The 2026 Ranking CYD Universidades Sostenibles names six public universities, Girona, La Rioja, León, Valladolid, Burgos, and Rey Juan Carlos, among Spain’s sustainability leaders. Five private campuses, Vic-Central de Catalunya, Católica de Valencia, Alfonso X, Comillas, and CUNEF, also appear in Fundación CYD’s ranking. These eleven universities stand out for their performance.
The ranking is based on 18 indicators: half measure social commitment, and half track environmental management. Social factors include gender equality, disability inclusion, health, and spending on social action. Environmental data covers renewable energy, waste, and water use.
Gender equality remains out of reach. Women hold 44.58% of academic leadership positions and make up 46.26% of teaching and research staff, but just 29.05% of full professors. The gap is wider at public universities, where women account for 28.67% of full professors. Alejandra Suárez Gironza, the ranking’s coordinator, says women are nearing parity in leadership and research, but remain underrepresented among top professors and rectors. In a third of universities, women already make up more than half of research staff.
Students with disabilities remain a small minority. Just 1.53% of all students have a registered disability: 1.36% at public universities and 0.89% at private ones. Budgets for special needs account for only 0.03% of total spending. Social action receives 0.37% of spending at face-to-face universities, with public campuses spending slightly more than private ones.
Environmental figures reveal a sharp divide. Per square meter, public universities use less water (0.434 m3/m2) and energy (59.33 kWh/m2), and produce less waste (0.586 kg/m2) than private institutions. Private universities, but, devote more of their budgets to sustainability, at 0.42%, and draw a larger share of their energy from renewables: 42.89%, compared with 35.84% at public universities. On one in four campuses, renewables now supply over 74% of energy.
Sustainability also features in university courses and research. About 22% of degrees and 18.24% of research groups focus on the topic. Public universities lead, with private institutions close behind. Theses on sustainability account for 6% of the total, with public campuses again ahead.
Looking only at social commitment, Universitat de València-Estudi General ranks first, followed by La Rioja, Autónoma de Madrid, and León. Alfonso X El Sabio and Málaga tie for fifth. Católica de Valencia, Girona, Burgos, Jaén, Jaume I de Castelló, and UNIE Universidad complete the top ten. Eight are public and three are private.
Girona leads in environmental management. Vic-Central de Catalunya, Alicante, Loyola, Valladolid, Vigo, Cádiz, Mondragon Unibertsitatea, Rey Juan Carlos, Córdoba, A Coruña, Santiago de Compostela, and Pontificia Comillas follow. Public universities dominate the list, while the private Vic-Central de Catalunya and Loyola stand out.
The study covers 84 Spanish universities: 79 offer in-person teaching and five are distance-learning institutions. The group includes 48 public and 36 private universities. Three joined using only public data. The results reflect a wider shift in Spain, where environmental and social standards increasingly shape how universities are viewed. This shift echoes new rules in other sectors, including the recent crackdown on car emissions in Spanish cities reported earlier.
Spain’s universities are now a test case for the country’s push on sustainability and inclusion. Public universities are better at saving resources, while private ones invest more in renewables and sustainability. Gender gaps and low disability inclusion show that progress remains slow.
