The 2025 QS World University Rankings by Subject rank the UPC the world’s 38th in Architecture and Built Environment and in the 21–40 band in Art History. The rankings also place the University among the world’s top 100 in the broad subject area of Engineering and Technology and in the subjects of Industrial, Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering; Data Science and Artificial Intelligence; and Civil and Structural Engineering.

In the 2025 edition of the QS Rankings by Subject, the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya - BarcelonaTech (UPC) is ranked in three broad subject areas and across 23 subjects. These rankings feature the University in outstanding positions on the global stage in six rankings: it is listed among the world’s top 50 in Architecture and Built Environment (38th) and Art History (21–40 band), and in the top 100 in Engineering and Technology (97th); Industrial, Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering (81st); Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (51–100 band); and Civil and Structural Engineering (51–100 band).

Spanish leader in seven subjects
The QS WUR by Subject also highlight the UPC’s leading position in Spain. The University ranks first in Industrial, Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering; Materials Sciences; and Statistics and Operational Research. It also shares the top national position in four more subjects: Art and Design, Art History, Data Science and Artificial Intelligence, and Civil and Structural Engineering.

Citations per paper: the highest-scoring indicator
The 2025 QS by Subject evaluate over 1,700 universities across five broad subject areas and 55 subjects, based on up to five indicators: two related to institutional reputation (academic reputation and employer reputation) and three related to research performance (citations per paper, h-index and international research network).

The UPC achieved its highest score for international research network in the subject of Computer Science and Information Systems, with 94.8 points. In citations per paper, the highest score was achieved in Physics and Astronomy (86.9 points); in academic reputation, the strongest result was in the broad subject area Engineering and Technology (82.7 points); and in the h-index and employer reputation indicators, the top scores were in Architecture and Built Environment, with 81.5 and 71.4 points respectively. Art History achieved the highest overall score among subjects, with 77.7 points.

Finally, the indicator where the UPC obtained the highest cumulative score across the 26 subject rankings in which it appears was citations per paper.

Press Room: https://www.upc.edu/en/press-room/news/top-50-architecture-art-history-2025-qs-rankings-by-subject