Recently, we have posted a top containing the best universities in the world for the academic year 2012-2013. The universities were chosen in terms of academic performance, research, innovation degree and staff, a very complex process involving performance indicators being set in place. I figured I would post an update of the top, given the fact that another year has passed and that the data have been collected. However, the top did not change that much, except the fact that Harvard got its leading position back. So, I decided to post a top of universities … by reputation. But what would be the difference between these two tops? Isn’t reputation a “sum-up word” for those mentioned above?
Everyone has been through this: trying to choose a university that best suits their needs. Fortunately, nowadays people can benefit from official rankings of the best universities in the world. One of the key annual events in the international higher education calendar is represented by the publication of the Times Higher Education Rankings, which helps undergraduates and postgraduates to choose their degree courses form a large “pallet of colors”. Moreover, academics can take informed decisions regarding their career, research teams can identify new partners and university managers can benchmark their performance and set their strategic objectives.
Now in their second year, the Times Higher Education World Reputation Rankings lists the world’s best colleges and university based on reputation. The top 25 list is dominated by USA and UK based universities (THE, 2012):
