and Engineering, both 201-250.

THE’s subject rankings employ the same 18 performance indicators as in the overall THE World University Rankings, classified under five categories: Teaching, Research Environment, Research Quality, International Outlook and Industry.

In the most recent THE world rankings, Concordia placed in the top 32 per cent out of 1,904 universities worldwide, in the 501–600 position.

Learn more about Concordia’s commitment to sustainability.

See how the university and its programs rank among Canadian and international institutions.