The more active involvement of European universities reflects the region’s strengthening competitiveness and growing ambitions in the global higher education arena. For Lithuanian universities, this means that their results are assessed not only within a national context, but also in an increasingly competitive international environment. As a result, these achievements become even more significant, demonstrating that the University’s progress is not an isolated improvement, but the result of purposeful and consistent work,” says Dr Lolita Jurkšienė, Director of Strategy and Quality Management at KTU.
According to Dr Jurkšienė, when assessing the overall dynamics, KTU’s significantly improved results demonstrate the University’s consistent growth – progress was recorded in six out of nine QS ranking indicators. The results confirm a clear strategic direction of growth for the University, both in the academic dimension and in the practical dimension of the labour market.
The Biggest Breakthrough: Employment Outcomes
The most notable change this year was recorded in the Employment Outcomes indicator, where KTU rose by as many as 95 positions, reaching 475th place globally. This represents the largest increase among all QS indicators assessed.
This indicator reflects graduates’ career progression, their integration into the labour market, and the University’s contribution to their professional development. The visibly improving results confirm that the knowledge and competencies acquired at the University create tangible value for both graduates and employers.
This recognition is particularly important for an interdisciplinary university whose study model is based on the synergy between technological and social sciences, close cooperation with business, and the practical application of knowledge in addressing real-world challenges. It shows that KTU not only prepares highly qualified specialists, but also actively contributes to the region’s economic and social transformation, as well as to the faster development of high technologies.
Employer Reputation: Growing Trust in the University
In one of the core QS ranking indicators – Employer Reputation – KTU improved its position by 87 places, rising to 515th place globally. This is a particularly important and substantial development, as it confirms that both the University and its graduates are positively regarded not only by Lithuanian employers, but also by the international employer community.
KTU is gaining increasing recognition in the labour market, and is widely regarded as a reliable provider of highly qualified specialists both in Lithuania and internationally. This is especially important in engineering and technology fields, where employers participating in QS surveys assess not only graduates’ theoretical preparation, but also their ability to integrate quickly into real engineering, digital, and industrial transformation settings. The improvement in the ranking score indicates that KTU graduates are increasingly appearing on the “top of mind” list in regional and international talent searches.
“We are pleased with the improving ranking results, but we fully understand that rankings alone are not sufficient for a comprehensive assessment of the University’s performance. Therefore, in 2026, on the University’s initiative, a KTU Partner Recommendation Index survey was carried out to assess the extent to which graduates’ competencies meet labour market needs.
The results confirmed the trends also reflected in international rankings – employers value KTU graduates for their high level of technological literacy, strong professional knowledge, and ability to apply that knowledge in practice,” says Dr Jurkšienė.
Internationalisation: The Strongest Relative Indicator
In the International Students indicator, KTU rose by 49 positions, reaching 440th place globally. This is the University’s highest position among all individually assessed indicators and reflects KTU’s ability to compete in the global higher education market and attract talent from around the world.
This result demonstrates the greater attractiveness of the University’s study programmes among international students, as well as KTU’s stronger visibility within the international academic community. The decision of international students to study at the University is one of the clearest indicators of its reputation, study quality, and international openness.
The rising number of international students confirms that KTU is becoming an increasingly visible and attractive choice for students seeking studies that meet international standards in the region. Moreover, an international student community not only helps to strengthen cultural diversity, but also creates conditions for the development of global networks of talent, research, and innovation.
Research Impact: Steady Growth
KTU also improved its position in the Citations per Faculty indicator by 39 places, currently ranking 722nd globally and maintaining its leading position in Lithuania. This indicator is one of the most important criteria for assessing the quality and international impact of research, reflecting the extent to which the work of the University’s researchers is noticed, used, and cited by the international academic community.
The rise in position reflects the University’s ability to generate knowledge that contributes to global scientific progress, as well as the increased involvement of its researchers in international research networks, joint projects, and high-level publications that create long-term academic and practical impact.
The consistently improving results confirm that research carried out at KTU not only meets high standards of scientific quality, but also contributes to addressing relevant technological, industrial, and societal challenges. The knowledge created at the University is regarded as an important part of international scientific dialogue.
In the context of the Baltic region, KTU maintains strong positions among the leading technological universities, successfully competing not only at national level, but also regionally with higher education institutions in Estonia and Latvia.
“KTU’s results in the QS 2027 ranking demonstrate the University’s purposeful progress in the areas that define a successful modern university today – the quality of studies, research impact, graduate competitiveness, and international attractiveness. This confirms the University’s strengthening role in creating long-term added value for both the Lithuanian economy and the international academic and talent ecosystem,” says Dr Jurkšienė.
