A clear breakdown of QS indicators, how scores are calculated, and how to use rankings wisely when choosing a university.
QS World University Rankings
This file explains how the QS World University Rankings are calculated and how to use them when choosing a university.
📌 What Are the QS World University Rankings?
The QS World University Rankings are annual lists that compare universities around the world so that students can make informed choices. They show how well universities perform in areas such as teaching, research, reputation, and international engagement.
🎯 QS Ranking Indicators (2026)
The overall score of each university in the QS World University Rankings is made up of nine indicators that measure important parts of university quality.
| Indicator | What It Measures | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Academic Reputation | What academics around the world think about the university | 30% |
| Employer Reputation | What employers think about the quality of graduates | 15% |
| Faculty/Student Ratio | Number of faculty members compared to students | 10% |
| Citations per Faculty | Research impact measured by how often papers are cited | 20% |
| International Faculty | International diversity of teaching staff | 5% |
| International Students | International diversity of the student body | 5% |
| International Research Network | Strength of international research collaboration | 5% |
| Employment Outcomes | Graduate success after finishing their studies | 5% |
| Sustainability | Contribution to environmental and social impact | 5% |
Note: The international outlook indicators are reported separately (International Faculty, International Students, International Research Network) but together make up 15% of the overall score.
🧠 What Each Indicator Means
1. Academic Reputation (30%)
This shows how respected a university is among scholars globally. QS collects thousands of responses from academics to judge teaching quality, research strength, and global presence.
2. Employer Reputation (15%)
Employers around the world are surveyed about which universities produce the best workers. Universities with higher employer scores are seen as better at preparing students for work.
3. Faculty/Student Ratio (10%)
This checks how many teachers there are compared to students. A higher ratio generally means smaller class sizes and more attention for students.
4. Citations per Faculty (20%)
This shows research impact. If research from a university is cited often by other researchers, it means the work is influential. QS uses data from Scopus to calculate this.
5. International Indicators (15% total)
This includes:
- International Faculty
- International Students
- International Research Network
These measure how diverse and globally connected a university is, showing its appeal across countries and research partners.
6. Employment Outcomes (5%)
This indicator looks at how well graduates do after finishing university — for example through jobs, salaries, and job roles. This is a newer added measure in QS.
7. Sustainability (5%)
QS measures how well universities work on environmental and social goals — like climate action, equality, and responsible use of resources.
🔍 How the Score Is Calculated
Each university gets a number for each indicator. Those numbers are added together using the weights above to make an overall score between 0 and 100. Universities are then ranked from highest to lowest overall score.
📘 Tips for Using QS Rankings Wisely
QS rankings are useful, but they shouldn’t be the only thing you use when choosing a university.
✔ What Rankings Can Help With
- Shortlisting universities to research further
- Comparing research strengths or graduate reputation
- Exploring global diversity and international partnerships
⚠ What Rankings Don’t Show
- Student campus life or happiness
- Specific course quality for every major
- Cost of living or financial support
- Overall fit for your personal goals
📌 Final Notes
- QS Rankings are updated every year and can change as universities improve or as indicators change.
- Always use subject-specific rankings (like Engineering or Business) if your program is what matters most — those are more detailed for each field.