The Student Room Group

What the secret of US universities ?

Most of the american universities are in the top 100. http://www.webometrics.info/en/node/54

Also Uk have a good result, but although this very few countries have good universities.

What the main secret of the US universities that gives them a so highly reputation ?

Are the very high tuition fees?

There is a correlation between tuition fees and quality of the university ?

Thanks
WiSi.

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Reply 1
It's a huge country, they need a lot of universities and so a similar percentage to ours are top 100 material IF we stratify them from the total.
Reply 2
Original post by AmmarTa
It's a huge country, they need a lot of universities and so a similar percentage to ours are top 100 material IF we stratify them from the total.


What about other countries?
The states is a rich country and can afford to put money into its education. Many world-renowned professors will teach there because of salaries and the chance to work with bright students, as well as funding for their research. The states is also a very large country with many people, so they need more top-notch unis because they have more top-notch students (perhaps not % wise, but still). Also the states is diverse and attracts many international students who are also top-notch (and some are really rich). But that’s just my guess :smile:
Reply 4
Original post by WiSi
What about other countries?


A lot of intelligent people from other countries migrate to the UK and USA because they offer a great education and great facilitates because of wealth found in the USA and the UK.
USA has a population of 300 million and UK has population has 60 million.So you would expect harder entry requirements for top US schools because of the numbers therefore more successful top universities.
Not the best wording but you get the idea
Reply 5
Original post by WiSi
What about other countries?

Other countries simply aren't as good in terms of education, they focus on high-school level education then most of the talented students look internationally.
Most of the elite US uni's are private and run like businesses, the UK and elsewhere are public. In the US the top uni's are generally amazing but for the average to below average student the standard of education is awful. The UK has a much higher level across the board due it's public nature.
Reply 7
Original post by AmmarTa
Other countries simply aren't as good in terms of education, they focus on high-school level education then most of the talented students look internationally.


Do you mean that other countries put more money in high school then the USA ?
Reply 8
Original post by Meltend
A lot of intelligent people from other countries migrate to the UK and USA because they offer a great education and great facilitates because of wealth found in the USA and the UK.
USA has a population of 300 million and UK has population has 60 million.So you would expect harder entry requirements for top US schools because of the numbers therefore more successful top universities.
Not the best wording but you get the idea


Yes but, there are also other good countries like Switzerland, Norway https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_Human_Development_Index.
USA also lack a decent sanitary system, and rights for workers like paid holidays.
Reply 9
Original post by GapYaar
Most of the elite US uni's are private and run like businesses, the UK and elsewhere are public. In the US the top uni's are generally amazing but for the average to below average student the standard of education is awful. The UK has a much higher level across the board due it's public nature.


So, are you trying to say that only few university have a high quality while other ones, were there are more then the 70% of the students, lacks of quality?
Some of this has to do with the prominence of English as an academic and research language. There are many universities which are highy regarded where work is mainly done in a language other than English but they won’t have the global reach that universities where most work and instruction takes place in English have. This also affects some of the criteria for ranking universities. For instance, work not in English is likely not to be cited as often as work in English by researchers working in English.
Reply 11
Original post by trou_noir
Some of this has to do with the prominence of English as an academic and research language. There are many universities which are highy regarded where work is mainly done in a language other than English but they won’t have the global reach that universities where most work and instruction takes place in English have. This also affects some of the criteria for ranking universities. For instance, work not in English is likely not to be cited as often as work in English by researchers working in English.


So a silly problem like language can create a so huge gap?
Original post by WiSi
So a silly problem like language can create a so huge gap?


Probably not by itself - it's just a factor that hadn't been mentioned yet.
Reply 13
Original post by trou_noir
Probably not by itself - it's just a factor that hadn't been mentioned yet.


Can tuition fees be another factor?
Original post by WiSi
Can tuition fees be another factor?


Not so sure about that. The universities that top the league table now in the UK were still globally regarded before tuition fees were introduced. And if you go to one of the highly ranked private American universities it’s highly likely you’ll get a scholarship for fees because of their large endowments.
Original post by AmmarTa
Other countries simply aren't as good in terms of education, they focus on high-school level education then most of the talented students look internationally.


My experience in working with 'graduates' of unis in the near east, is that they consider 'education' to be memorizing a book. They were proud to show me that they had memorized entire chapters out of engineering books. When i asked them "Ok, Ali, what does that MEAN"?? I was greeted with a blank look, and they would start repeating the contents of the textbook - like i didn't hear them the first time.

In reality, they hadn't a clue what the text meant. They had simply memorized it. I couldn't tell you what the text was in the numerous books that i used to get my master's degree in engineering, but i know the information. I can also apply it, and use it to answer other people's questions. I think that is the difference in "education" between the near east (and some other areas) and the US. In my experience, anyplace you are memorizing books, and considering it 'education' you are in REAL trouble. Cheers.
Moved to Studying in North America.

Once again, university rankings mean incredibly little.

Original post by WiSi
There is a correlation between tuition fees and quality of the university ?
There can't be because quality is subjective.
Original post by WiSi
Most of the american universities are in the top 100. http://www.webometrics.info/en/node/54

Also Uk have a good result, but although this very few countries have good universities.

What the main secret of the US universities that gives them a so highly reputation ?

Are the very high tuition fees?

There is a correlation between tuition fees and quality of the university ?

Thanks
WiSi.



I did my masters [in electrical engineering] at George Washington Uni [Wash, D.C.]. In the midst of my doing the masters, the school hired the Gallup organisation to find out what they had to do to raise the 'prestige' of a GW degree. After 3 or 4 months, Gallup came back, and told them "You have to raise your tuition". They immediately did so. I was amazed to see that, in the national rankings, GW had moved up 3 or 4 positions. I can assure you, without ANY chance of error, that the quality of instruction did NOT increase!!! In fact, you could make a case that it decreased. The number and percentage of foreign instructors [many of which could barely speak either English or Yank] increased. Their ability to teach was considerably less than that of the other instructors - one reason was that you couldn't understand them, unless you liked your class lectures in Bengali or such. Cheers.
Original post by WiSi
Most of the american universities are in the top 100. http://www.webometrics.info/en/node/54

Also Uk have a good result, but although this very few countries have good universities.

What the main secret of the US universities that gives them a so highly reputation ?

Are the very high tuition fees?

There is a correlation between tuition fees and quality of the university ?

Thanks
WiSi.


US universities are great for postgrad due to funding but appalling for undergrad, they're literally like sixth form over here.
Reply 19
Templar rituals and human sacrifice.

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