What is QS Rankings?

QS World University Rankings is one of the most widely referenced rankings in higher education. Learn how it works, what it measures, and how much weight to give it.

Every year, students and parents around the world consult the QS World University Rankings to decide where to apply. But what does a QS ranking actually measure — and how much should it influence your decision?

What QS stands for and who produces it

QS stands for Quacquarelli Symonds, a British analytics company founded in 1990. The QS World University Rankings, first published in 2004, now cover over 1,500 institutions across 104 countries. It is one of three major global rankings alongside the Times Higher Education and the Academic Ranking of World Universities.

How QS calculates its rankings

The QS ranking is built from six weighted indicators. Academic Reputation accounts for 40% of the score. Employer Reputation contributes 10%, Faculty to Student Ratio contributes 20% as a proxy for teaching quality, and Citations per Faculty contributes 20% as a measure of research impact. International Faculty Ratio and International Student Ratio each contribute 5%.

What QS does not measure

QS rankings tell you relatively little about teaching quality at the undergraduate level, student satisfaction, graduate employment rates in specific fields, or the day-to-day experience of being a student at that institution. A university ranked 200th globally may offer a far better learning environment for a specific major than one ranked in the top 50.

Subject rankings matter more than overall rankings

QS also publishes subject-specific rankings, which are often more useful for prospective students. If you want to study computer science, the QS Computer Science ranking is far more relevant than the overall institutional rank. Universities that do not crack the top 100 overall may be world leaders in specific disciplines.

The right way to use rankings

Use rankings as one input among many — not as the final word. They are most useful for quickly identifying globally recognised institutions and for comparing universities within a similar tier. Combine them with student reviews, graduate employment data, and NorthVoy's university matching tool to build a well-rounded shortlist.