The QS World University Rankings stand as a benchmark in the global academic arena, providing a comprehensive evaluation of universities based on various performance indicators. It offers valuable insights into the world’s top educational institutions, shaping perceptions and influencing decisions for students and educators.
In the most recent 2024 QS Rankings, many of Australia’s leading universities experienced a significant rise. Let’s investigate the reasons behind the soaring 2024 QS rankings of Australian universities in this article.
2024 QS Rankings Methodology
The QS assessment organisation has implemented substantial changes to its evaluation methods this year, and these changes happen to be particularly favourable for Australian universities. The specific methodology for the 2024 QS rankings is as follows:
Performances Lenses
Weights in the Past
Weights for 2024 Edition
Trends
Changes
Several findings can be made from the table above.
The impact of Academic Reputation and Faculty Student Ratio on rankings has dropped, while the significance of Employer Reputation has risen. Together with the new indicator “Employment Outcomes,” these changes reflect QS’s growing emphasis on the employability of higher education graduates.
The inclusion of the additional assessment criteria, ‘International Research Network’ and ‘Sustainability,’ reveals QS’s commitment to the future development of institutions. These indicators signify the roles and importance that schools play in globalisation and sustainable development.
In conclusion, QS has shifted the assessment criteria from ‘knowledge-based’ towards a more ‘practical-based’ approach and values more about how the schools educate or train talents.
Australia’s higher education system has consistently prioritised practicality, equipping students with better employability and competitiveness. Therefore, with the change in QS’s assessment criteria and weightings, the rankings of Australian universities have seen a notable rise.
Here are two examples for better understanding:
1. In this recent surge in Australian university rankings, only ANU (The Australian National University) dropped slightly (from 30 to 34). One of the reasons for this is that ANU has always been more focused on theoretical research as an academic-oriented university. This, combined with its geographical location and other factors, has placed the indicator for graduates’ Employment Outcome at a relative disadvantage. However, even though ANU’s ranking dropped slightly, it still remains within the global top 40.
2. The rise in the rankings of UniSQ ( University of Southern Queensland ) in Queensland is truly astounding. In QS 2023 rankings, it was ranked between 650-700; but in QS 2024, it soared by more than 200 positions, securing the 410th spot. Despite being relatively unnoticed, the graduates from UniSQ have a pretty good reputation among Australian higher education institutions. The revised assessment criteria, which emphasise employment, greatly benefited UniSQ in this instance.
When parents and students are choosing a university, they often consider university rankings. There are several ranking organisations, and each one might have different results.
However, the school’s atmosphere and course curriculum are more important indicators in picking a university that suits you as compared to the rankings. If you’re unsure about how to choose a university that fits your needs, feel free to reach out to us anytime for free.
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