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Are QS rankings really reliable?

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How much do you trust QS World university rankings?

Hello.
I read the following article recently and now I start to feel like the QS ranking is not decent at all and very controversial (even not the same level of the Guardian's ranking).

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/14/education/edlife/university-rankings-go-global.html?pagewanted=all&_r=1&

What I felt especially problematic are

1. Too manipulatable (like UCC scandal, we can easily ask someone to take the QS interviews to say "University A is great" or "University B is the best in the world", since it's not invitation only.)

2. Reputations are evaluated by inappropriate questions to interviewees (such as "which schools have good teaching in the history subject?" to mathematicians)

3. Reputation scores have too much weight (50%) in the whole ranking scores.


In addition, I personally disagree with the following 2 issues.

1. No selectivity scores (It doesn't have to check entrance requirements of world's 1000+ universities, but they had better consider roughly which schools are more difficult to get in than which in each country. And it's not difficult to know this info since it's a subjective survey. like Science-po is "most selective" whereas Sorbonne is "more selective", or Dartmouth is "most selective" whereas UC Davis is "more selective" etc)

2. No consideration of research outcome per head (So larger universities are automatically more preferable even if each scholars are not so excellent.)

But it's just my opinion.
I've noticed so many people believe the QS rankings just like a holy bible.


What do you think about this ranking system?
Reply 1
Avatar for Joinedup
Joinedup
20
Original post by RussellG
Hello.
I read the following article recently and now I start to feel like the QS ranking is not decent at all and very controversial (even not the same level of the Guardian's ranking).

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/14/education/edlife/university-rankings-go-global.html?pagewanted=all&_r=1&

What I felt especially problematic are

1. Too manipulatable (like UCC scandal, we can easily ask someone to take the QS interviews to say "University A is great" or "University B is the best in the world", since it's not invitation only.)

2. Reputations are evaluated by inappropriate questions to interviewees (such as "which schools have good teaching in the history subject?" to mathematicians)

3. Reputation scores have too much weight (50%) in the whole ranking scores.


In addition, I personally disagree with the following 2 issues.

1. No selectivity scores (It doesn't have to check entrance requirements of world's 1000+ universities, but they had better consider roughly which schools are more difficult to get in than which in each country. And it's not difficult to know this info since it's a subjective survey. like Science-po is "most selective" whereas Sorbonne is "more selective", or Dartmouth is "most selective" whereas UC Davis is "more selective" etc)

2. No consideration of research outcome per head (So larger universities are automatically more preferable even if each scholars are not so excellent.)

But it's just my opinion.
I've noticed so many people believe the QS rankings just like a holy bible.


What do you think about this ranking system?


depends what purpose you want to rely on it for.

people on TSR are engaged in the search for the holy grail, the one true ranking that tells them the best university to apply for.

unfortunately you'll have to make your important decisions based on imperfect information just like everybody else in the adult world does.
Reply 2
Avatar for RussellG
RussellG
OP
6
Original post by Joinedup
depends what purpose you want to rely on it for.

people on TSR are engaged in the search for the holy grail, the one true ranking that tells them the best university to apply for.

unfortunately you'll have to make your important decisions based on imperfect information just like everybody else in the adult world does.


Thanx for the reply.
Yeah I really agree with your point.

I just think though all rankings are subjective and biased, QS seems to has too much propaganda aspect, or it even doesn't care about preventing direct manipulation of ranking positions by universities.

Universities can also manipulate ranking positions of other rankings but much more indirectly and more difficult (such as making exams easier and giving good honours degree to more students is a very effective strategy to make national ranking position better, but only 10% of whole ranking scores, whereas 50% of QS ranking scores is manipulable).

For me, something like paying money to people to tell a lie about univerties' reputation for the better ranking positions is much more immoral than spreading good honor to everyone for the ranking positions. and I simply don't understand why QS leaves this problem as it is.

All rankings are imperfect and subjective, and that's fine since everyone has a different point of views. But the corruption of ranking methodologies should be changed.
Reply 3
Avatar for Padwas
Padwas
3
well Warwick was higher than lse for accounting but when my cousin visited he preferred lse so my advice is to visit
Reply 4
Avatar for SciFiRory
SciFiRory
16
who gives a ****?

league tables for education in any form need to be binned and fast, we should try and make all schools as good as possible and stop worrying about how we perform compared to places like China (you really want to live there?) we should make education be about preparing kids for later life and enabling them to reach their potential, and that's all kids not just rich ones or the "smartest".
They are a lot more reliable than the alternative; a TSR member (who's not at university yet, or has attended one - with no work experience, other than a part-time weekend job) telling you which universities are respected by employers and which aren't!

Seriously though, a good guideline, yes. Gospel, no!
Original post by RussellG
Hello.
I read the following article recently and now I start to feel like the QS ranking is not decent at all and very controversial (even not the same level of the Guardian's ranking).

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/14/education/edlife/university-rankings-go-global.html?pagewanted=all&_r=1&

What I felt especially problematic are

1. Too manipulatable (like UCC scandal, we can easily ask someone to take the QS interviews to say "University A is great" or "University B is the best in the world", since it's not invitation only.)

2. Reputations are evaluated by inappropriate questions to interviewees (such as "which schools have good teaching in the history subject?" to mathematicians)

3. Reputation scores have too much weight (50%) in the whole ranking scores.


In addition, I personally disagree with the following 2 issues.

1. No selectivity scores (It doesn't have to check entrance requirements of world's 1000+ universities, but they had better consider roughly which schools are more difficult to get in than which in each country. And it's not difficult to know this info since it's a subjective survey. like Science-po is "most selective" whereas Sorbonne is "more selective", or Dartmouth is "most selective" whereas UC Davis is "more selective" etc)

2. No consideration of research outcome per head (So larger universities are automatically more preferable even if each scholars are not so excellent.)

But it's just my opinion.
I've noticed so many people believe the QS rankings just like a holy bible.


What do you think about this ranking system?


Based on another thread, TSR users don't value rankings much at all. They prefer a more industrially linked university.
http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=3993235
Reply 7
Avatar for RussellG
RussellG
OP
6
Original post by Keyhofi
Based on another thread, TSR users don't value rankings much at all. They prefer a more industrially linked university.
http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=3993235


That's a pretty old topic I posted.... But thanks anyway for your reply. :smile:
Original post by RussellG
That's a pretty old topic I posted.... But thanks anyway for your reply. :smile:


Sorry, found it through your profile and didn't realise the age haha.

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