6 Turkish universities make top 100 in 2025 GreenMetic sustainability rankings

By Seyma Guven and Selcuk Uysal

Six universities from Türkiye ranked among the world’s top 100 greenest institutions in a global list assessing sustainability performance across 1,745 universities in 105 countries.

Overall, 54 Turkish universities placed in the global top 500 in the 2025 UI GreenMetric World University rankings, while 97 institutions from Türkiye ranked within the top 1,000, according to the results.

Istanbul Technical University ranked 25th globally, followed by Yildiz Technical University – also in Istanbul – at 48th, placing both institutions in the top 50.

Erciyes University ranked 66th, Ege University 83rd, Ozyegin University 89th, and Yeditepe University 91st, completing Türkiye’s representation in the top 100.

According to a statement from the Council of Higher Education (YOK), initiatives promoted under the Sustainable and Climate-Friendly Campus Project played a key role in boosting universities’ performance. The program aims to improve energy efficiency and expand environmentally friendly practices across campuses.

"Universities are pioneers in green transformation. We adopt a holistic approach across a wide range, from infrastructure to energy efficiency, water and waste management, and public transportation," said Erol Ozvar, the council’s head.

The UI GreenMetric World University Rankings, launched by Universitas Indonesia in 2010, is the first global ranking system focused exclusively on sustainability in higher education. It evaluates universities based on criteria including green infrastructure, environmental policies, resource management, and efforts to reduce ecological footprints.