Two Catalan universities rank among world’s top 200 in QS 2026 rankings

Two Catalan universities, the University of Barcelona (UB) and the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB), have been included in the QS World University Rankings 2026, which lists the top 200 universities globally. 

The prestigious ranking analyzes 1,500 universities worldwide, with particular emphasis on scientific research. Both UB and UAB have improved their positions compared to last year. 

The University of Barcelona has moved up from 165th to 160th place. The Autonomous University of Barcelona has also advanced, rising from 175th to 172nd. 

According to the ranking, UB stands out for its academic reputation, where it ranks 85th globally, and for its international research networks, achieving 50th position in that category. 

Only three Spanish universities made it into the top 200: the two Catalan institutions and the Complutense University of Madrid, which dropped 23 places to 187th. 

Additionally, two other Catalan universities appear in the rankings but outside the top 200: Pompeu Fabra University, at 265th, and the Polytechnic University of Barcelona, in 392nd place. 

The top three universities worldwide in this year's ranking are the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Imperial College London, and Stanford University.