Aalto University’s art & design ranked 9th in the world

Aalto University ranked 9th globally in art and design in the QS World University Rankings by Subject, published on 25 March 2026.

‘It’s wonderful that we are ranked among the best in the world! Our placement among thousands of schools is a tremendous achievement. Credit for this goes to all members of our community,’ says Tuomas Auvinen, Dean of Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture.

Aalto had a total of five fields ranked among the top 100. Architecture and the built environment climbed to 36th place (49th last year), while data science and artificial intelligence and mineral and mining engineering maintained their positions in the 51–100 range. Marketing was also ranked in the 51–100 range (44th last year).

The QS World University Rankings by Subject emphasize a university's reputation both in academia and among employers, while also considering research publications and citation numbers. The weight of these factors varies by subject. 

This year, more than 1,700 universities were ranked across 55 specific subjects and five broad subject areas. 

The QS World University Rankings also compare universities as a whole. In the most recent ranking, published last summer, Aalto was ranked 1st in Finland and 114th globally. 

Aalto University specializes in technology, business, and the arts, making field- and subject-specific rankings the most relevant. Depending on the criteria used, there are an estimated 17,000 to 22,000 universities worldwide. 

Read more about the ranking results