QS World University Rankings: Lies, Damned Lies, and Statistics

A bitter academic takes aim at higher education’s most controversial list
The latest QS World University Rankings are out, and as usual, they’ve caused a stir. Once again, the top 10 is dominated by the usual suspects: Harvard, MIT, Stanford, et al. But what if I told you that these rankings are a load of bunk? Would you be surprised? Shocked? Perhaps even outraged?
I’m not saying that the data in these rankings is inaccurate. I’m sure the QS researchers do a fine job of collecting and analyzing their data. The problem lies in how the data is weighted and interpreted.
There are many factors that go into these rankings, and it’s impossible to assess all of them in a fair and unbiased way. For example, the QS rankings give a lot of weight to research output. This is understandable, as research is a key part of what universities do. But there are many other important factors to consider, such as teaching quality, student satisfaction, and career prospects for graduates.
Another problem with the rankings is that they tend to favor large, research-intensive universities. This is because these universities have more resources to invest in research, which means they produce more publications and attract more citations. Smaller universities, which may be just as good at teaching and providing support to their students, get left behind because they don’t have the same level of research output.
Ultimately, the QS World University Rankings are just one way of measuring the quality of universities. There are many other factors to consider, and no single ranking system can give you a complete picture.

Now, I’m not saying that you should ignore these rankings altogether. They can be useful for getting a general idea of how universities compare to each other. But don’t take them too seriously. If you’re trying to decide which university to attend, I encourage you to do your own research and visit the schools that you’re interested in. Talk to students and faculty, and get a feel for the campus culture.
The QS World University Rankings are a useful tool, but they should not be seen as the be-all and end-all of university rankings. There are many other factors to consider when choosing a university, and each student’s individual needs and preferences will vary.

I decided to take a closer look at the data behind the QS rankings to see if I could find any patterns or biases. What I found was that the top-ranked universities tend to be located in wealthy countries, which have more resources to invest in higher education. I also found that universities with a strong emphasis on research tend to rank higher than those that focus more on teaching.
This is not to say that all wealthy countries have great universities, or that all research-intensive universities are good at teaching. But it does suggest that there is a correlation between funding and prestige.

There is also a strong correlation between geography and prestige. The top-ranked universities in the QS rankings are all located in Europe, North America, or Asia. This is likely due to a number of factors, including the fact that these regions have a long history of higher education and that they are home to many wealthy and influential people.

So, what can we conclude from all of this? I think it’s fair to say that the QS World University Rankings are not a perfect measure of university quality. They are biased towards wealthy countries, research-intensive universities, and regions with a long history of higher education.

But that doesn’t mean that these rankings are useless. They can be a useful tool for getting a general idea of how universities compare to each other. Just don’t take them too seriously.