Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) has once again recorded a positive achievement in the QS World University Rankings (WUR) by Subject 2026, released on March 25, 2026. The rankings cover 55 subjects grouped into five broad areas. UGM improved its position in four major fields: Arts & Humanities, Social Sciences & Management, Engineering & Technology, and Life Sciences & Medicine. Meanwhile, its position in Natural Sciences was successfully maintained.
UGM Rector, Professor Ova Emilia, stated that the inclusion of 28 subjects in the rankings is an important indicator of the university’s consistent improvement in academic quality. She explained that this number has increased compared to the previous year, which recorded 27 subjects. According to her, this positive trend reflects continuous efforts to strengthen global reputation across various disciplines.
“These results show that efforts to improve the quality of education and research are being carried out consistently and have a tangible impact on international recognition, which, of course, cannot be separated from the contribution of the entire academic community,” she said on Thursday (March 26).
Furthermore, Professor Ova noted that several leading disciplines have successfully entered highly competitive global rankings. She highlighted Theology, which ranks among the world’s top 45, as a particularly strategic achievement. In addition, Anthropology and Development Studies are ranked within the world’s top 100.
“The strengthening of these fields reflects the growing global recognition of academic excellence and demonstrates that academic development is being carried out in a focused and sustainable manner,” Professor Ova said.
She also explained that several other subjects demonstrate stable performance globally. Geography ranks 101–150 worldwide, followed by Agriculture & Forestry, Archaeology, English Language & Literature, History, Modern Languages, Law, and Politics & International Studies in the 151–200 range. Furthermore, Accounting & Finance, Business & Management Studies, Economics & Econometrics, and Sociology are ranked 201–250 globally, while Architecture/Built Environment is placed at 201–260.
“This distribution of rankings highlights the growing strength of multidisciplinary expertise, which serves as an important foundation for advancing academic contributions at the global level,” she explained.
Concluding her statement, Professor Ova reaffirmed UGM’s commitment to sustaining these achievements. She emphasized that enhancing academic reputation, strengthening research impact, and expanding international collaboration will be key priorities moving forward. According to her, these steps are essential to ensure that universities can make meaningful contributions to addressing global challenges.
“Going forward, we will continue to strengthen research quality and international collaborative networks to ensure that UGM’s role remains relevant in addressing various global issues through a multidisciplinary approach,” she concluded.
Author: Triya Andriyani
Post-editor: Jasmine Ferdian
Photo: UGM Public Relations Documentation