The Ukrainian National Forestry University (UNFU) has once again reaffirmed its strong standing in sustainable development, ranking among the world's leading universities in the UI GreenMetric World University Rankings 2026.
In this year's ranking, UNFU placed 375th worldwide, 95th among European universities, and 2nd among higher education institutions in Ukraine, with a total score of 7,510 points. UI GreenMetric 2026 was the largest edition in the ranking's history. Its 17th edition included 2,016 universities from 110 countries worldwide. By comparison, the 2025 ranking covered 1,745 universities from 105 countries. Despite the significant expansion of international participation and increased competition, UNFU maintained its position in the upper segment of the global ranking. In 2026, the University remains among the top 20 % of institutions worldwide represented in UI GreenMetric.
UI GreenMetric 2026: a new methodology and higher standards for universities
The 2026 ranking is particularly significant due to a substantial revision of its evaluation methodology. In previous years, universities were assessed across six main categories. In 2026, a seventh category – Governance and Digitalization – was introduced. The theme of the 2026 ranking is "Advancing Sustainable Campuses through Governance, Digitalization, and Integrated Performance", emphasizing the development of sustainable university campuses through effective governance, digital transformation, and integrated performance management.
The new Governance and Digitalization category accounts for 11 % of the overall score. It evaluates, among other aspects, institutional governance of sustainable development, transparency, funding of sustainability-related initiatives, the availability of strategic and reporting documents, digitalization of management processes, the use of information and communication technologies, as well as the implementation of advanced digital technologies, including artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things.
UNFU received 950 points in this category, demonstrating strong governance, institutional transparency, systematic sustainability monitoring, and effective use of digital technologies in university operations. The University achieved particularly strong results in waste management, sustainable transportation, education, and research. The Education and Research category, in which UNFU received 1,225 points, is of particular importance, as it directly reflects the integration of sustainability issues into academic programs, scientific research, publications, academic events, and the broader activities of the university community.
UNFU maintains a strong position
In the UI GreenMetric 2025 ranking, the Ukrainian National Forestry University ranked 343rd worldwide and 1st among Ukrainian higher education institutions, with a score of 7,547.5 points. For eight consecutive years, the University maintained the leading position among Ukrainian higher education institutions. In 2026, despite a substantial increase in global competition – with the number of participating universities rising from 1,745 to 2,016 – UNFU retained its position as one of Ukraine's leading universities in sustainable development, ranking second nationally with 7,510 points.
UNFU's position in the 2026 ranking continues a long-standing record of successful participation in UI GreenMetric. For eight consecutive years, from 2018 through 2025, the University ranked first among Ukrainian higher education institutions in this global sustainability ranking.
This year, Sumy State University took first place among Ukrainian institutions, ranking 362nd worldwide with a score of 7,575 points. UNFU's strong performance in the UI GreenMetric World University Rankings 2026 reflects the University community's consistent commitment to environmental responsibility, resource efficiency, sustainable governance, digitalization, the development of green infrastructure, and the integration of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into education and research.
The regional result is also particularly noteworthy: UNFU continues to demonstrate the highest performance among higher education institutions in Lviv, outperforming other Lviv-based universities represented in UI GreenMetric. The University's position in the ranking is not merely a matter of numerical indicators. It is the result of systematic efforts by the entire university community and, at the same time, an important benchmark for the further development of UNFU as a modern European university.
