University rankings play a significant role in assessing the performance and reputation of higher education institutions worldwide. Prominent rankings, such as the Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU, aka ShanghaiRanking), Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings, and Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings, provide valuable insights into various aspects of universities, including academic excellence, research output, international reputation, etc. These rankings utilize diverse methodologies, combining factors such as faculty quality, research impact, institutional resources, and global collaborations. While rankings can serve as a useful reference point for prospective students, researchers, and policymakers, it is important to consider their limitations and the specific criteria that align with individual needs and goals when evaluating universities.
Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU), initiated by Shanghai Jiao Tong University in 2003, is an annual publication now managed by ShanghaiRanking Consultancy since 2009. Utilizing six objective indicators, such as Nobel Prize and Fields Medal winners, highly cited researchers, and publications in renowned journals and databases, ARWU ranks over 2,500 universities worldwide. The top 1,000 institutions are publicly listed, making ARWU a significant reference for assessing global university performance in research and academia.
Methodology
| Criteria | Indicator | Code | Weighting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quality of Education | Alumni of an institution winning Nobel Prizes and Fields Medals | Alumni | 10% |
| Quality of Faculty | Staff of an institution winning Nobel Prizes and Fields Medals | Award | 20% |
| Highly Cited Researchers | HiCi | 20% | |
| Research Output | Papers published in Nature and Science* | N&S | 20% |
| Papers indexed in Science Citation Index-Expanded and Social Sciences Citation Index | PUB | 20% | |
| Per Capita Performance | Per capita academic performance of an institution | PCP | 10% |
| *For institutions specialized in humanities and social sciences, N&S is not considered, and the weight of N&S is relocated to other indicators. | |||
Source from: https://www.shanghairanking.com/methodology/arwu/2024
Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings are a prestigious annual publication that evaluates and ranks universities worldwide based on various criteria. They provide insights into the global higher education landscape and help students, researchers, and policymakers make informed decisions. The rankings consider factors such as academic reputation, faculty quality, research output, and international diversity. Recognized for their comprehensive methodology, the QS World University Rankings serve as a benchmark for assessing academic excellence and facilitating international comparisons among universities, fostering transparency and accountability in higher education.
Methodology
| Lens | Weighting | Indicator | Weighting |
| Research and Discovery | 50% | Academic Reputation | 30% |
| Citations per Faculty | 20% | ||
| Employability and Outcomes | 20% | Employer Reputation | 15% |
| Employment Outcomes | 5% | ||
| Global Engagement | 15% | International Faculty Ratio | 5% |
| International Research Network | 5% | ||
| International Student Diversity | 0% | ||
| International Student Ratio | 5% | ||
| Learning Experience | 10% | Faculty Student Ratio | 10% |
| Sustainability | 5% | Sustainability | 5% |
Source from: https://support.qs.com/hc/en-gb/articles/4405955370898-QS-World-University-Rankings-
Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings stand as the singular global assessment that evaluates research-focused universities in all their fundamental endeavors, including teaching, research environment, research quality, international outlook and industry. They provide valuable insights into the global standing and impact of universities, guiding students, researchers, and policymakers in making informed decisions. By evaluating universities on multiple dimensions, the rankings highlight the institutions that excel in fostering excellence, innovation, and global collaboration, driving progress in academia and beyond.
Methodology:
| Pillar | Metric | Weighting |
| Teaching | Teaching Reputation | 15% |
| Student Staff Ratio | 4.5% | |
| Doctorate Bachelor Ratio | 2% | |
| Doctorate Staff Ratio | 5.5% | |
| Institutional Income | 2.5% | |
| Research Environment | Research Reputation | 18% |
| Research Income | 5.5% | |
| Research Productivity | 5.5% | |
| Research Quality | Citation Impact | 15% |
| Research Strength | 5% | |
| Research Excellence | 5% | |
| Research Influence | 5% | |
| International Outlook | International Students | 2.5% |
| International Staff | 2.5% | |
| International Co-authorship | 2.5% | |
| Studying Abroad | 0% | |
| Industry | Industry Income | 2% |
| Patents | 2% |
Source from: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/world-university-rankings-2025-methodology
Besides World University Rankings, THE also provides Young University Rankings that list the world’s best universities that are 50 years old or younger. It takes Teaching, Research, Citations, International Outlook and Industry Income in its assessment. Please refer to https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/young-university-rankings-2024-methodology for the methodology.
Webometrics Ranking of World Universities is an initiative of the Cybermetrics Lab, a research group belonging to the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), the largest public research body in Spain. Webometrics publishes a unique ranking of universities in each edition, evaluating all universities globally. It considers research output, including informal scholarly communication, and measures other aspects like teaching, technology transfer, community engagement, and political influence. Link analysis is used for quality evaluation, surpassing citation analysis and surveys in effectiveness.
Methodology
| Indicators | Meaning | Methodology | Source | Weighting |
| Visibility | Web contents impact | Number of external networks (subnets) linking to the institution's webpages (normalized averaged value is chosen) | Majestic | 50% |
| Transparency (or Openness) | Top cited researchers | Number of citations from Top 310 authors (excluding the top 20 outliers) |
Google Scholar Profiles |
10% |
| Excellence (or Scholar) | Top cited papers | Number of papers amongst the top 10% most cited in each one of the 27 disciplines of the full database | Scimago | 40% |
Source from: http://www.webometrics.info/en/Methodology
