"According to 'THE Impact Ranking' results for 2022, Özyeğin University has been recognized as Turkey's top foundation university in the overall ranking, assessing universities based on their contributions to society in alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The higher education ranking organization has revealed its findings, positioning ÖzU at 8th place among the 58 Turkish universities ranked and between 301-400 among the 1406 universities evaluated worldwide.
Additionally, Özyeğin University has achieved remarkable success by securing a place among the top 200 universities globally in four SDGs. It has been listed in the top 200 for 'Affordable and Clean Energy-SDG 7,' 'Decent Work and Economic Growth-SDG 8,' 'Sustainable Cities and Communities-SDG 11,' and 'Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions-SDG 16.' ÖzU has been recognized as one of Turkey's leading universities for SDG 11 and SDG 16.

In the Greenmetric University rankings, which evaluate universities worldwide in various fields such as energy, recycling, infrastructure, climate change, water resources, transportation, and education, Özyeğin University has consistently been among the world's top 100 green universities for the past four years. It maintains its position as the leading foundation university in Turkey among its peers.
In the early years of the university, the Energy, Environment, and Economy Center (EÇEM) was established to play a pioneering role in research related to climate change. Additionally, the Health, Safety, and Environment (HSE) Departments were set up for sustainable campus practices. Özyeğin University became the first Turkish university entitled to receive the ISO 14001 Environmental Management System and ISO 45001 Occupational Health and Safety Management System certificates.

In the Triple-E (Awards on Entrepreneurship and Engagement Excellence in Higher Education) award program, aimed at highlighting the societal benefits of third-generation entrepreneurial universities and creating awareness of universities' contributions to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, Özyeğin University made it to the finals in three categories. The Triple-E awards, evaluating universities for their corporate entrepreneurship and contributions to society, are presented by ACEEU (Accreditation Council for Entrepreneurial and Engaged Universities), which initiated the world's first accreditation program for this purpose. Among all universities in the Asia-Pacific region, ÖzU secured first place in the 'Innovation and Collaboration Space' category with ÖzU-X Building and ranked third in the 'Green University' category. Moreover, EÇEM received an honorary mention in the 'Social Responsibility Initiative' category for the NextGEN Project.
Recognized in the 'Public Sector' category at the 2019 Productivity Awards, organized by the Ministry of Industry and Technology to support productivity efforts in businesses and encourage projects in this field, Özyeğin University's Energy, Environment, and Economy Center (EÇEM) received the award. EÇEM was honored for its implementation of the NEED4B project, funded under the European Union 7th Framework Programme, showcasing ÖzU ScOLa Building as an example of energy-efficient methodologies and high-performance goals in new buildings.