<p>For some new applicants:</p>
<p>THE</a> - QS World University Rankings 2009 - top universities | Top Universities</p>
<p>I see they rank Chicago #3 in the US. Interesting since this is often cited in discussions of global prestige. But as often said, how can anyone really rank a school?</p>
<p>when you compare USNWR top 20 with top 20 American universities/colleges from the world rankings, we see some interesting discrepancies. First of all, you see some of our best public universities are much better represented on the world ranking, and then schools like NYU, Boston U which do not make a cut at all within USNWR top 20 are showing up.</p>
<p>I suspect it’s because while USNWR has as part of its ranking parameters what I call “vanity factors” such as selectivity, yield, etc that are really there to reinforce the popular concept of “exclusive club-ness”, the world rankings are not influenced by these.</p>
<p>In this regard, I tend to take the world rankings more seriously, am especially glad to see our terrific public institutions getting well deserved recognition.</p>
<p>Furthermore, I feel our kids are lucky in that American schools are 13 out of the 20 world’s top universities. They can go to the very best institution without having to go abroad.</p>
<p>Reading through the full information on the rankings I came across this in the article titled “Talking Points”</p>
<p>[Times</a> Higher Education - Rankings 09: Talking points](<a href=“http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?storycode=408562]Times”>Rankings 09: Talking points | Times Higher Education (THE))</p>
<p>What makes a world-class university? When Times Higher Education asked the leaders of top-ranked institutions this question last year, one response stood out for its inspirational qualities.</p>
<p>Robert Zimmer, president of the University of Chicago, said that his institution was “driven by a singular focus on the value of open, rigorous and intense inquiry. Everything about the university that we recognise as distinctive flows from this.”</p>
<p>He said that Chicago believed that “argumentation rather than deference is the route to clarity”, that “arguments stand or fall on their merits” and that the university recognised that “our contributions to society rest on the power of our ideas and the openness of our environment to developing and testing ideas”.</p>
<p>His answer prompted much praise. One Times Higher Education reader said that Zimmer’s “glorious affirmation” was “marvellously refreshing” and had “brought joy to my heart, tears to my eyes and a renewed sense of commitment to the life of the mind”.</p>
<p>Now, if the admissions folks are on the same page… (Ok, sorry, don’t want to start this up again)</p>
<p>Ranking is always a tricky thing. Having said that, it does not surprise me that in an international ranking UChicago is considered as being one of the best. I’m European and the difference in reaction to S’s decision to go to Chicago between Americans and Asians on one hand and Europeans on the other was interesting: “Why didn’t he apply to Harvard?” vs “I’m glad to hear that he has chosen for what the academics are really about”. Also, Chicago has an enormous reputation in South America. Another university that always does well in the international rankings is Carnegie Mellon.</p>
<p>Their approach is pretty simplistic:</p>
<p>Academic Peer Review 40%
Employer Review 10%
Faculty Student Ratio 20%
Citations per Faculty 20%
International Faculty 5%
International Students 5%</p>
<p>These factors are no worse than USNWR, but still of questionable value to an undergrad. </p>
<p>For example, “academic reputation”, at 40%, is arguably more about grad programs than undergrad, and is no doubt the reason why some of our state unis rise in an ranking like this. With their size, places like U. Mich or UNC can have some great graduate departments even though their undergrads languish in huge lectures taught by part time TAs or adjunct faculty. </p>
<p>This would also explain why Dartmouth, among others, is so far down the list.</p>
<p>@TaiTai: This might not be the only reason but I think one of the reasons for S. America loving Chicago is that Chile (?) embraced their Chicago school of economic thinking and it really worked well.</p>