QS World University Rankings

Rankings

A widely cited annual global ranking of universities produced by Quacquarelli Symonds, using indicators such as academic reputation, employer reputation, faculty-student ratio, citations and international diversity.

QS publishes overall, subject and regional rankings. A heavy weighting on reputation surveys distinguishes it from some other systems. Alongside Times Higher Education and ARWU, it is one of the most influential global rankings.

Related Terms
Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings
A prominent annual global university ranking published by Times Higher Education, assessing research-intensive universities across teaching, research, citations, industry and international outlook.
ARWU (Academic Ranking of World Universities)
The 'Shanghai Ranking', a research-heavy global university ranking emphasising publications, citations and major awards.
Ranking (University Ranking)
An ordered listing of institutions based on defined performance indicators, intended to compare and benchmark quality at global, national, regional or subject level.
AIRI (All India Rankings of Institutions)
A category of national-level ranking exercises that compare higher education institutions across a country on parameters such as teaching, research and outcomes.
Faculty-Student Ratio
The number of students per teacher, used as a quality and ranking indicator.