Why Rankings Matters
College rankings reflect a school’s reputation, academic status, academic quality, and overall influence. Undoubtedly, the prestige reflected in these rankings has become one of the most essential factors guiding students in making their college decisions. Especially under the Chinese college entrance examination system (Gaokao), admission to a top-ranked school is considered a mark of success.
In Chinese society, the background of a prestigious school is also considered a symbol of social status. Some policies for employment in China also reflect the advantages of high rankings of universities. For example, Shanghai introduced a new policy for the settlement of overseas talents on June 7, 2022, specifically targeting graduates from universities ranked in the top 50 in the world, who can enjoy the privilege of direct settlement without social insurance payment and time requirements.
Meanwhile, those who graduated from universities ranked 51-100 in the world can apply for settlement in Shanghai after paying social insurance for six months. Based on social reality factors, therefore, it’s not difficult to understand why many Chinese parents have great expectations for their children to be admitted to prestigious schools, and why many students often use “numbers” as a reference standard when choosing a university.
Different Ranking Systems
One commonly used ranking system is the QS World University Rankings, which was first published in 2004 by the British international education market consulting company Quacquarelli Symonds (QS). It’s based on six factors: academic reputation (40%), employer reputation (10%), teacher-student ratio (20%), citation per faculty (20%), internationalization (5%), and international faculty (5%). QS World University Rankings places emphasis on academic reputation, with employer reputation also counting for half, thus making subjective indicators take up a large proportion of its final results. Because of this, employers like to refer to the QS Rankings when recruiting talent.
Another well-known ranking system is US News, which is one of the most authoritative ranking organizations in the world. US News & World Report publishes a comprehensive ranking of universities in the US, and its influence is second to none, especially in the United States. It’s based on seven factors: undergraduate academic reputation (22.5%), graduation and retention rate (22.5%), faculty resources (20%), selectivity (12.5%), financial resources (10%), graduation rate performance (7.5%), and alumni giving (5%). It’s clear that US News places a great emphasis on academic quality, with factors related to teaching quality, such as faculty resources, accounting for over 70%. This makes it a highly valuable reference for students when they apply to universities in the United States.
The Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings also has a great deal of esteem. It’s based on five factors: teaching environment (30%), research volume (30%), research impact (citations) (30%), international outlook (7.5%), and industry income (2.5%). More than other ranking models, it emphasizes academic and research-based teaching, making it more practical for students who want to evaluate a school’s overall academic opportunities.
Each ranking system has its own characteristics. In general, QS and THE rankings tend to rate schools in the United Kingdom higher, while US News tends to favor North American schools. You should try to evaluate them rationally, based on your own needs.
If evaluating academic opportunities: THE > US News > QS
If referencing employment: QS > THE > US News
How to Think About University Rankings
Since different ranking systems use their own standards and factors, some of the indicators used in the evaluations have a commercial nature, which inevitably leads to public controversies. For example, QS World University Rankings has what’s been called a “bizarre” ranking result. In the recent 2023 World University Rankings, Princeton University (16), Yale University (18), and Columbia University (22) ranked lower than some British G5 universities, such as UCL (8), University of Edinburgh (15), and Imperial College London (6).
The supposed objectivity of these rankings doesn’t take into account students’ subjective personal needs and goals. It’s thus quite important to consider multiple sources and compare them critically. Certainly, ranking is important, but the most important factor in choosing a university should be whether it’s suitable for the student. Knowing all this, how can we correctly view rankings and use them reasonably?
At this moment, we can take inspiration from the actions of many American students. In fact, many American students prioritize their interests, the academic level of the university, the community atmosphere, the campus environment, financial aid, and the quality of life when making their college choices. These reasons may be rooted in social factors, as well as the Western education system.
In the overseas job market, most companies don’t use the university ranking as a threshold for selection. They’re not as hierarchical as in China. In terms of education systems, each school has its own direction and characteristics; a school that doesn’t have strong overall strength doesn’t mean it lacks good majors, and a school with excellent overall strength doesn’t mean that all its majors are great.
In fact, many high-quality American colleges and private universities (e.g. liberal arts colleges and art institutes) don’t participate in comprehensive rankings. Instead, they focus more on students’ quality of life, academic training, and education outcomes. They don’t spend too much energy on the external promotion of the school, so rankings can’t accurately measure the actual situation of each university.
College is a four-year journey, and the ultimate goal is to pursue continuing graduate studies or enter the workforce directly. When choosing a college, if you have a clear goal and know what major you want to pursue, you can select a school with strong academics in that field by learning the official curriculum and relevant major rankings.
At this point, THE and US News rankings are useful references to assist students in choosing colleges. But it’s essential to consider the second branch of academic success, which is post-graduation planning. In addition to considering academic factors, you should also focus on extra school resources. Students can refer to relevant employment rates to know if the university they’ve chosen has ample internship/co-op opportunities, job assistance, and a strong alumni network.
Trust yourself! Regardless of overall university rankings, major rankings, and the voices of others—from your parents, teachers, and friends—you should be able to figure out what you want. You can refer to and understand these external opinions, but the ultimate decision is yours. If a university is a journey, then the choice of destination and the experience is yours.
