The University of Tartu earns recognition among the globe's top institutions of higher learning.

The University of Tartu, Estonia's oldest and largest university, has slipped in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings for 2024. The institution, which was previously ranked among the 201-250 best universities, is now placed among the next hundred.

According to the rankings, the University of Tartu is currently ranked between 301 and 350. This year's slip in the rankings is a departure from the university's strategic plan announced in 2020, which aimed to move closer to the world's top 100 universities.

The Times Higher Education World University Rankings, which have been compiled since 2004, consider 13 performance indicators grouped into five areas: learning environment, research, research influence, industry income, and international outlook. However, the reasons for the University of Tartu's rankings slip are not clear, as no specific details have been provided regarding changes in research output, teaching, citations, international outlook, or industry income metrics.

The university has yet to comment on a possible reason for its rankings slip. Meanwhile, all Estonian public universities have recently complained about the lack of funding.

In the same rankings, Tallinn University is placed at 1,001-1,200, maintaining its position from the previous year. The Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2024 includes 1,904 universities across 108 countries and regions.

Notably, the University of Tartu ranks in the top 1% of highly cited universities in various research fields. The university is also a significant contributor to driving inclusive and sustainable growth and innovation at local, European, and global levels, through its active participation in European science policy formulation and memberships in prestigious research university networks and EU research and innovation partnerships.

Other top-ranked universities in the world according to the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2024 include Stanford University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (both from the US), the University of Oxford (UK), the University of Cambridge (UK), and Harvard University (US).

Despite the rankings slip, the University of Tartu continues to uphold its commitment to academic excellence and innovation. The university is expected to provide further updates on its rankings and strategies in the coming months.

The University of Tartu earns recognition among the globe's top institutions of higher learning.