Bias in Times Higher Education Ranking of the World’s Top Universities

The Times Higher Education and QuacquarelliThere is only one public US university University of
Symonds (THE-QS) have just published the 2009Michigan in the THE-QS ranking compared to six public
ranking of the World's top universities .We comparedUS universities in the ARWU ranking. The University
the ranking of the World’s Top-25 Universitiesof California is represented four times in the ARWU
according to THE-QS with the 2008 Academicranking (Berkeley, Los Angeles, San Diego and San
Ranking of World Universities ARWU.Francisco) and not once in the THE-QS ranking.
Overall ranking: THE-QS 2009 versus ARWU 2008THE-QS is more international than ARWU
The overall overlap of the two rankings is 72%, withThe THE-QS ranking of the World's Top-25
18 of the World's Top-25 universities appearing inuniversities includes more non-US universities than the
both the THE-QS and ARWU rankings. This meansARWU ranking: 12 (48%) universities are non-US in
there are seven universities (more than one in four)THE-QS compared to 7 (28%) in the ARWU. In the
that do not appear in each of the other lists.THE-QS ranking, six countries are represented: US
THE-QS has many more British Universities than(13), UK (6), Japan (2), Australia (1), Canada (1),
ARWUSwitzerland (1) and Hong Kong (1). In the ARWU five
There are twice as many British universities in thecountries are represented: US (18), UK (3), Japan (2),
THE-QS ranking of the World's Top-25 universitiesSwitzerland (1) and Canada (1).
than in the ARWU. THE-QS finds that six (24%) ofStanford University
the World's Top-25 universities are British comparedIt is very striking to see that Stanford University is
to three (8%) for ARWU.ranked 2nd in the world according to ARWU and only
The difference is particularly striking for the16th according to THE-QS.
World’s Top-5 universities, where there are fourUniversity of California - Berkeley
British Universities in the THE-QS (University ofIt is also striking to see that the University of
Cambridge [2nd], University College London [4th],California - Berkeley is ranked 3rd in the world
Imperial College London [5th] and University ofaccording to ARWU and 36th according to THE-QS.
Oxford [5th]) compared to only one for the ARWUUniversity College - London
(University of Cambridge [3rd]).Finally,University College - London is ranked 4th in the
THE-QS has many fewer public US universities thanworld according to THE-QS compared to only 22nd in
ARWUthe world according to ARWU.