Sapienza tops Italy but falls to 129th place in CWUR 2026 global university ranking

The Center for World University Rankings (CWUR) released its 2026 Global 2000 list on 1 June, ranking 2 000 universities worldwide. No Italian institution placed inside the top 100; the Roman university Sapienza retained its position as the highest‑ranked Italian university but slipped from 125th to 129th globally, losing four places. Padua ranked 182nd and Milan 194th, while other Italian schools fell further down the list.

The CWUR methodology weights education quality (25 %), graduate employability (25 %), faculty quality (10 %) and research output (40 %). Sapienza’s decline was attributed to weaker performance in teaching, faculty and especially research. Overall, 79 % of Italy’s universities dropped positions compared with the previous year. Nadim Mahassen, CWUR president, warned that “years of inadequate funding” and the devaluation of science and education have hampered the sector, raising concerns about Italy’s ability to retain researchers and sustain laboratory work.

The results highlight persistent challenges for Italian higher‑education institutions in competing with leading U.S. and U.K. universities and underline the need for renewed investment in research and teaching quality.