Research recognised in global university rankings

The research strength of Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland has been reflected in the results of two major international rankings released this month.

In the 2027 Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings, the University placed 168th globally, remaining New Zealand’s highest ranked university.

While the University’s overall ranking moved from 156th last year, its underlying scores remained relatively stable, with improvements in both of THE’s research-focused measures.

A record 2,297 universities were assessed this year, up from 2,191 last year, as participation in global rankings continues to grow.

Vice-Chancellor Professor Nic Smith said while rankings provide one measure of university performance, the underlying results demonstrate the University's resilience in an increasingly competitive global environment.

"It’s particularly encouraging to see improvement in our research measures. Research is at the heart of what we do and, as New Zealand's largest research organisation, we are committed to creating new knowledge, supporting innovation and contributing to the economic, social and environmental well-being of Aotearoa New Zealand and beyond.

"Our people are exceptionally talented, and these results reflect their dedication and the quality of work being carried out across the University despite challenging sector conditions and growing competition in international rankings."

The results come as the University continues to focus on excellence across teaching, research, innovation and international engagement.

The University’s research strengths were also recognised recently in the 2026 ShanghaiRanking Global Ranking of Academic Subjects (GRAS), which assesses university research performance across 57 subject areas.

The University was ranked in 40 subjects, with two subjects placing among the world’s top 50 and ten in the top 100.

Aerospace Engineering entered the global top 50 for the first time, joining Food Science and Technology, which remains the University's highest-ranked subject at 31st in the world.

The University also retained ten subjects in the global top 100, with Psychology entering the top 100 for the first time.

Overall, ten subject areas improved their position year-on-year, including Finance, which returns to the rankings after falling short in 2025.

The ShanghaiRanking assesses research performance using measures including research output and impact, international collaboration and the achievements of academic staff.

The results follow the QS World University Rankings by Subject released earlier this year, in which the University had eight subjects ranked among the world’s top 50.

Together, the rankings provide different perspectives on the University’s academic and research performance. QS considers measures including academic and employer reputation, research citations and international research networks, while ShanghaiRanking focuses specifically on research performance.