Villa College Enters Global Top 100 for Quality Education in THE Sustainability Impact Rankings 2026

Villa College has entered the global top 100 for Quality Education (SDG4) in the Times Higher Education (THE) Sustainability Impact Ratings 2026, marking a significant milestone for higher education in the Maldives.

THE is a data source platform with insight and expertise on higher education worldwide. According to their website, its work is based on 10 million datapoints from more than 7,000 institutions across 171 countries. The THE Sustainability Impact Ratings assess universities’ contributions to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals across teaching, research, stewardship and outreach. Villa College participated in five SDG categories and recorded either improvement or sustained performance across all of them, said that college.

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The institution secured joint 82nd place out of 1,335 universities in the Quality Education category and improved its overall standing to the 301–400 global band among 1,603 participating institutions worldwide, up from the 401–600 band previously.

The college said that with this performance, Villa College is currently the highest-ranked higher education institution in the Maldives, strengthening its position in the national education sector and its contribution to sustainable development.

Under SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), the college moved to the 201–300 band from the 601–800 band the previous year. For SDG 4 (Quality Education), it achieved a joint 82nd global ranking, placing it within the top 100 for the first time.

In SDG 5 (Gender Equality), Villa College maintained its position in the 201–300 band, while in SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions), it improved to the 101–200 band from 201–300. Under SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals), the institution retained a 201–300 band ranking.

The college said the results reflect consistent progress across multiple areas rather than strength in a single category, highlighting its broader institutional development.

Vice Rector Dr Ali Najeeb attributed the achievement to the combined efforts of students and staff, saying the progress reflects the institution’s commitment to quality education and sustainable development.

He said the college remains focused on creating social impact and contributing to meaningful change, while continuing to strengthen its academic standards.

Villa College’s performance in the rankings is seen as enhancing the international profile of Maldivian higher education, particularly in terms of global recognition and competitiveness.