TUM has moved up almost 40 places in the QS World University Rankings within just 10 years. In Germany, it has been number one for the last 11 years.
“Being ranked among the best 25 universities is a brilliant affirmation for the hard work of our university community,” says TUM President Prof. Thomas F. Hofmann. “By forging closer ties between disciplines in research and teaching than other universities, we realize the enormous potential of our range of subjects – unmatched in Europe – extending from engineering and natural sciences to medicine, economics and social sciences. We are a vital hub for the exchange between industry, policy makers and civil society actors where they can identify key issues and collaborate on solutions. With our partners, including world-leading tech companies, and with our TUM Venture Labs as springboards for start-ups, we have turned Munich into one of the most dynamic innovation ecosystems. Furthermore, we are recruiting the best minds from all over the world. The diversity of the talented individuals working here is one of our strengths. This sends out a strong signal in these times of increasing restrictions on scientific freedom and international collaboration.”
The British university service provider QS Quacquarelli Symonds compiles its university quality rankings through surveys of academics and employers. It also assesses the number of citations of published research, the faculty-student ratio and the success of graduates. Further criteria include the share of international students and staff, international research collaborations and sustainability aspects.
The QS Ranking is one of the most widely recognized university rankings alongside the THE World University Ranking and the Academic Ranking of World Universities (“Shanghai Ranking”), in which TUM holds the 26th and 47th places, respectively. THE also ranks TUM as the best university in the European Union.
20th Place for “Data Science / Artificial Intelligence”
In the latest edition of the “QS World University Rankings by Subject,” TUM is also among the top 25 universities in six individual subjects. These include “Data Science/Artificial Intelligence,” which is taught at the TUM Heilbronn Campus and ranks 20th.
In international rankings of certain tasks of universities, TUM already belongs to the top 15: It ranks 13th in the Global Employability Ranking, which assesses the qualifications of graduates, and 7th among universities that educate Digital Leaders in Higher Education. In the Interdisciplinary Science Ranking, TUM is number 12. And in the University Impact Ranking, TUM is the top university worldwide in the category Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure.
Further Information and Links:
QS World University Rankings 2026