University Ranking Systems – From League Table to Homogeneous Groups of Universities
The paper contains a review of the literature in terms of the critical analysis of methodologies of university ranking systems. Furthermore, the initiatives supported by the European Commission (U-Map, U-Multirank) and CHE Ranking are described. Special attention is paid to the tendencies in the development of ranking systems. According to the author, the ranking organizations should abandon the classic form of ranking, namely a hierarchical ordering of universities from “the best" to “the worse". In the empirical part of this paper, using one of the method of cluster analysis called k-means clustering, the author presents university classifications of the top universities from the Shanghai Jiao Tong University-s (SJTU) Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU).
[1] F. A. Van Vught, D. F. Westerheijden, "Multidimensional ranking: a
new transparency tool for higher education and research","Higher
Education Management and Policy, Vol. 22, No 3, 2010.
[2] J. Nazarko, K. A. Ku┼║micz, E. Szubzda-Prutis, J. Urban, "The General
Concept of Benchmarking and its Application in Higher Education in
Europe" Higher Education in Europe, Vol. 34, Nos. 3-4, October-
December 2009, pp. 497-510.
[3] F. A. Van Vught, F. Ziegele (eds.), U-Multirank, Design and Testing
the Feasibility of a Multidimensional Global University Ranking, Final
Report, Consortium for Higher Education and Research Performance
Assessment, 2011. Retrieved December 3, 2011, from
http://ec.europa.eu/education/higher-education/doc/multirank_en.pdf.
[4] Global universities rankings and their impact, EUA Report on
Rankings, Brussels, 2011.
[5] A. Usher, J. Medow, A global survey of university rankings and league
tables, [in:] B. M. Kehm, B. Stensaker (eds.), University Rankings,
Diversity, and the New Landscape of Higher Education, Global
Perspectives on Higher Education, Vol. 18, Sense Publisher, 2009, p.
14.
[6] http://www.che-ranking.de
[7] M. Clarke, Quantifying Quality: What can the U.S. News and World
Report rankings tell us about the quality of higher education? Education
Policy Analysis Archives 10(16), 2002. Retrieved January 10, 2012,
from http://epaa.asu.edu/epaa/v10n16/.
[8] D. D. Dill, M. Soo, "Academic quality, league tables, and public
policy: A cross-national analysis of university ranking systems",
Higher Education, Vol. 49, 2005, pp. 495-533.
[9] N. Van Dyke, "Twenty Years OF University Report Cards: Where Are
We Now?","Higher Education in Europe, Vol. 30(2), 2005, pp. 103-
124.
[10] A. F. J. Van Raan, "Fatal attraction: Conceptual and methodological
problems in the ranking of universities by bibliometric methods",
Scientometrics, Vol. 62, No 1, 2005, pp. 133-143.
[11] A. Usher, M. Savino, A world of difference: A global survey of
university league tables, Educational Policy Institute, Toronto 2006.
Retrieved September 2, 2011, from
http://www.educationalpolicy.org/pdf/world-of-difference-
200602162.pdf.
[12] S. Marginson, "Global University Rankings: Implications in general
and for Australia", Journal of Higher Education Policy and
Management, Vol. 29, No. 2, 2007, pp. 131-142.
[13] R. V. Florian, "Irreproducibility of the results of the Shanghai
academic ranking of Word universities", Scientometrics, Vol. 72, No 1,
2007.
[14] S. Marginson, M. Van der Wende, "Europeanisation, International
Rankings and Faculty Mobility: Three Cases in Higher Education
Globalisation", [in:] OECD Publishing; Centre for Educational
Research and Innovation, Higher Education to 2030, Vol. 2,
Globalisation, OECD, Paris, 2009.
[15] A. Rauhvargers, Global University Rankings and their Impact.
Brussels: European University Association, 2011.
[16] E. Hazelkorn, Rankings and the Reshaping of Higher Education: The
Battle for World-Class Excellence. London: Palgrave Macmillan, 2011.
[17] Centre for Higher Education Research and Information (CHERI), Open
University, and Hobsons Research, Counting what is measured or
measuring what counts? League tables and their impact on higher
education institutions in England, Report to Higher Education Funding
Council for England, 2008.
[18] M. Van der Wende, "Rankings and Classifications in Higher
Education: A European Perspective", Higher Education: Handbook of
Theory and Research, Vol. 23, 2008, pp. 49-71.
[19] Ch. Tofallis, "A different approach to university rankings", Higher
Education, Vol. 63, 2012, pp. 1-18.
[20] A. D. Gordon, Classification, Chapman & Hall/CRC, 1999.
[21] B. S. Everitt, S. Landau, M. Leese, Cluster Analysis, Oxford University
Press Inc, New York 2001.
[1] F. A. Van Vught, D. F. Westerheijden, "Multidimensional ranking: a
new transparency tool for higher education and research","Higher
Education Management and Policy, Vol. 22, No 3, 2010.
[2] J. Nazarko, K. A. Ku┼║micz, E. Szubzda-Prutis, J. Urban, "The General
Concept of Benchmarking and its Application in Higher Education in
Europe" Higher Education in Europe, Vol. 34, Nos. 3-4, October-
December 2009, pp. 497-510.
[3] F. A. Van Vught, F. Ziegele (eds.), U-Multirank, Design and Testing
the Feasibility of a Multidimensional Global University Ranking, Final
Report, Consortium for Higher Education and Research Performance
Assessment, 2011. Retrieved December 3, 2011, from
http://ec.europa.eu/education/higher-education/doc/multirank_en.pdf.
[4] Global universities rankings and their impact, EUA Report on
Rankings, Brussels, 2011.
[5] A. Usher, J. Medow, A global survey of university rankings and league
tables, [in:] B. M. Kehm, B. Stensaker (eds.), University Rankings,
Diversity, and the New Landscape of Higher Education, Global
Perspectives on Higher Education, Vol. 18, Sense Publisher, 2009, p.
14.
[6] http://www.che-ranking.de
[7] M. Clarke, Quantifying Quality: What can the U.S. News and World
Report rankings tell us about the quality of higher education? Education
Policy Analysis Archives 10(16), 2002. Retrieved January 10, 2012,
from http://epaa.asu.edu/epaa/v10n16/.
[8] D. D. Dill, M. Soo, "Academic quality, league tables, and public
policy: A cross-national analysis of university ranking systems",
Higher Education, Vol. 49, 2005, pp. 495-533.
[9] N. Van Dyke, "Twenty Years OF University Report Cards: Where Are
We Now?","Higher Education in Europe, Vol. 30(2), 2005, pp. 103-
124.
[10] A. F. J. Van Raan, "Fatal attraction: Conceptual and methodological
problems in the ranking of universities by bibliometric methods",
Scientometrics, Vol. 62, No 1, 2005, pp. 133-143.
[11] A. Usher, M. Savino, A world of difference: A global survey of
university league tables, Educational Policy Institute, Toronto 2006.
Retrieved September 2, 2011, from
http://www.educationalpolicy.org/pdf/world-of-difference-
200602162.pdf.
[12] S. Marginson, "Global University Rankings: Implications in general
and for Australia", Journal of Higher Education Policy and
Management, Vol. 29, No. 2, 2007, pp. 131-142.
[13] R. V. Florian, "Irreproducibility of the results of the Shanghai
academic ranking of Word universities", Scientometrics, Vol. 72, No 1,
2007.
[14] S. Marginson, M. Van der Wende, "Europeanisation, International
Rankings and Faculty Mobility: Three Cases in Higher Education
Globalisation", [in:] OECD Publishing; Centre for Educational
Research and Innovation, Higher Education to 2030, Vol. 2,
Globalisation, OECD, Paris, 2009.
[15] A. Rauhvargers, Global University Rankings and their Impact.
Brussels: European University Association, 2011.
[16] E. Hazelkorn, Rankings and the Reshaping of Higher Education: The
Battle for World-Class Excellence. London: Palgrave Macmillan, 2011.
[17] Centre for Higher Education Research and Information (CHERI), Open
University, and Hobsons Research, Counting what is measured or
measuring what counts? League tables and their impact on higher
education institutions in England, Report to Higher Education Funding
Council for England, 2008.
[18] M. Van der Wende, "Rankings and Classifications in Higher
Education: A European Perspective", Higher Education: Handbook of
Theory and Research, Vol. 23, 2008, pp. 49-71.
[19] Ch. Tofallis, "A different approach to university rankings", Higher
Education, Vol. 63, 2012, pp. 1-18.
[20] A. D. Gordon, Classification, Chapman & Hall/CRC, 1999.
[21] B. S. Everitt, S. Landau, M. Leese, Cluster Analysis, Oxford University
Press Inc, New York 2001.
@article{"International Journal of Business, Human and Social Sciences:57445", author = "M. Jarocka", title = "University Ranking Systems – From League Table to Homogeneous Groups of Universities", abstract = "The paper contains a review of the literature in terms of the critical analysis of methodologies of university ranking systems. Furthermore, the initiatives supported by the European Commission (U-Map, U-Multirank) and CHE Ranking are described. Special attention is paid to the tendencies in the development of ranking systems. According to the author, the ranking organizations should abandon the classic form of ranking, namely a hierarchical ordering of universities from “the best" to “the worse". In the empirical part of this paper, using one of the method of cluster analysis called k-means clustering, the author presents university classifications of the top universities from the Shanghai Jiao Tong University-s (SJTU) Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU).
", keywords = "Classification, cluster analysis, ranking, university.", volume = "6", number = "6", pages = "1332-6", }
