The eighth edition of the QS World University Rankings by Subject has been released recently. Conducted annually by a British company named Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), it is one of the most extensive studies of its kind. The QS World University Rankings inform researchers, educators, parents, and students about the global state of higher education by covering 48 fields of study.
US- and UK-based universities have excelled in several subjects, securing the first and second positions. But the more fascinating fact is that the universities in smaller countries have also made their mark. The University of Tokyo, Japan, has secured the 8th rank, followed by Tsinghua University of China at 10th rank. Not far behind them are Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) and Seoul National University (SNU), both from South Korea, ranking at 15th and 16th positions in the list. Let us learn about the universities who made it to the top in other subjects as well.
Global Competition
The study shows that seven UK universities have been on the top in more than ten subjects. The UK remains steady even in the face of the Brexit curveball. It continues to be in the first place in 10 out of the 48 categories; in 2017, however, the number was 8 out of 48 categories. But it ranks far better in the humanities and arts than it does in the sciences. The University of Oxford has ranked first in 4 subjects, including humanities. However, it comes in sixth place in the general study, as it has consistently done for the past several years.
The United States, on the other hand, continues to drop in its educational level. Increased global competition, rising tuition costs, and a general skepticism about the usefulness of college are factors playing into America’s current rating. But there are some universities that continue to excel as always e.g., Harvard and MIT. Harvard ranked first in 14 subjects, while MIT ranked first in 12 subjects. MIT has won this place for the 6th year in a row. Along with MIT, the top 4 universities were from the United States. The University of Cambridge has topped in anthropology.
France struggles to make a mark in the rankings. In fact, its position is beginning to fall, as most of its universities are undergoing a drop in the ranks. India, along with the rest of Asia, is also deteriorating in the world university rankings. Only 5 IITs have made it to the top 400 this year, which is lesser than that of the previous years.
Determining the Winners
QS utilized measurements that accurately assess the performance levels of educational institutions. These rankings make sure that universities focusing on sciences do not get preference above other subjects. These are some of the criteria QS uses for academic ranking:
Academic reputation: About 70,000 respondents provide their name, job title, and the name of their educational institution. Respondents provide the areas and faculty with which they are most familiar, and two fields of expertise. They also vote for the institutions they consider expertising in that subject, not able to choose their own.
Employer reputation: Surveying more than 40,000 organizations, the study enlists the universities which provide the most efficient graduates for hire (as suggested by the employers).
Research citations: The study measures citations per paper, rather than per faculty. This survey determines how frequently the university’s faculties have their papers cited. H-index measures the impact and productivity of a faculty member’s work in the field.
International faculty: International student ratio: The study takes into consideration the number of foreign faculty members and students. It gives an idea how the foreign faculty provide the students with a global perspective. The number of foreign students, on the other hand, determines how well the university facilitates cultural and international crossover.
It’s simple to take a closer look at the QS World University rankings. Interested readers can also take an in-depth view into the methods of QS rankings by subject.
Knowledge Attained from the Rankings
According to much of the media, the drop in the educational level, of all countries in general and UK in particular,is attributed to the political turmoil surrounding Brexit and the funding which it revoked from universities. Even after taking the advantage of the sciences into consideration, universities that primarily focused on technology and science performed better than other universities in the QS World University rankings.
Researchers and educators can gather several information from the QS rankings by subject, including which subjects students excel the most or need improvement. Universities would do well to emulate the practices and policies of those ranking in the top positions in their field.
How far are you aware of the QS World University Rankings? Please let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
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