3 Catalan universities and 3 colleges among world's best, according to QS and Times rankings

Barcelona (ACN).- The 2015 QS World University Rankings by Subject has ranked Barcelona’s Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC) 22^nd in the world in the field of Architecture and 35^th in Civil and Structural Engineering. According to the same prestigious ranking, the University of Barcelona (UB) performs well too, ranking as one of the top 50 globally in Philosophy and among the top 200 in 27 of the 36 subject areas. Moreover, The Times Higher Education 100 Under 50 Rankings 2015 lists three Catalan universities - Pompeu Fabra University (UPF) in Barcelona; the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB); and Rovira i Virgili University (URV) in Tarragona– among the top 100 universities worldwide under 50 years old.

UPC ranked 22^nd in Architecture and 35^th Civil Engineering; UB is 48^th in Philosophy

The annual QS World University Rankings by Subject highlights the world’s top universities in 36 popular subject areas, on the basis of academic/employer reputation and research impact. According to its 2015 edition, Barcelona’s Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC) ranks 22^nd worldwide and 7^th in Europe in the field of Architecture and Built Environment. Moreover, it is among the top 100 universities in the world in the following fields: Civil and Structural Engineering (35^th), Computer Science (51^st) and Electrical & Electronic Engineering (51^st). In all the above subjects, UPC stands out as the top-ranked university in Spain.

On the other hand, the University of Barcelona (UB) is not only outstanding as the 48^th university worldwide in Philosophy but is among the top 200 worldwide in 27 of the 36 subject areas. It is the only Spanish institution to rank among the best 100 universities worldwide in 12 subject areas: Linguistics, Modern Languages, Philosophy, Medicine, Pharmacy and Pharmacology, Chemistry, Earth and Marine Sciences, Geography, Environmental Sciences, Education, Sociology, and Statistics and Operational Research. UB is the top-ranked university in Spain in 18 of the 36 subject areas; in 9 of which it is the only Spanish university ranked, while in the other 9 it shares its position with other Spanish institutions.

3 Catalan universities among the top 100 worldwide under 50 years old

The Times Higher Education 100 Under 50 "provides a glimpse into the future", according to their website. The ranking classifies the best 100 universities worldwide under 50 years old. It employs 13 separate indicators, as does the 'standard' Times Higher Education World University Rankings, but through a methodology re-calibrated on the characteristics of more recently-founded universities. Its 4^th edition has brought good news for Catalonia, with 3 of its universities classified among the top 100 in the world under 50 years old.

In detail, Barcelona’s Pompeu Fabra University (UPF), founded in 1990, ranked 12^th worldwide, 5^th in the European Union and 1^st in Spain, moving up one position compared to the previous ranking. The Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB), created in 1968, ranked 29^th worldwide, 16^th in Europe and 2^nd in Spain, falling 6 places from 2014. Finally, the University of Rovira i Virgili (URV), founded in 1991 in the southern Catalan Province of Tarragona, was ranked 80^th, 14 positions lower than last year.

Others Spanish universities to enter the ranking were: the Autonomous University of Madrid (46^th), the University of Vigo (88^th) and the Polytechnic University of Valencia (97^th). This year's ranking is topped by the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland.

The ranking results were announced during the 2015 Times Higher Education Young Universities Summit, hosted by Dublin City University. During the event, Phil Baty, the Ranking Editor, also announced that UPF will host the next summit, to be held in Barcelona on the 6^th and 7^th of April 2016.

"For UPF, hosting this summit is an excellent opportunity not only to contribute to the international projection of the University, but also to improve the public perception about the truly mission that we all have both in a university such as ours and, in general, in young universities" said UPF Chancellor, Jaume Casals. "The summit has to become the space for these institutions to discuss the challenges and opportunities we will have to face in the coming years", he concluded.