EduAsiaNews, Yogyakarta – The QS World University Rankings (QS WUR) has once again released its international university rankings for the year 2027. The QS WUR 2027 results were announced on the official QS website on Thursday, 18 June 2026.
The QS WUR 2027 rankings reflect a consistent upward trend for Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta (UMY). UMY stands as the sole Muhammadiyah-‘Aisyiyah Higher Education Institution (PTMA) and the only Islamic university to be included in this prestigious global ranking.
Soaring at the National and Regional Level
At the national level, UMY ranks 14th among the 20 Indonesian universities that successfully entered the QS WUR 2027. This achievement simultaneously affirms UMY’s position as the second-best private university in Indonesia and the country’s foremost Islamic university. At the provincial level, three universities from the Special Region of Yogyakarta attained global recognition, with UMY emerging as the second-best university in the region, after Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM).
Over the past two years, UMY’s overall score has more than doubled compared to the 2025 edition, with the most significant improvements recorded across several key indicators:
International Research Network: Increased by 100 per cent
Employment Outcomes: Increased by 100 per cent
Employer Reputation: Increased by 83 per cent
Leadership Commitment and International Quality Synergy
The Rector of UMY, Prof. Dr. Achmad Nurmandi, M.Sc., highlighted several key factors underpinning the university’s consistent progress in global rankings.
“The university’s leadership is committed to enhancing the quality of learning, research innovation and downstream application, and impactful community service. This commitment is matched by the awareness and capability of the academic community in improving performance outcomes to meet quality standards, both at the national and international levels,” said Nurmandi during an interview on Thursday, 18 June 2026.
The Vice Rector for Quality, Reputation, and Partnerships, Prof. Ir. Slamet Riyadi, S.T., M.Sc., Ph.D., added: “This commitment to quality is supported by inter-unit synergy and systems integration, enabling the University to meet international standards amidst an intensely competitive global landscape.”
Sustaining Position Amid Rigorous Global Selection
The Head of UMY’s Planning and Global Reputation Agency, Dr. Mega Hidayati, M.Ag., noted that the number of Indonesian universities achieving QS WUR recognition has declined. Whereas 26 Indonesian universities were included in the previous edition, only 20 institutions retained their ranked positions in the current cycle.
“In the QS WUR 2027 edition, out of a total of 8,808 institutions from 106 countries that were evaluated, only 1,504 — approximately 17 per cent — successfully entered the official rankings. This demonstrates that UMY maintains a consistent level of global competitiveness,” said Mega.
Stringent Requirements for QS WUR Inclusion
Based on the QS WUR methodology, an institution must fulfil three principal requirements in order to participate in the world rankings: Rank within the top 20 per cent globally based on Academic Reputation.
Have a minimum of 100 Scopus-indexed articles published within the past five years.
Be registered and maintain a position in the QS regional rankings.
Future Target: Advancing Towards the World’s Top 1,000
Looking ahead, Nurmandi has set an ambitious target for UMY to break into the world’s top 1,000 universities.
“Our aspiration is for UMY to be counted among the top 1,000 universities in the world. To that end, we will continue to strengthen academic quality and develop alumni who are relevant to the needs of industry. Collaboration with industry partners and global networks will be continually enhanced,” he added.
Prof. Ir. Slamet Riyadi, S.T., M.Sc., Ph.D., affirmed that this upward trend has had a tangible impact on UMY’s reputation and visibility. In line with this achievement, UMY is now targeting a quantitative and qualitative increase in international partnerships across various continents.
“UMY continues to earn global recognition consistently. This proves that a PTMA institution is capable of competing at the global level by implementing Islamic values,” concluded Slamet. (ID)
