A university ranking is a league table used to compare universities, usually across multiple criteria such as academic reputation and research output. It is a useful tool for students, parents, researchers, potential faculty members and funders, especially when considering studying abroad or searching for a collaborator. It can also be a good way to discover institutions that are not well known in your local area, or that have different missions and cultures from those you are familiar with.
There are many ranking systems out there, some specialize in world rankings, others focus on national or regional and a few do both. This page focuses on those that are considered to have a global remit and a strong research output focus.
One of the biggest issues with university rankings is that they are often based on bibliometric data, which can be difficult to scale and prone to outliers. This can lead to rankings that overvalue universities in certain countries or disciplines. It can also lead to a distortion in the market, encouraging universities to compete with each other on a set of criteria that may not be aligned with their mission or goals.
Another issue with university rankings is that they tend to ignore postgraduate outcomes and instead prioritize undergraduates. This can misrepresent the value of a university and encourage unwarranted student expectations.