The Ultimate Ranking of University Rankings
Yet another exciting new league table
I’ve posted many times before here on different league tables, even occasionally adding a little critique to the reports. Anyway, I thought it was about time to present a ranking of the rankings, a thoroughly objective assessment of the merits of each assembled into a definitive league table, the like of which has not been seen before (probably).
The top 20 appears below. Each of the league tables was awarded a score which has then been scaled. The criterion used to assess the rankings was as carefully chosen as each of the criteria in the tables themselves but can you guess what it is? Wonkhe badge for first person who gets the right answer.
The Ranking of Rankings
| 1 | Guardian League Table | 100 |
| 2 | People and planet | 94 |
| 3 | Free Speech University Ranking | 92 |
| 4 | U-Multirank | 83 |
| 5 | Ecole des Mines de Paris league table | 81 |
| 6 | Student Drinking League | 80 |
| 7 | THE 100 Under 50 | 77 |
| 8 | Global Employability Ranking | 72 |
| 9 | The Times/Sunday Times League Table | 63 |
| 10 | Graduate Rich List | 52 |
| 11 | THE World University Ranking | 51 |
| 12 | Webometrics | 46 |
| 13 | Academic Ranking of World Universities | 45 |
| 14 | Complete University Guide | 33 |
| 15 | Economist Full-Time MBA Ranking | 29 |
| 16 | QS World University Ranking | 25 |
| 17 | High Fliers | 23 |
| 18 | University Ranking by Academic Performance | 18 |
| 19 | GreenMetric ranking | 16 |
| 20 | Universitas 21 Ranking of National Higher Education Systems | 15 |
So there you have it. The ultimate ranking of rankings.
A really memorable ranking this one.
Originally published on wonkhe.com at /blogs/the-ultimate-ranking-of-university-rankings/.
David Kernohan (@dkernohan)
You just know that there is a crisis meeting at THE right now, with everyone angrily rounding on Phil Baty and asking him why his rankings are only 11th and him protesting that it is largely inherent bias within the methodology
I honestly don’t mind what the criteria are; the ye-shall-reap-what-you-sow-yness of this metarank is perfect.
srowlstonesr399
I’m going for Value Added Scores!
Paul Greatrix
It’s good, but it’s not right!
Carolyn O'Brien
Wild guess: would not concern the U Nottingham position??
Paul Greatrix
Like the way you are thinking there but sadly well wide of the mark.
srowlstonesr399
If not Value Added, how about:
Spend is the amount of money spent on each student?
srowlstonesr399
Should have read – the Amount of Money spent and not included the first two words!
Paul Greatrix
Nope!
srowlstonesr399
As a final stab … student engagement
Paul Greatrix
You are working your socks off on this one. Afraid not. It really is a much cruder criterion
srowlstonesr399
OK, that has me intrigued – is it the number of institutions from the UK that make the list?
Paul Greatrix
No. Too clever again I’m afraid.
Dave R
I was going to suggest circulation…
Paul Greatrix
Again, sadly off-beam
Carles Viladiu
Are you using “almetrics”? Anyway, I’m missing BGU (US News)…
Paul Greatrix
Ah, sadly that’s a bit too sophisticated
Mike Ratcliffe (@mike_rat)
Lowest word score in scrabble? In reverse order?
Paul Greatrix
Genius! But miles off I’m sorry to say.
Caffeinated Colophon
Number
Caffeinated Colophon
…try again!
Number of times they refer to being ‘comprehensive’ and ‘independent’ in their introductions?
Paul Greatrix
Good one. Bit wide of the mark though
Paul Goldberg
I once supervised a student programming project that tried to rank university rankings according to their proximity to an aggregated ranking. (For any social choice theorists who read this, I was hoping to use the Kemeny consensus but had to settle for Borda scores.) But the results were inconclusive.
AM
Is it the number of variables used to compile the ranking?
Paul Greatrix
Afraid not!
Paul Greatrix
With many, many apologies to everyone who has been guessing what the criterion underpinning the ultimate ranking of rankings is…
There have been some really excellent and remarkably sophisticated attempts to establish the methodology here and I applaud every one.
I’m afraid though that in announcing the answer it will only fuel disappointment and a deep sadness at the shallowness of this kind of exercise.
So, here goes.
You really are going to be upset, you know so do ask yourself whether it might not be better just not to know the answer.
You’ll probably feel happier on the whole.
Sure? Ok, here goes.
The criterion for the ranking, which was then scaled to give a better distribution was a unique rating, established solely for this purpose, not subject to any peer review or validation, just me deciding it.
It was what shall henceforth be known as the RCI, or
to put it another way,
The Registrarism Crossness Index – essentially it’s how cross I get on first looking at the ranking in question. I may be cross because of the methodology or the particular positioning of the University of Nottingham or other universities or just indeed about all of the conclusions being drawn about it. But, you can be sure I’ll be pretty cross whatever it says. All I have done is here is capture that into an easy to understand ranking of crossness.
I told you there would be disappointment. And no doubt some will be cross too. Which is nice.
Stephen
Well I’m gobsmacked. Two years and not even so much as a ‘what a load of croc’!
Paul Greatrix
Such is life Stephen!