QS Quacquarelli Symonds, global higher education analyst, has released the second edition of the QS World University Rankings: Europe, featuring members of the Council of Europe.

The 2025 edition sees ETH Zurich crowned Europe’s best university, the University of Oxford slip to third and Imperial College London place second. The ranking features 685 institutions across 42 countries, including ten new universities.

The UK is the most represented country, with 103 featured universities, followed by Turkey with 72 and Germany with 53. Ben Sowter, QS Senior Vice President, said: “This edition enhances our comprehensive benchmarking tool for one of the world’s most competitive higher education regions. 

“It enables institutions, policymakers and prospective students to measure performance against international peers and gain valuable decision-making insights. QS is thrilled to celebrate ETH Zurich as Europe’s top university, driven by progressive ESG strategies, student exchanges, and impactful research.

“The UK excels across indicators due to esteemed reputation and global research collaborations and sustainability. However, all countries have successes, highlighted by our extensive datasets, including global appeal, cross-border collaborations, and teaching capacity.”

Top-10

Overview:

• The Czech Republic and Poland are the only Eastern European countries with universities in the top 100: Charles University (79th) and the University of Warsaw (96th).
• France excels in international research and Employment Outcomes.
• Germany leads in research production, with the most universities in the top 50 and top 10 for Papers per Faculty.
• Italy is also exceptionally productive. It has Europe’s highest average score for Papers per Faculty and 28 top 100 institutions in this indicator, more than double Germany’s 13.
• The Netherlands has Europe’s best international reputation, leading in Employer and Academic Reputation.
• Spain leads in student mobility, with more top rankings for Outbound and Inbound Student Exchange than any other country.
• Sweden shines in Sustainability, with Lund and Uppsala Universities in the top five.
• Switzerland remains among Europe’s elite, second only to the UK in for its number of top 10 universities.
• Twenty-one Turkish institutions are in Europe’s top 500, with 23 improving their rank and 11 dropping.