Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit University (BEUN) has achieved a significant milestone by being listed for the first time in the “QS World University Rankings: Europe 2026” announced by QS (Quacquarelli Symonds), one of the most distinguished higher education ranking institutions. Standing out with its performance in sustainability, academic reputation, and research network, BEUN demonstrated its international visibility and competitiveness by being listed in the 701-900 band across Europe.  

Making it to the QS Europe 2026 rankings, which evaluate 958 universities from 42 different countries for the first time, Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit University strengthened not only its position in Europe, but also its steady rise in the Turkish higher education system.  

QS Europe 2026: Strong Entrance from BEUN 

According to the QS World Rankings: Europe 2026, BEUN ranked in the 701-900 band when the whole of Europe is taken into consideration. This result is a concrete sign of the quality focused initiatives and internationalization vision of the university in recent years. Being one of the 33 universities making it to the list for the first time among 107 universities, BEUN achieved significant success among state universities. 

Comprehensive and Multidimensional Evaluation in 12 Indicators 

In the rankings published by England-based QS, universities were evaluated in 12 indicators including academic reputation, employer reputation, citations per paper, papers per faculty, international research network, employment outcomes, faculty-student, international students, international faculty, inbound exchange student, outbound exchange student. As a result of this comprehensive evaluation, Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit University demonstrated a multidimensional academic performance by being in 11 of the 12 indicators.  

As part of the research indicators, BEUN ranked 51st in Türkiye and 35th among state universities in the “Citations per Paper”; ranked 60th in Türkiye, and 48th among state universities in the “Papers per faculty” ; and ranked 61st among state universities in the “Academic Reputation”.  

Strong Position in Learning Experience and Education Quality
 

As part of the learning experience, BEUN ranked 43rd in Türkiye and 26th among state universities in the “Faculty-Student”. This result demonstrated that the university continues to maintain its quality and accessibility in university education.  

High Performance in International Student and Faculty Mobility 

Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit University ranked 44th in Türkiye and 30th among state universities in “Outbound Exchange Universities”; ranked 58th among state universities in “International Research Network”; ranked 54th in Türkiye and 34th among state universities in “Inbound Exchange Students”; ranked 54th in Türkiye and 31st among state universities in the “International Faculty”; and ranked 40th in Türkiye and 23th among state universities in the “International Students”.  

Success in Sustainability and Employment Outcomes 

According to QS Europe 2026 results, BEUN ranked 56th in Türkiye in “Sustainability”, and 43rd among state universities while ranking 33rd in Türkiye and 25th among state universities in the “Employment Outcomes”. 

Rector Özölçer: “Aiming a Stronger and a Lasting Presence in International Academic Community” 

In his remarks on the subject, the Rector of Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit University Prof. Dr. İsmail Hakkı Özölçer emphasized that this success is a result of long lasting and planned academic vision and added: 

“We carry out our efforts with a sustainable and innovative progress approach that focuses on education, research, and social contribution as Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit University. Being in the QS Europe University Rankings 2026 for the first time and placing in the 701-900 band in Europe demonstrates university’s steady rise in the academic strength, research capasity, and international visibility. 

The results achieved in fields of research, internationalization, sustainability, and employment outcome demonstrate our steady steps in our strategic goals. We take steady steps in promoting scientific production, prioritizing qualified education, and competing in the global arena. We aim a lasting and strong presence in the international academic community. I would like to extend my gratitude particularly to the President of Council of Higher Education Prof. Dr. Erol Özvar for his visionary approach that supports scientific production, internationalization, and quality in higher education and the YÖK community. I would also like to thank all academics who contributed to this success and wish them success in their endeavors.”