GEURS 2026 | Internationality is being redefined, and it’s just the beginning
The world is moving again, and so are employers’ expectations. After years of quiet recalibration, the global job market is back in motion, sharper and more selective. In its 15th edition, Emerging’s Global Employability University Ranking & Survey (GEURS) 2026 captures this shift in real time. Based on nearly 120,000 votes from 12,350 corporate leaders across 32 countries, it reveals how recruiters now judge talent and the universities that shape it.
Across 2021 to 2026, the center of employability gravity continues to shift from academic prestige to skills, practical expertise, and global fluency. The 2026 results confirm this new equilibrium:
Graduate Skills (n°1) and Work Expertise (n°2) remain the leading drivers of employability. Internationality rises to n°3, while Academic Performance stabilizes at n°4. Social Impact & Leadership edges up in the global framework, but while it contributes to institutional reputation and student experience, it does not separate peers that are already strong in Skills and Work Expertise. Finally, Specialization moves down to n°6, reflecting the way expertise is now acquired and signaled across more flexible learning ecosystems.
Key implications for reading the ranking
- Employability is now performance-based. Employers value demonstrable capabilities and adaptability over static credentials.
- Graduate Skills and Work Expertise dominate outcomes. They explain the majority of ranking movements among the Top 250 institutions.
- Internationality gains structural weight. It is now grounded in visible alumni trajectories and regional academic influence rather than mobility alone.
- Academic Performance remains foundational. It anchors institutional reputation and credibility, but no longer drives momentum alone.
- Social Impact & Leadership, while still modest, are rising in influence. This driver increasingly shapes reputation and student experience and has now overtaken Specialization, signaling that employers are starting to value purpose-driven, socially aware leadership alongside technical competence.
Looking at this list, one signal stands out this year: Internationality. It has become a key differentiator, strongly influencing several universities’ performance in the ranking.
Internationality surpasses Academic Excellence: a first in global employability
After years defined by remote work, closed borders, and recalibration, employers are once again looking outward.
In 2026, recruiters worldwide rank Internationality 3rd among all global drivers of employability, behind Graduate skills and Work expertise, but ahead of Academic performance for the first time ever.
How the world reads it
What employers look for in graduates isn’t the same everywhere. Across regions, the way recruiters see Internationality tells us a lot about how the world of work is changing.
- Western Europe: global fluency is the new normal.
Employers expect candidates to think and work across borders. Speaking multiple languages, managing international projects, and collaborating with diverse teams are part of everyday professional life. - North America: results matter more than travel.
Recruiters value international experience when it translates into measurable outcomes: problem-solving, leadership, innovation. It’s not about where you’ve been, but what you’ve learned and achieved along the way. - Asia: partnerships over passports.
In this region, employers trust universities that work with global partners or offer dual-degree programs. Collaboration and structure matter more than the number of students who go abroad. - Arab World: global ties build credibility.
International partnerships are a sign of trust and quality. Employers pay attention to universities that have international accreditations or global programs, proof that students can meet international standards. - Latin America & Sub-Saharan Africa: going global to grow.
For many recruiters here, international exposure, whether through study, remote projects, or collaboration, helps students gain new skills, tools, and perspectives that make them stand out in global markets. - Oceania: open to every pathway.
Employers value well-rounded graduates who combine international experience with local understanding. Flexibility and adaptability are key.
In maturing ecosystems, internationality remains the great equalizer: the bridge between local excellence and global visibility.
What internationality means today
Between 2021 and 2026, recruiters’ priorities within the Internationality driver have evolved sharply. What they now value most isn’t just the ability to move, it’s the ability to adapt and perform in a global context.
Recruiters are looking for global talents: graduates who can navigate different markets, cultures, and ways of working with ease. Internationality has become less about crossing borders and more about translating skills across them.
This is why countries like China perform strongly: their graduates are seen as exportable profiles: adaptable, versatile, and ready to operate in diverse environments.
In today’s job market, the new international mindset is about connection, adaptability, and collaboration, wherever you are.
International academic collaborations now lead, followed by international corporate partnerships. .
The focus has moved from movement to connection. Recruiters no longer see internationality as mobility for mobility’s sake but as institutional openness and learner adaptability.
What counts most is the ability to work and co-create with global peers, whether through a shared project, a remote team, or an international corporate brief.
In short, international employability now depends less on distance travelled and more on networks built.
This shift reflects two converging realities. First, global mobility has become more constrained: tightening visa regimes, geopolitical tensions, and post-pandemic administrative backlogs have made studying or interning abroad increasingly difficult for many students. For instance, OECD data shows that visa restrictions remain a structural barrier and several countries have tightened work-study or post-graduation stay rules. Second, online and hybrid learning formats have gained institutional credibility, giving universities new ways to offer global exposure without physical relocation.
The rise of digital internationality: when recognition travels online
Recruiters’ trust in non-traditional education pathways created a new layer that emerged: digital internationality, where virtual teamwork and multi-market exposure matter.
Globally, recruiters now express high confidence in online and hybrid education formats. This marks a clear normalization of digital delivery in global higher education.
One global pattern stands out: mobility has evolved into connectivity. Institutions that bridge geographies through digital delivery and real-world collaboration are now setting the new standard.
When internationality becomes a hiring advantage
Internationality as a baseline (2nd)
- Sustainability & ecological transition: employers want graduates who can work across multi-jurisdictional standards (EU taxonomy, ISSB, TCFD) and stakeholder contexts. International exposure is a core hiring screen here, not a nice-to-have.
Strong mid-high (3rd)
- Data, AI & analytics: cross-border toolchains, data governance, and privacy make internationality a practical edge after skills and applied work.
- IT / software / infra: portfolios and shipped systems dominate; internationality boosts profiles when tied to security/compliance across regions and distributed teams.
- Non-technical / business: internationality helps convert when paired with recognizable firms/clients and outcomes.
Supportive (4th)
- Engineering: hiring screens prioritize fundamentals and project delivery; internationality helps when it evidences standards/safety across countries.
Internationality proves essential in some fields, a strong differentiator in others, and a solid complement across some, gaining value wherever global standards, market recognition, or cross-cultural collaboration shape employability.
From perception to proof
Internationality has become the connective tissue between skill, collaboration, and credibility. Its rise to 3rd place is a redefinition of what global readiness looks like in a hybrid world.
As Sandrine Belloc, Managing Director at Emerging, notes: “The renewed rise of internationality is especially telling at a time when student mobility is being questioned. It’s a reminder that talents must travel, whether physically or through the quality of their work.”
What comes next ?
Internationality is no longer just a driver; it’s the language of employability itself. But which institutions are mastering it, and how are specific employers redefining what global really means ? The answers, and the data behind them, are in the full GEURS 2026 report. Contact Emerging for a tailored report.
