QS World University Rankings: Methodology

5 mins read29.2K Views Comment
clickHere
Rahul
Rahul Singha
Study Abroad Expert
Updated on Jun 9, 2023 17:30 IST

QS World University Rankings

QS World University Rankings: University rankings have become one of the most important elements for students deciding on universities for studying abroad or anywhere in India. Rankings not only help differentiate the best universities from the surplus but also provides students access to additional information and in-depth university analysis through the use of ranking parameters and indicators.

What is QS Ranking?

Launched in 2004, the QS University Rankings has grown to become one of the most influential university rankings in the world. One of the most trusted university rankings, the group publishes a set of top university rankings every year for the benefit of students. We are going to break down the QS University Ranking methodology for the readers to fully comprehend how one university scores over another and what it takes to be the university on the top. We are going to look at the very popular QS University Rankings methodology and know about the parameters used in the process.

Score Predictor

Predict your English proficiency score by sharing few details

Share 12th Board, Percentage, english score
Get estimated scores or IELTS, TOEFL & PTE


Related Reads

How are QS Rankings Calculated?

As the name suggests, the QS World University Rankings talk about the top universities in the world for a given year and are one of the most searched rankings online. In QS world ranking, six simple metrics are taken into account that effectively capture university performances and a list of top-performing universities in the world is derived for a particular year. Given below is the QS World University Rankings methodology:

Parameters

Weightage

Academic Reputation

40%

Employer Reputation

10%

Faculty/Student Ratio

20%

Citations per faculty

20%

International Faculty Ratio /International Student Ratio

10%

Let us study each parameter closely.

Academic Reputation

The highest weightage to determine the best university in the world is allocated to the academic reputation of the university. In doing so, QS University Rankings takes into account the expert opinion of over 130,000 individuals who belong in the higher education space and are involved with teaching and research quality at the world universities.

Employer Reputation

University education has always boiled down to the effectiveness of being eligible for the job market. Hence, employment reputation looks at how successful a university is in providing this preparedness to the student for the employment market. The QS Employer Survey asks employees to identify institutions from which they source the most capable, effective, and innovative graduates.

You might be interested in these free downloads
MBBS in Abroad at MCI Approved Medical Colleges (country-wise)
MBBS in Abroad at MCI Approved Medical Colleges (c...447 downloads
How to select the right college abroad
How to select the right college abroad254 downloads
Canada Student Visa Guide: Requirements, Fees, Application Process
Canada Student Visa Guide: Requirements, Fees, App...45k downloads

Faculty/Student Ratio

For students, the teaching quality is one of the most important determinants while choosing universities. Though it is extremely difficult to measure the same, however, QS University Rankings, believes that outlining the Faculty/Student Ratio provides an alternative to measuring teaching quality. This particular parameter takes into account the number of tutors or teaching professionals the institution is able to provide to students, as a higher number of faculty members per student would greatly unburden each individual academic.

Citations per Faculty

If teaching is important to establish university credentials so is research output. At QS University Rankings, university research quality is measured using the Citations per Faculty metric. The process includes taking the total number of citations received by all papers produced by a university across a five-year period by the number of faculty members at that institution.

International Faculty Ratio /International Student Ratio

A highly recommended university comes with advantages, above all, it demonstrates the ability to attract international students and faculty from across the world, which suggests the strong international reputation the university enjoys. This particular parameter takes into account the global outlook that is essential for a university operating in the global education sector. Other factors that are calculated here are providing students with a multinational environment, exchange of best practices, and bringing about global awareness. The International Faculty Ratio and the International Student Ratio contribute to 5% each to the total weightage of the QS World University Ranking.

This is a very modest understanding of the methodology of the QS University Rankings for our readers for top universities. Students who are looking for an in-depth analysis can always refer to the official website or get in touch with us in the comments below for further guidance.

Also Read

FAQs

Q. How are QS rankings calculated?

A. For the QS World University Rankings, the institutes are assessed over six categories or indicators in order to capture the performance. The indicators that determine the QS World University rankings are citations per faculty, academic reputation, employer reputation, faculty / student ratio, and international student ratio & international faculty ratio.

Q. List the weightage of each indicator in the QS World University Rankings.

A. The QS World University rankings indicators include academic reputation which has a 40% weightage, employer reputation has a 10% weightage, faculty student ratio and citations per faculty have a 20% weightage each, and international faculty ratio / international student ratio has a 10% weightage.

Q. Does QS World University rankings matter?

A. The QS rankings are one of the most prestigious international rankings that assess the performance and popularity of institutions worldwide. Every year, the rankings are assigned to the institutes as per a variety of factors. In the rankings, the university’s reputation is based on the opinions of higher education professionals, companies that hire graduates, the quality of teaching, number of times the research articles were acknowledged, as well as the ratio of international students and faculty at universities.

Q. Which is the most reliable university ranking system?

A. The three longest established and most influential global rankings are produced by Quacquarelli Symonds, Times Higher Education, and Shanghai Ranking Consultancy (ARWU). The QS World University Rankings are the most comprehensive ranking of its kind in the market. It shines a light on institutes from across the world and enables motivated people anywhere in the world to fulfill their potential through international mobility, educational achievement, and career development.

Q. Which is better QS rankings or Times Higher Education rankings?

A. You can refer to the QS rankings if you would like to identify universities that are well-regarded by companies and other academics. Graduates of these universities are paid well after graduating. On the other hand, THE rankings can be used to find the top universities on the basis of their research impact and their reputation.

Download this article as PDF to read offline

Download Guide
clickHere
About the Author
Rahul Singha
Study Abroad Expert

With over 8 years of experience in overseas education, Rahul Singha has been previously associated with prominent education houses. He is also responsible for keeping a sharp eye on education policies of major study... Read Full Bio

Comments

We use cookies to improve your experience. By continuing to browse the site, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy.