A university ranking is a popular tool for prospective students, parents and researchers to compare universities worldwide. However, it is important to remember that university ranking positions are determined by the parameters selected and weighted by each ranking organisation. These are often subjective and may not necessarily reflect a university’s true capabilities or reputation.
In 2023, for example, QS ranks universities according to the strength of their research, which includes a university’s citation per publication and its ability to attract top scientists from around the world. The ranking also considers the number of Nobel Prize winners among the university’s alumni and staff. By contrast, ARWU focuses on the impact of research, which is measured by its number of high-quality scientific journals and the level of cited work from other universities, while taking into account a university’s international outlook.
Another factor taken into account by each ranking is the average expenditure on academics, excluding facilities and administration costs. This is a key indicator for students to understand the quality of a university, as it can show how much money a university has allocated to teaching and research.
It is also important to remember that each ranking system has its strengths and weaknesses. For example, QS puts a lot of emphasis on the opinion of academics and employers, while ARWU takes it more for granted that world-class universities produce world-class research. A good way to evaluate a university is to compare the results of multiple rankings to see how it performs in each one.