6 June 2024
Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) has unveiled the 21st edition of its prestigious QS World University Rankings, spotlighting the top institutions globally. This year’s rankings feature over 1,500 universities, analysed through 17.5 million academic papers and enriched by the expert opinions of over 240,000 academic faculty and employers.
Maintaining an impressive streak, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has once again secured the top position, marking its 13th consecutive year as the world’s leading university. Meanwhile, Imperial College London has ascended to second place. Singapore’s National University of Singapore continues to reign as Asia’s top institution, holding steady at the 8th spot.
North American institutions dominate the upper echelons of the list, constituting nearly 40% of the top 50 universities. This is followed by notable representations from Asia and Europe, with six Australian institutions also making a strong showing.
QS had introduced major methodological changes for the 2024 rankings. Three new indicators have been added: sustainability, employment outcomes, and international research network.
Sustainability, now accounting for 5% of the overall score, underscores the growing impact of higher education institutions on global social and climate issues. This change mirrors the increasing expectations from students for universities to actively engage in sustainability and social justice efforts.
Employability has been given a substantial boost, with Employer Reputation’s weightage increased to 15%. Additionally, a new Employment Outcomes indicator, weighted at 5%, has been introduced to better reflect the success of graduates in the job market.
The third new metric, International Research Network, highlights the importance of globally connected research. This indicator offers insights into the extent of an institution’s international research collaborations, emphasising the significance of global academic partnerships.
Traditional performance indicators such as academic reputation, faculty-student ratio, and international faculty and student ratios continue to play a crucial role in the rankings, ensuring a comprehensive evaluation of university performance.
