University rankings have gained popularity around the world and are now a significant factor shaping reputation. This second edition updates Ellen Hazelkorn's first comprehensive study of rankings from a global perspective, drawing in new original research and extensive analysis. It is essential reading for policymakers, managers and scholars.

Now updated for the year 2000, this is the fifth edition of Kurian's highly regarded and widely used reference tool, which was cited as an ALA Outstanding Reference when originally published. Rankings are an essential resource for doing research, and help in evaluating the position of a country compared to its counterparts. New rankings for this edition cover Personal Computers, Fax Machines, Internet Hosts, Cellular Phones, Economic Freedom Index, Global Competitiveness, Business Environment, Largest Businesses, Stock Market Capitalization, and Music Sales. This is a handy reference no library should be without.

Analysing rankings in diverse higher education settings, this book draws on discourse analysis, theory, ethnography, and case studies, to consider the question of how knowledge is produced and shared.

Delivering quality education to students while remaining competitive at an international level is only one of the many challenges universities face today. To attain their goals, universities must adopt new strategies to achieve academic excellence. World University Rankings and the Future of Higher Education is a pivotal reference source for the latest scholarly research on the implementation of a ranking system for higher education institutions, providing a thorough overview of the impacts of these rankings on educational quality. Exploring the benefits and challenges of this system in a global context, this book is ideally designed for academicians, researchers, students, administrators, and policy makers interested in the effects of university rankings in the education sector and beyond.

This book examines the origins of the rise of international rankings, assessing their impact on global governance, and exploring how governments react to being ranked.

The Global Academic Rankings Game provides a much-needed perspective on how countries and universities react to academic rankings. Based on a unified case methodology of eleven key countries and academic institutions, this comprehensive volume provides expert analysis on this emerging phenomenon at a time when world rankings are becoming increasingly visible and influential on the international stage. Each chapter provides an overview of government and national policies as well as an in-depth examination of the impact that rankings have played on policy, practice, and academic life in Australia, Chile, China, Germany, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Poland, Russia, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The Global Academic Rankings Game contributes to the continuing debate about the influence of rankings in higher education and is an invaluable resource for higher education scholars and administrators as they tackle rankings in their own national and institutional contexts.

Based on the Times Higher - QS World University Rankings, this is the definitive guide to the top universities around the world. Includes rankings of the top 200 universities in the world, plus detailed profiles of the top 100 universities, including student assessments of what life is like at each university Offers a directory of over 500 of the best universities in the world along with their ranking position in each of the principal subject areas Presents reviews of the top ten study destination countries, with a detailed look at government grants and subsidies for overseas students, types of institution, entry requirements, cost of living, student life and much more Provides expert advice on how to choose and apply for the best course at the right university, and an overview of employment opportunities Gives detailed help and advice on study costs, financing and scholarships

Global rankings and the Geopolitics of Higher Education is an examination of the impact and influence that university rankings have had on higher education, policy and public opinion in recent years. Bringing together some of the most informed authorities on this very complex issue, this edited collection of specially commissioned chapters examines the changes affecting higher education and the implications for society and the economy. Split into four interrelated sections, this book covers: The development of rankings in higher education, how they have impacted upon both the production of knowledge and its geography, and their influence in shaping policymaking. Overviews of the significance of rankings for higher education systems in Europe, Asia, Africa, Russia, South America, India and North America. An analysis of rankings in relation to key concerns that pervade contemporary higher education. Examination of the role rankings are likely to play in the future directions for higher education. This is a significant scholarly work that analyses in depth an important development in higher education systems, and which is likely to have an important influence upon how we understand the higher education policy-making process – past, present and future. It provides new analysis and conceptual understanding for researchers, and firm evidence for policy makers to use when addressing the value of rankings in measuring the quality of their institutions. Besides bringing together a powerful cast of academics, this book incorporates contributions from heads of important international higher education organisations – from both those involved in making and also in administering key decisions. This timely, reflective and accessible book forms crucial reading for those studying the subject of rankings, as well as the broader implications and unintended consequences of rankings on national higher education policies. Extending beyond academic researchers and students, this book will also be of significant interest to policymakers, higher education leaders and key stakeholders.

Some colleges will do anything to improve their national ranking. That can be bad for their students—and for higher education. Since U.S. News & World Report first published a college ranking in 1983, the rankings industry has become a self-appointed judge, declaring winners and losers among America's colleges and universities. In this revealing account, Colin Diver shows how popular rankings have induced college applicants to focus solely on pedigree and prestige, while tempting educators to sacrifice academic integrity for short-term competitive advantage. By forcing colleges into standardized "best-college" hierarchies, he argues, rankings have threatened the institutional diversity, intellectual rigor, and social mobility that is the genius of American higher education. As a former university administrator who refused to play the game, Diver leads his readers on an engaging journey through the mysteries of college rankings, admissions, financial aid, spending policies, and academic practices. He explains how most dominant college rankings perpetuate views of higher education as a purely consumer good susceptible to unidimensional measures of brand value and prestige. Many rankings, he asserts, also undermine the moral authority of higher education by encouraging various forms of distorted behavior, misrepresentation, and outright cheating by ranked institutions. The recent Varsity Blues admissions scandal, for example, happened in part because affluent parents wanted to get their children into elite schools by any means necessary. Explaining what is most useful and important in evaluating colleges, Diver offers both college applicants and educators a guide to pursuing their highest academic goals, freed from the siren song of the "best-college" illusion. Ultimately, he reveals how to break ranks with a rankings industry that misleads its consumers, undermines academic values, and perpetuates social inequality.

This is the fourth edition of Kurian's highly regarded and widely used research tool, cited previously by the American Library Association as the Outstanding Reference of the Year. The Fitzroy Dearborn Book of World Rankings, 4th edition is designed as an international scorecard that compares and ranks more than 190 nations of the world according to their performance in more than 300 key areas. Sections covered include Geography & Climate, Vital Statistics, Population Dynamics, Race & Religion, Media, and many more. More than 50,000 variables measure national achievement by using no fewer than 300 specific performance yardsticks, making this one of the most comprehensive databases ever attempted in the field of international affairs. Outstanding Reference Source - American Library Association