University rankings: the battle for the top places

The importance of university rankings

Universities strive to gain one of the top places in international and national rankings. There are a number of different rankings: Shanghai-Ranking, THE-Ranking, QS-Ranking. Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) is included in each of these three prestigious university rankings. But what do they actually indicate? And what impact do they have? We have answers to the most frequently asked questions.

What are university rankings?

University rankings compare the quality of universities, their various subject areas and their degree programs according to various criteria. They act as a source of information and are a helpful point of reference for prospective students choosing where or what to study and companies deciding on prospective collaboration partners or future employees. University rankings can include both national and international comparisons and vary according to weighting and criteria.

Why are rankings important?

Universities are very keen to gain as high a rank as possible. University rankings play an important role when students are considering where to study, especially with international students from Asian and Arabic countries. Furthermore, graduates from universities that have a good ranking have good chances on the labor market.

Rankings are also of interest to researchers. According to one study, just under half of all researchers questioned stated that the university’s position in rankings influenced their decision regarding which university to work with.

How do university rankings work?

There are four basic methods for comparing universities: research achievements, teaching and supervision, international focus and reputation. Factors taken into consideration may include how many articles or books researchers have published about their research, how many prizes researchers have received, how many students are enrolled or how much funding researchers have acquired. Or a ranking may focus how many students or researchers a university attracts from abroad.

A university’s reputation acts as its calling card. Some rankings compare universities’ reputations and are based on the opinions of academics and employers.

Is it possible to measure the quality of universities at all, let alone compare them?

University rankings cannot paint a picture of the university as a whole, they can only focus on certain aspects. One criticism is that rankings often focus on the strengths of established universities that specialize in science, engineering or medical research. In these areas, researchers tend to publish short papers. In contrast, only a few rankings collect data relating to degree programs in the humanities, where researchers publish their findings in books.

Which are the most important university rankings?

Further information:

Dr. Amelie Feder
Ranking Coordinator (Data and Management Information)
Phone: + 49 9131 85-24881
amelie.feder@fau.de