<p>@moey
[Robust</a>, transparent and yours: The most exact & relevant world rankings yet devised](<a href=“http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/world-university-rankings/2010-2011/analysis-methodology.html]Robust”>World University Rankings 2010-11 methodology | Times Higher Education (THE))
They said it themselves, they ranked on excellence, not just reputation. If you looked at the breakdown, UCSC’s score in Citations/Research Influence was what got them ranked so high on the list.
“A university’s research influence as measured by the number of times its published work is cited by academics is the largest of the broad rankings categories, worth just under a third of the overall score. This weighting reflects the relatively high level of confidence the global academic community has in the indicator as a proxy for research quality.”</p>