Italian universities surge in QS 2027 rankings, Politecnico di Milano hits 87th

A historic ranking for Italy

The 2027 QS World University Rankings, released on 18 June, show Italian universities on a clear upward trajectory. Of the 47 Italian institutions ranked, 26 improved their position year on year, while only 15 declined and 6 remained steady. This net positive shift contrasts sharply with the rest of the European Union, where most large higher education systems saw the majority of their universities lose ground. Globally, MIT held the top spot for the 15th straight year, while the United States placed nine universities in the top 20 even as 67 percent of its ranked schools fell. China recorded the strongest growth among large systems, with 72 percent of its institutions climbing.

Top performers

The Politecnico di Milano remains Italy’s highest-ranked university for the twelfth year running. It climbed 11 spots to 87th place, the best result in its history and the highest rank ever achieved by an Italian university. Sapienza University of Rome also reached its all-time best at 111th, up from 128th last year. The University of Bologna moved to 123rd, an improvement of 15 positions. The University of Padua (204th) and the Polytechnic of Turin (206th) also posted record results, continuing decade-long climbs of 132 and 99 places respectively. Rome’s three main universities all gained ground, with an average improvement of 35 positions.

Italy vs Europe

Italy is the only major EU university system with a net positive balance between improving and declining institutions. The country’s 56 percent improvement rate contrasts with Germany and France (both 16 percent), Spain (5 percent), and the Netherlands (8 percent). Even the United Kingdom registered a net decline of 8 percent. Among smaller systems, only Ireland and Austria outperformed Italy’s net improvement ratio. The gap underscores how Italy’s university sector is moving counter to a continental slide.

Behind the numbers

Research impact drove many of the gains. Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele placed sixth in the world for citations per faculty, while Tor Vergata’s citation score landed at 252nd globally. Employer reputation and international research networks also lifted several universities. Cattolica del Sacro Cuore jumped 21 places, helped by its standing among employers. Despite the progress, observers note that chronic underfunding makes the advances fragile and calls for sustained investment to match the reputational gains.

Voices from the rankings

This year's results are encouraging, but the next challenge for Italy is to transform academic excellence into greater international visibility. Today Italy can no longer afford the luxury of silent excellence.

The value of this result reflects the credibility that the Politecnico di Milano has built through a constant commitment to excellence, internationalization and impact on society.

This result in the QS World University Rankings 2027, which sees us rise 13 positions and consolidate...