The efforts of Dalhousie students, faculty, and staff in working to protect the planet, end poverty, and ensure prosperity continue to shine through in the latest Times Higher Education Sustainability Impact Ratings (formerly the Impact Rankings).
The annual ranking measures how universities contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), evaluating performance in each area across four pillars: research, stewardship, outreach, and teaching.
Dalhousie ranked in the top 100 overall for the fourth consecutive year, this time 90th out of 1,603 institutions included in the results. It also achieved top 100 status in six individual SDGs.
Nationally, Dal placed 9th overall out of 30 participating Canadian universities.
Dal’s biggest jumps overall were in Sustainable Cities and Communities (SDG 11), moving into the 59th spot globally from the 101-200 band. (The Sustainable Impact Rankings do not provide specific rankings beyond the top 100 in any category.) In Good Health and Well-being (SDG 3), Dal rose to the 70th spot from the 101-200 band.
See how Dal ranked global and nationally across all its top-performing SDGs:
Global rank
38th
Canada rank
5th
Global rank
50th
Canada rank
5th
Global rank
56th
Canada rank
4th
Global rank
59th
Canada rank
7th
Global rank
70th
Canada rank
5th
Global rank
88th
Canada rank
6th
Global rank
90th
Canada rank
5th
Scoring strong
Dal’s strong rankings position was fuelled by its high overall score of 89.7.
Times Higher Education calculates this result using an institution’s score in SDG 17 (Partnership for the Goals) and its three highest-scoring SDGs.
Dal’s 2026 score breakdown for 2026:
- SDG 17 — Partnership for the Goals: 88.3
- SDG 09 — Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure: 85.5
- SDG 14 — Life Below Water: 85.3
- SDG 12 — Responsible Consumption and Production: 84.2