Jeonbuk National University tops regional peers in environmental engineering rankings
Summary
Jeonbuk National University’s Department of Environmental Engineering ranked first among Korea’s regional flagship national universities in environmental engineering and environmental sciences in rankings released this year. It placed 137th globally and fifth nationally in the 2026-2027 U.S. News environmental engineering rankings, and in the 251-300 global band and tied eighth nationally in the 2026 QS environmental sciences rankings. The department’s normalized citation impact ranked 31st globally in U.S. News, despite its publication volume ranking 210th. Department head Kim Yong-hyun said the department aims to rank among the world’s top 100.
Key Facts
- The department rose 29 places from the previous year in the U.S. News environmental engineering rankings and has held the top regional-flagship position for three consecutive years.
- Its total citation count ranked 156th globally in the U.S. News subject rankings.
- U.S. News evaluates research indicators including publication volume, citation impact, highly cited papers and international collaboration, while QS considers research performance and academic and employer reputation.
- The department researches air pollutants, hazardous-chemical removal, water and biological treatment, industrial waste recycling, carbon sequestration, AI-based climate prediction and pollutant exposure’s health effects.
Department demonstrates strong international research competitiveness
Students from Jeonbuk National University’s Department of Environmental Engineering visit Gosan Water Purification Plant in Wanju, North Jeolla Province, as part of a field study in this undated photo. Courtesy of Jeonbuk National University
Jeonbuk National University’s Department of Environmental Engineering ranked No. 1 among regional flagship national universities in Korea in both the U.S. News and QS global university rankings released this year.
The university said Friday that the rankings reflect the department's international research competitiveness.
The department ranked 137th globally (tied) and fifth nationally in environmental engineering in the 2026-2027 U.S. News Best Global Universities Rankings, climbing 29 places from the previous year.
It also maintained its fifth-place national ranking and No. 1 position among regional flagship national universities for the third consecutive year.
In the 2026 QS World University Rankings by Subject for environmental sciences, the department placed in the 251-300 band globally and tied for eighth nationally, earning the highest ranking among Korea’s regional flagship national universities.
U.S. News places emphasis on research indicators, including publication volume, citation impact, the proportion of highly cited papers and international research collaboration. QS, meanwhile, considers both research performance and academic and employer reputation.
The university noted that its simultaneous achievement of top positions among regional flagship national universities in these two distinct ranking systems is significant, reflecting its continued efforts to build both research excellence and international recognition.
The department stood out particularly for the academic impact of its research relative to its publication output.
In the U.S. News subject rankings, the department ranked 210th globally for publication volume but 31st for normalized citation impact, which measures how frequently its papers are cited compared with the global average in the field.
Its total citation count also ranked 156th globally, demonstrating its strong academic influence relative to its research output.
“This evaluation demonstrates how frequently our faculty’s research is cited and recognized by the global academic community,” said Kim Yong-hyun, head of the Department of Environmental Engineering.
“We will nurture talent capable of addressing environmental challenges through technology and strive to establish the department as a world-class hub for environmental engineering education and research, with the goal of ranking among the world's top 100.”
The university attributed these achievements to the faculty’s sustained research efforts to address major environmental challenges.
The department conducts research across a wide range of fields, including analyzing the behavior of air pollutants such as fine particulate matter and developing technologies to remove them.
Its research also covers the development of materials for removing hazardous chemicals, advanced water treatment and biological treatment processes, industrial waste recycling, carbon sequestration, artificial intelligence-based climate prediction and the health effects of exposure to pollutants.
Collaborative research with overseas institutions and research-oriented education have also contributed to the department’s competitiveness.
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