QS Rankings by Subject 2026: Ca’ Foscari ranked among the top 100 universities worldwide for Classics and Modern Languages

The results of the 2026 edition of the QS World University Rankings by Subject have been released. This prestigious ranking assesses universities worldwide across individual subject areas, analysing indicators like academic reputation and research impact.

Out of more than 6,200 institutions assessed by QS Quacquarelli Symonds, Ca’ Foscari University of Venice ranks among the world’s leading universities in 14 disciplines, spanning the University’s four academic areas. Two subjects are in the global top 100 – Classics & Ancient History and Modern Languages.

Here is a detailed overview of the rankings.

The international landscape

The data from this year’s ranking show a clearly positive picture for Ca’ Foscari, with notable growth in some of the University’s traditionally strong areas and an expansion in the range of disciplines recognised in the rankings.

For the third consecutive year, the strongest performance is in the study of antiquity: in the discipline of Classics & Ancient History, the university rises from 39th to 24th place globally. A positive trend is also clear in Modern Languages, which climbs eight places to enter the global top 70, moving from 77th to 69th position.

Rankings have also improved in Geography, which enters the top 150, and in Business & Management, now placed in the 401-450 band.

The 2026 edition also marks Ca’ Foscari’s entry into two new subject areas: English Language and Literature, which debuts directly in the global top 200, and Chemistry, which returns to the rankings in the 551-600 band.

Finally, the ranking largely reaffirms Ca’ Foscari’s long-standing strengths in various disciplines: Archaeology and History (top 150), Anthropology (top 200), Economics and Linguistics (top 250), Accounting and Finance (top 300), Politics and International Studies (top 400), and Computer Science (top 600).
 

The Italian context

At the national level, analysis of the QS Rankings by Subject confirms Ca’ Foscari as a leading institution among the 60 universities evaluated in Italy, achieving excellent results.

In Italy, Ca’ Foscari ranks on the podium in five disciplines, coming in third in Modern Languages, English Language and Literature, Anthropology, Geography, and Linguistics.

Also noteworthy are its fourth place nationally in Archaeology and fifth place in Classics & Ancient History, impressive results in a country that hosts some of the oldest and most prestigious institutions in these fields.

The full data for the World University Rankings by Subject 2026 can be viewed at www.topuniversities.com/subject-rankings.