Rankings' Sway over Schools' Strategies

Translated by Nina Fink, Morgane Taquet Publié le
Rankings' Sway over Schools' Strategies
Remise des diplômes de doctorat de l'université Bordeaux Montaigne // ©  Université Bordeaux Montaigne
College and university rankings are growing increasingly influential. According to a European University Association (EUA) report published on January 21, 2015, they have even found their way into schools' strategies.

Rankings take a lot of criticism. The reproaches cover topics ranging from attacks on their indicators' relevance and legitimacy to accusations of data manipulation. Despite the censure, schools, students and politicians are all following rankings more closely than ever now. According to a European University Association (EUA) report on rankings and universities' strategies, their impact is only growing.

Of the 171 colleges and universities polled, the majority of which are ranked, 39% of schools say that they use rankings to orient their strategic, organizational, managerial and academic decisions. That said, 31% of schools say that they have no influence over their strategy.

Communications First

In some cases, rankings have impacted schools' decisions on matters such as research funding priorities and recruitment criteria. However, merely 14% of schools say that they have changed the way that they allocate resources because of ranking results. According to the EUA, schools run the risk of falling under rankings' spell without grasping their limitations. In its report, the EUA includes a few tips to help college and university presidents and rectors get the most out of rankings.

It is not surprising that of the 86% of schools that track their ranking performance, 80% of them use this information in their marketing and publicity materials. They mainly target prospective Master's degree and PhD students, who are seen as the greatest users of rankings and therefore the most susceptible to influence. They also look to attract international students, who are likely to refer to rankings to make their final decision.

Ready, Set, Rank

Over half of the schools surveyed say they have invested human resources in rankings. Of those schools, over half have one or more dedicated staff and 33% have an entire department. Another 23% of schools say that they check rankings occasionally. Lastly, 61% of colleges and universities have set goals themselves for national or international rankings, or both!

Read the article (in French)

Translated by Nina Fink, Morgane Taquet | Publié le