University ranking can be a useful tool for prospective students looking to choose their future institution. They are often based on a range of different criteria, and allow you to compare universities based on the areas that are most important to you. However, many ranking systems are criticised for being too broad and not capturing all aspects of higher education. If the current system was replaced by rankings that were narrower in scope, it would allow institutions to excel at what they do best and create a more level playing field in terms of competition.
A specialized ranking system might also be helpful for universities that are not well represented in the existing rankings. These might include universities with unique research programmes that have not been captured by the existing ranking systems, or institutions that do not have the funds to compete with the larger, better-financed competitors.
Finally, a specialized ranking system could be used by the HE community to challenge the status quo and push back against the power of the big ranking agencies. For example, if heavy users of university rankings (such as research studentship funders) collectively agreed to focus on new indicators that reflect the importance of their contributions, this might have a powerful impact.
In addition, it might be helpful to look at other metrics that are currently not reflected in the rankings, such as academic freedom. The Global Public Policy Institute’s Academic Freedom Index could provide an interesting framework for this.