Studying abroad: should you choose your university based on international rankings?

There are many excellent options for your studies abroad, but some will be more relevant than others to your own criteria: the language of the course, the type of environment you’re looking for, the distance from your nearest and dearest, your budget, or even the recognition of the degree obtained in France and abroad. International rankings can also be a factor in your choice.

Indeed, there are several rankings that aim to establish a hierarchy between universities, giving the impression that some are “better” than others. While rankings can, in a way, reveal the excellence of an institution’s academic research, this should never be the sole criterion for choosing your university! Indeed, the criteria taken into account in the majority of these rankings will in reality have only a limited impact on your experience. What’s more, some excellent universities are not included in international rankings because their limited size, lack of masters programs or other factors prevent them from being included. For example, liberal arts colleges in the USA such as Williams, Amherst, Wellesley, Pomona and Middlebury do not feature in international rankings, even though they enjoy an excellent reputation both academically and with employers. In fact, these institutions are sometimes just as selective as some of the top-ranked universities – so it’s important to put the rankings into perspective and consider all the other factors too!

Below are the world’s leading rankings, published by QS World University Rankings, Times Higher Education (THE) and the Shanghai ranking.

QS, Shanghai, THE rankings: what are the main differences?

Before discovering the rankings of the world’s top universities, it’s worth taking a look at the differences between the rankings published by the Shanghai ranking list, QS Rankings and Times Higher Education. It’s not easy to decipher the differences, as the evaluation criteria used in these rankings are numerous and sometimes complex. For example, the QS University Ranking focuses primarily on the academic reputation of the university it seeks to evaluate. The Shanghai Ranking, on the other hand, takes into account the number of Nobel Prize winners and Fields Medal winners among the university’s alumni or faculty members. This simple difference can already produce divergent results and quite dissimilar rankings.

Quelle est la classification la plus fiable ?

In reality, these three rankings can be a factor in choosing a university, but they should obviously not be the only ones, as they only take into account the academic dimension. We also need to be realistic: does my academic profile allow me to consider top-ranked universities?

The Shanghai ranking criteria include the number of graduates or professors who have won a Nobel Prize or Fields Medal, the number of researchers frequently cited in academic publications, and the number of publications in the most prestigious social science and science journals.

The QS Rankings focus on the following six criteria:

• academic reputation (40%);
• reputation with employers (10%);
• teacher/student ratio (20%);
• Citations by faculty (20%);
• the ratio of international professors (5%);
• the ratio of international students (5%).

The THE ranking, on the other hand, offers a more general view encompassing both research criteria and the university’s reputation, according to a methodology based on 13 performance indicators grouped into 5 categories:

• the teaching quality and learning environment ;
• visit international outlook aimed at assessing the ratio of international professors and students within the institution, as well as the number of research papers written or co-authored by a foreign author and published by the university;
• visit quotes to assess the impact and influence of the university’s publications, both nationally and internationally;
• to assess the impact and influence of the university’s publications, both nationally and internationally;
• knowledge transfer, to measure the university’s impact on industry, and assess its ability to provide innovative, high-performance solutions to the problems faced by companies.

Comparative table of top international university rankings

Rang	Classement mondial des universités QS (2020)	Times Higher Education (THE) (2020)	Shanghai ranking (2019)
1	Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) USA	University of Oxford – RU	Harvard University – USA
2	Stanford University – USA	California Institute of Technology (Caltech) – USA	University of Stanford – USA
3	Harvard University – USA	University of Cambridge – RU	University of Cambridge – RU
4	University of Oxford – RU	University of Stanford – USA	Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)USA
5	California Institute of Technology (Caltech) – USA	Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)USA	University of California, Berkeley – USA
6	ETH Zurich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich) – Switzerland	Princeton University – USA	Princeton University – USA
7	University of Cambridge – RU	Harvard University – US	University of Oxford – RU
8	UCL – RU	Yale University – USA	Columbia University – USA
9	Imperial College London – RU	University of Chicago – USA	California Institute of Technology (Caltech) – USA
10	University of Chicago – USA	Imperial College London – RU	University of Chicago – USA

As you can see, Anglo-Saxon universities largely dominate the rankings, thanks in particular to the quality of their research and their considerable financial resources.

Once again, getting into one of the best universities in the world according to these rankings doesn’t mean getting into the best university in the world for you! In fact, these universities are not suitable for all profiles and projects, and don’t necessarily offer the right environment for you. What’s more, going to one of these institutions in no way guarantees you the most fulfilling university experience, or even the “best” professional opportunities afterwards. In most Anglo-Saxon countries, your results will be just as, or even more, decisive than the university where you did your undergraduate studies. So choose a university where you feel at home, and in an environment that offers you the best possible conditions for success!

In addition, national rankings (Guardian, The Sunday Times) generally produce widely varying results. Within a single university, there can also be disparities from one department to another. So it’s a good idea to consult national rankings to find out a university’s national reputation. You can also compare the world rankings of universities as a whole, but also by discipline. Some universities may in fact be specialized or world-renowned in certain academic disciplines.

Take, for example, some of the UK’s national university league tables.

UK university rankings

Each year, different magazines publish a ranking of the UK’s top universities, with different performance indicators. For example, in its UK’s top 120 universities,the renowned British daily The Guardian focuses on the following criteria :

• the quality of the teaching provided;
• opinions of students who have attended the school;
• visit career opportunities and speed of entry into the job market;
• tuition fees ;
• the proportion of students per teacher ;
• the percentage of students who continue into the second year.

However, this ranking does not take into account the research published by universities, which The Guardian considers to be of little interest to students.

Summary table of the top 10 UK universities in 2020

This table is based on national rankings (Guardian and Complete University Guide) and international rankings (THE and QS).

Rang	The Guardian	Complete University Guide	THE	QS
1	University of Cambridge	University of Cambridge	University of Oxford	University of Oxford
2	University of St Andrews	University of Oxford	University of Cambridge	University of Cambridge
3	University of Oxford	University of St Andrews	Imperial College London	University College London (UCL)
4	Loughborough University	London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)	University College London (UCL)	Imperial College London
5	Durham University	Imperial College London	London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)	University of Edinburgh
6	University of Bath	Durham University	University of Edinburgh	University of Manchester
7	Imperial College London	Lancaster University	King’s College London (KCL)	King’s College London (KCL)
8	Lancaster University	Loughborough University	University of Manchester	London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)
9	University of Warwick	University of Bath	University of Warwick	University of Bristol
10	University of Exeter	University College London (UCL)	University of Bristol	University of Warwick

You can also refer to the list of universities belonging to the Russell Group, which represents the UK’s top 24 public research universities. Please note, however, that some prestigious universities such as the University of Bath or St Andrews are not included, so this is not necessarily the only indicator to look at!

As guidance coach Anne Saci points out, everyone has their own strategy for success, and it doesn’t necessarily involve getting into a top-ranked university. The most important thing is to get to the top and achieve your goals by taking the course that suits you, whether that’s medicine, dentistry or science and engineering!

Find all the answers to your questions about studying abroad. our book “Etudier à l’étranger après le Bac” (Studyrama Editions).

Would you like more personalized support to make your plans to study abroad a reality? Don’t hesitate to contact the Your Dream School team!