Methodological and consequential debates on university rankings

Ellen Boeren

Chapter 2 in How to Read and Interpret University Rankings, 2026, pp 16-29 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: University rankings are contested and receive widespread criticism. This chapter provides an overview of these different critiques and does this from two distinct angles. An introduction of such critiques is followed by a section on the methodological debates surrounding university rankings, before shifting to a section on the consequential debates. The methodological section delves deeper into issues on the ongoing strong focus on research indicators, the variation in data that underpin ranking calculations, and the time lags in data production that cause delayed insights in university performance. The consequences section zooms in on the power of rankings to influence higher education policies and to inform student choice, but also to reinforce inequalities between universities and the pressure it puts on academic staff and managers. It also touches on the topic of whether rankings data truly represent indicators of quality.

Keywords: University rankings; Indicators; Methodology; Metrics; Higher education sector; Higher education data (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
ISBN: 9781035333455
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