King's College London

King’s has been ranked ninth in the world, and third in Europe, by Times Higher Education (THE) for our social, environmental and economic impact. This prestigious recognition comes from the 2020 THE  University Impact Rankings, which assessed submissions from over 800 universities from around the world.

The pioneering THE University Impact Rankings use the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a framework for reporting on the social impact of universities. The SDGs are a set of 17 goals approved by the 193 member states of the United Nations (UN) which aim to transform the world by 2030. These metrics encourage universities to reconsider their broader social impact and make more meaningful contributions to their communities.

King’s was particularly recognised for our work with local, national and international partners, ranking fourth in the world for ‘Partnerships for the Goals’ (SDG 17). King’s successfully delivers against this goal through cross-sectoral dialogue with government bodies and NGOs, international collaboration and research, local and global student volunteering programmes, and our commitment to service learning and civic engagement.

Our three other top contributing SDGs were Good Health and Wellbeing (SDG3), Sustainable Cities and Communities (SDG 11), and Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions (SDG 16).

With over 800 universities participating and all 17 UN SDGs assessed, the 2020 THE Impact Rankings is much larger than last year’s pilot which was based on assessments from 462 universities across 11 SDGs. 

King’s has a long and proud history of serving the needs and aspirations of society. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, King’s is continuing to serve our local, national and international communities. Visit the #ContinuingToServe webpage to find out more, let us know how you can help or discover existing projects that need support.

Learn more about Service at King’s and find further details on the 2020 THE University Impact Rankings online.

More than 850 universities were assessed across 18 separate league tables for each SDG as part of the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings 2020. Only 766 universities met the criteria to be ranked in the overall list, which included a compulsory submission for SDG17 and at least three other SDGs.