ABSTRACT
University rankings, which compare universities by uniform criteria, can generate simple and useful information on universities’ conditions and performance, arousing considerable interests among stakeholders of higher education. Prospective students and their parents can use rankings to shortlist the universities to attend; governments and funding agencies, to inform funding decisions; employers, to recruit capable graduates; and universities, to position themselves, set strategic goals, choose partners, and enhance marketing activities. Therefore, university rankings seem to be here to stay and become more popular, causing leaders of universities to take them seriously. However, there are “uses” and “misuses” of rankings:
The world seems to be obsessed with rankings in every walk of life. Countries are ranked for their performance in all possible domains, from the Olympics to the quality of life. Even Mozart’s musical pieces are being ranked as the planet celebrated his 250th birth-year anniversary.
