University of Basra has maintained its top position in the 2023 Times UK ranking for sustainable development for the third consecutive year. It secured the first place locally, followed by Babylon University and Baghdad University. Moreover, it achieved the 18th position among the Arab Gulf universities.

In this year's ranking, 53 Iraqi universities and colleges entered and achieved competitive positions in the Times ranking for sustainable development 2023. The ranking included 1,591 educational institutions from 106 countries around the world. The official published results indicate that University of Basra ranked (401-600) globally, followed by Babylon University (601-800), and then Baghdad University (601-800).

Furthermore, University of Basra obtained advanced positions in sustainable dimensions such as "Efforts for Clean Energy" (102-200) globally, "Working for a Clean Environment" (201-300) globally, "Fighting Poverty" (201-300) globally, "Quality Education" (201-300) globally, "Water Provision and Purification" (201-300) globally, "Responsible Production and Consumption" (201-300) globally, and finally "Life Below Water" (201-300) globally.

It's worth mentioning that the Times UK ranking for sustainable development evaluates universities based on achieving a number of the United Nations' goals, including quality education, health, well-being, partnerships, industry, and innovation among the 17 goals in total.