Introduction to university rankings

Ellen Boeren

Chapter 1 in How to Read and Interpret University Rankings, 2026, pp 1-15 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: This chapter introduces the core aim of the book, which focuses on the role of university rankings and how to read and interpret their indicators and metrics. It provides a brief history of the emergence of rankings and league tables and introduces the reader to background information on the ‘big three’ international university ranking compilers: QS, Times Higher Education and Shanghai Rankings. Background information on each of these is supplemented with insights into the similarities and differences between them. The chapter positions university rankings as one of multiple sources readers can draw upon to inform themselves about higher education, encouraging triangulation instead of overreliance on league tables. It also explains the difference between ‘rankings’ and ‘league table scores’, and the need to understand data distributions. It ends with an overview of the remaining chapters of the book.

Keywords: League tables; University rankings; Higher education; QS; THE; ShanghaiRankings (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
ISBN: 9781035333455
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