The Universidad de La Frontera (UFRO) has been recognised in the 2026 subject ranking for Agriculture & Forestry by Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), placing within the 401–475 band globally and consolidating its position among the eight Chilean universities highlighted in this international assessment. The ranking considers indicators such as academic reputation, employer reputation, citations per paper, research productivity, research impact and international collaboration, results that underscore the performance of its Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Environment.
In this regard, the Faculty’s Deputy Dean, Dr. René Montalba Navarro, welcomed the recognition and stated that “we are undoubtedly pleased, as this is a global ranking. Being positioned among the few Chilean institutions included places us firmly as one of the country’s leading institutions in research, development and innovation in the fields of agri-food and environmental sciences, which is precisely what this index measures”.
A sustained institutional process
The academic authority emphasised that this achievement reflects a long-term, sustained process. “This is an institutional accomplishment, built over several decades of work to improve scientific productivity and the quality of research across different areas of agricultural sciences. Not only the Faculty, but various units across the University contribute to this significant scientific output and the quality of our postgraduate programmes, which enhances the University’s standing in these fields”.
Dr. Montalba also noted that the position achieved is explained by multiple factors, including the strengthening of postgraduate programmes, the high performance of academic staff and an institutional culture oriented towards excellence. “Reputation is also one of the indicators measured by this ranking. It is the result of a set of actions over time, not a one-off event. We have improved both the quality and the number of postgraduate programmes we offer, and the productivity of our academic staff is above average, reflecting a work culture focused on excellence”.
Alongside this international recognition, the Faculty continues to strengthen its global outlook. In this context, the Dean, Dr. Adison Altamirano Navarrete, is currently in Croatia developing a working agenda with the University of Zagreb, aimed at promoting research and student mobility at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels, among other initiatives.
UFRO shares this position with seven other Chilean institutions, including Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Universidad de Chile, Universidad Austral de Chile, Universidad de Concepción, Universidad de Talca, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso and Universidad de Santiago de Chile, thereby consolidating its role as a relevant actor within the higher education system through its sustained contribution to research, innovation and advanced training in the agri-food and environmental fields.
We invite readers to consult a related article in the Chilean newspaper Las Últimas Noticias (LUN), available in Spanish.
Abelardo Silva García
Communications Office
