The University of Cagliari has entered the Top 500 of the "QS World University Rankings – Europe," the annual ranking of the best European universities compiled by Quacquarelli Symonds. A total of 14 Italian universities have been added to the list, including Unica, which has jumped to 482nd place.
Although, compared to the previous edition, no new Italian universities entered the top 50 or top 100 beyond those already present, the University of Rome Tor Vergata managed to enter the top 150, gaining 17 positions and reaching 150th place.
Overall, Italy is the fourth most represented European country in the ranking, with 65 universities.
The Polytechnic University of Milan remains the Italian university with the highest ranking in the European rankings, but loses seven positions to 45th place, while the Alma Mater Studiorum of Bologna drops out of the top 50, moving from 48th to 59th place.
The report shows that Italy is among the largest exporters of students in Europe but is failing to attract them and in 10 years has lost almost 100,000 graduates between the ages of 25 and 35 , as well as being weak in employability: only Sapienza is among the top 50 for employment results.
The “QS World University Rankings: Europe 2026” includes 958 universities from 42 countries and territories ; scores are derived from 12 key indicators.
The UK tops the overall rankings with 129 universities, including seven in the top ten in Europe. It is followed by Turkey (107) and Germany (102). France and Switzerland are the only other countries represented in the top 10.
BEST – The 2026 QS rankings crown the University of Oxford as the best university in Europe, ahead of ETH Zurich . Imperial College London comes in third, tied with University College London and ahead of the University of Cambridge.
