Share this article on...
Contact Us
- Report errors or inaccuracies topmba@qsnetwork.com
- Contribute articles contribute@qsnetwork.com
- Advertise advertise@qsnetwork.com
New Research underlines the importance of university rankings for prospective students
The impact of university rankings and league tables on the way in which national and international students shortlist their prospective university programmes is clear, according to new research from QS Quacquarelli Symonds, the world’s largest network for education and careers services.
The QS Applicants Research 2007, a survey conducted annually amongst more than 4,000 prospective graduate students in 25 countries, reveals that 71% of all students polled referred to one or more internationally available rankings to help them make their choice of preferred university destination. The survey goes on to indicate that 30% of respondents found their use of rankings “very useful” and a further 45% as “quite useful” to their final decision. Only 4% of respondents found their reference to rankings as “not useful”.
Nunzio Quacquarelli, Managing Director of QS Quacquarelli Symonds and one of the originators of the THES-QS World University Rankings feels that the ranking of universities internationally is a beneficial development for prospective students all over the world: “These rankings allow students to evaluate universities from different countries based on what academic peers and employers think of those universities, an essential judgement in a world where students are increasingly seeking to measure such things by an international standard.”
The QS Applicant Research 2007 further confirms a study conducted by JWT Education in 2006 that indicated university performance in rankings came second only in importance behind student perception of institutional reputation and brand name. The same research went on to echo the relevance of rankings and league tables not only as indicators of academic quality but also as key sources of information on universities for prospective students, particularly in Australia, China, Europe and the USA.
Tim Rogers, International Education Consultant & author of The QS Applicant Research 2007 sees the rise in the importance of rankings for students as inevitable: “Students, particularly those willing to spend significant amounts of money on an education abroad, are extremely well informed about all aspects of university education. Rankings are perceived to be factual and contemporary in a way that prestige is not and parents in particular are very interested in being able to “prove” the quality of one institution over another by the schools’ relative performance in a ranking.”
-Ends-
For more information contact:
Tim Rogers
International Education Consultant & author of The QS Applicants Research 2007
Tel: +44 203 115 0094 or +44 7989 319520
Email: tim@intedco.com
Nunzio Quacquarelli
QS Quacquarelli Symonds, London
Tel: +44 207 284 7222
Email: nq@qsnetwork.com
Or
Ben Sowter
QS Quacquarelli Symonds, London
Tel: +44 207 284 7213
Email: ben@qsnetwork.com
Notes for editors:
The THES-QS World University Rankings and the QS Applicant Research 2007 are organised by QS. QS provides guidance for higher education and career opportunities, supporting high achievers to progress towards their future goals. Through exclusive events, publications, research and interactive web tools, QS links undergraduate, graduate, MBA and executive communities around the world with recruiters and education providers. The QS team includes internationally recognised experts in the higher and business education arena. QS operates globally from offices in London, Paris, Singapore, Tokyo, Beijing, Sydney, Washington DC, and Johannesburg.
