CUNEF Universidad achieves 4 level in the Positive Impact Rating 2026 edition

CUNEF Universidad has been recognized for its societal impact and commitment to sustainability as part of the seventh edition of the Positive Impact Rating (PIR), launched as part of the PIR Summit 2026.

CUNEF Universidad is one of the 87 rated business schools from 32 countries included in this year’s edition. The 2026 PIR collected more than 20,000 complete student responses from 90 participating schools, with the official rating based on 19,789 valid student responses. The school achieved Level 4, making it a Transforming institution within the PIR framework.

The PIR is a unique rating created by students, for students. It was designed to capture how students perceive their schools’ positive impact on the world. In 2025, the PIR further expanded its dual stakeholder approach through the Faculty Survey, and in 2026, it collected 1,189 valid faculty responses. Some schools, including CUNEF Universidad chose to implement the faculty survey, allowing a comparison between student and faculty perspectives. This lens helps identify alignment, perception gaps and opportunities for shared institutional learning.

Participants evaluated how CUNEF Universidad addresses societal and sustainability challenges and how well it prepares its students to become responsible leaders. The data collection at CUNEF Universidad was organized and led by Impact Club, who distributed the survey across campus. This year, 221 student participants from CUNEF Universidad took part in the PIR survey.

Continuous improvement

By participating in PIR 2026, CUNEF Universidad demonstrates its commitment to transparency and to listening to the voice of its key stakeholders. Ana I. Fernández, Rector of CUNEF Universidad, commented: “This recognition in the Positive Impact Rating 2026 is an encouragement for us to continue moving forward with rigour and responsibility. At CUNEF Universidad, we understand sustainability as a process of continuous improvement that must be embedded transversally across education, research and institutional management. Listening to our students’ perceptions helps us identify the progress made, but also the areas in which we must continue working with transparency, measurement and long-term commitment.”

The student based PIR rating uses questions grouped into seven dimensions across three overarching areas: Energizing, Educating, and Engaging. These results place schools into one of five levels, three of which are published: Level 3 (Progressing), Level 4 (Transforming), and Level 5 (Pioneering). With the Faculty Survey, PIR now also includes the fourth area Enabling, with Research assessed as a faculty only dimension.

Prof. Thomas Dyllick, PIR Founder and Member of the Supervisory Board, stated: “While future students now have an alternative source to select their business school, schools refer to the PIR primarily to measure and communicate their transformational progress. The voice of the student has become a true source of value.”

The PIR was initiated by a coalition of business school experts and international NGOs such as WWF, Oxfam, and UN Global Compact, and is supported by student organisations including oikos, AIESEC, and Net Impact. It is also backed by VIVA Idea (Costa Rica), the Institute for Business Sustainability Foundation, and FehrAdvice (Switzerland).