Three Czech universities make top 500 in prestigious QS world ranking

Three Czech universities, including Charles University (UK), have maintained their positions in the top 500 of the just-released 2025 Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Ranking, with Charles University taking the lead in the country. 

In a statement, UK rector Milena Králíčková expressed her satisfaction with Charles University's continued success in global rankings. "I am very pleased that Charles is moving forward in prestigious global comparisons," she said. "This year's 246th position is our best result in the last 10 years, and it is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our faculty and students."

The latest rankings saw significant changes in methodology, with the addition of a category for sustainability.

Meanwhile, Masaryk University Brno dropped from 400th to 408th place, although rector Martin Bareš maintains that their progress in last year's rankings was not a fluke. "Last year, Masaryk University achieved a historic success in the form of the 400th position in the QS ranking and an improvement of more than 150 places," he stated on the university's website. "With this year's results, we have confirmed that it was definitely not a coincidence."

The Czech Technical University Prague (ČVUT) saw a significant improvement, climbing 34 positions to 420th place. ČVUT rector Vojtěch Petráček credits this success to their efforts to establish a sustainability laboratory. "When QS introduced a new methodology last year, I called it a challenge for ČVUT," he said. "I am pleased to see that our hard work has paid off, and we have shown that we can meet these challenges," Petráček added.

Czech universities’ strong display in the world rankings has in part helped increase the numbers of foreign students coming to the country. A report from the end of 2023 showed that as many as one in five students at Czech universities were foreign. 

Currently, over 55,000 foreign students study full-time in Czechia. According to the Czech Statistical Office, in 2012 under 40,000 students from foreign countries studied in Czechia. This figure was at just 11,000 in 2002, when one-tenth of students were from abroad. 

A recent survey conducted by the Czech National Agency for International Education and Research (DZS) also revealed that the primary reason for international students choosing to study in Czechia is the country's “exceptional education standards.” The survey specifically targeted international students currently pursuing bachelor's, master's, or doctoral degrees in Czech or English at Czech universities and colleges. According to DZS director Michal Uhl, the findings indicate that 90 percent of the students rated their study program as of high quality.

The University of Chemistry and Technology (VŠCHT), Brno University of Technology, Palacky University Olomouc, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Mendel University Brno, and South Bohemian University in Ceske Budejovice made the QS top 1,000 rankings, though ranked below 500th.