So, I was having lunch with the head of HR...

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Michigan
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<p>at the largest Saudi Arabian Bank yesterday (Saturday is a working day in Saudi). We covered several HR challenges that his organization and the Middle East were facing in terms of talent acquisitation, retention and development. </p>

<p>Anyway, our conversation drifted to Saudi Arabia's development of two major universities and he was bragging how those universities were going to hire professors (on a secondment basis) from "the top universities in the world" to come and teach. The three universities he mentioned from which professors were to be recruited are Harvard, MIT and, you guessed it, Michigan! </p>

<p>That's not really surprising. In the Middle East and Western Europe, Michigan is generally considered one of the top 10 American universities, but I could not help but grin when he mentioned Michigan with Harvard and MIT.</p>

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<p>Haha, that’s awesome!</p>

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<p>Yeah, and my colleague was none too pleased either. I need to give you some background information here. Our office in Dubai has 50 or so consultants. Only 15% are US educated. We have a Claremont McKenna alum, a Georgetown alum, an Illinois alum, a Chicago alum, a Missou alum, a UConn alum and a Pitt alum and of course, yours truly. Anyway, I have the loudest, most obnoxious ring tone imaginable; I don’t need to be more specific, you all know what tune I am talking about. Although most of my colleagues hate it, you will occasionally hear them hum it out loud! hehe! Anyway, that particular colleague who was having lunch with us is the Illinois alum! All he could do was look at my grin and roll his eyes. </p>

<p>By the way, although our office has only one Michigan alum, our sister consulting firm (one of the top Management and Strategy Consulting firms) in Dubai has 5 Michigan alums.</p>

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<p>Oh wow, well that really puts a smile when looking at Michigan. Though what/ how does the Middle East and Western Europe conclude for Michigan being in top 10? While in for North America, and globel it ranks within top 25-40.</p>

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<p>Perhaps the Saudis just don’t give a **** about ‘alumni giving rate’ or any of the many other stupid measures USNEWS uses.</p>

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<p>Coolbrezze, 25-40 would be very low for a reputational ranking of Michigan. Remeber this is a reputational ranking. Most reliable US-based reputational rankings place Michigan between #7 and #15 in nation. For example, the USNWR peer assessment score has always ranked Michigan between #7 and #13. </p>

<p>Internationally, Michigan has a strong reputation in several parts of the world. For example"</p>

<p>Michigan’s reputation in East Asia (particularly Japan and China) is relatively strong (top 20 but not quite top 10 US university). </p>

<p>In the Middle East, Michigan’s reputation is very strong because the state of Michigan has one of the largest Arab-American populations. In the Middle East, Michigan is definitely among the top 10 US universities.</p>

<p>Finally, in Western Europe (particularly Germany and France), Michigan’s reputation is also among the top 10 US universities.</p>

<p>In other circles however, such as parts of Eastern Europe, Africa, Latin America and some parts of Asia, Michigan’s reputation is slightly weaker, probably top 25among US universiites, but not quite top 15. </p>

<p>Overall, whether in the US or around the World, on average (and reputationally speaking), Michigan is generally considered one of the top 10 US universities at best and one of the top 20 US universities at the worst. For example, there are three international rankings of US universities. None of them are good mind you, but they are a pretty good indication of the reputations of universities.</p>

<p>QS Times Ranking of World Universities (Michigan is ranked #18 in the World and #13 in the US):
[QS</a> Top Universities: Top 200 universities in the THE - QS World University Rankings 2008](<a href=“http://www.topuniversities.com/worlduniversityrankings/results/2008/overall_rankings/fullrankings/]QS”>http://www.topuniversities.com/worlduniversityrankings/results/2008/overall_rankings/fullrankings/)</p>

<p>Shanghai Jiao Tong University (Michigan is ranked #21 in the World and #18 in the US universities)
[ARWU2008[/url</a>]</p>

<p>Newsweek (Michigan is ranked #11 in the World and #9 in the US)
<a href=“http://www3.ntu.edu.sg/home/eylu/univ/Newsweek_top100_2006.pdf[/url]”>http://www3.ntu.edu.sg/home/eylu/univ/Newsweek_top100_2006.pdf](<a href=“http://www.arwu.org/rank2008/ARWU2008_A(EN).htm]ARWU2008[/url”>http://www.arwu.org/rank2008/ARWU2008_A(EN).htm)</a></p>

<p>Finally, according to the USNWR peer assessment score, Michigan is #13 in the US, and that is purely for undergraduate education. As an overall university, Michigan’s reputation would probably be somewhere between #6 and #10.</p>

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<p>University of Michigan- Ann Arbor is a great university, which is why it falls within my top choices ( also a resident of the state). Though, accroding to USNEWS national UM- Ann Arbor ranks about 26, and global it can only fall a little further back due to Oxford etc…</p>

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<p>One day, you (and everyone else who reads USNEWS rankings) will learn that they don’t mean anything to anyone’s who’s already at or graduated from college. People aren’t going to go “Oooh, you went to a #23 school, but he went to a #18 school! He must be better!”</p>

<p>Sorry, it just frustrates me when people bring up USNEWS, since even its EDITOR has admitted the ranking’s a bunch of nonsense</p>

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<p>Coolbrezze, like I said in post #6, this whole thread is devoted to university REPUTATION, not university rankings. The head of HR at Saudi Arabia’s largest bank (SAMBA) was listing America’s best universities according to his personal opinion, not according ot a specific ranking. Like most well educated andexperienced people in the real world, he does not look at rankings. REPUTATIONALY, Michigan is generally ranked between #7 and #15 in the US.</p>

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<p>^Why is its reputation so much higher than its academic rankings? Did UMich used to be a lot higher and fall a lot recently? Or do they do something to advirtise themselves very well?</p>

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<p>“Why is its reputation so much higher than its academic rankings?”</p>

<p>Actually QwertKey, Michigan’s academic ranking and reputation as aligned. Reputation is always derived from academic excellence. Academically, Michigan is one of the top 10-15 universities in the US, and that is why it enjoys such an excellent reputation. The overall USNWR ranking is not an academic ranking, or a reputational ranking, it is a ranking based on a formula that most eudcated people believe to be flawed.</p>

<p>“Did UMich used to be a lot higher and fall a lot recently? Or do they do something to advirtise themselves very well?”</p>

<p>Actually, the USNWR rankings are designed to help universities that “advertise” themselves very well. If anything, Michigan isone of the worst at advertising itself which explains why its overall ranking is much worse than its academic and reputational ranking.</p>

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<p>Ah, I was a little confused about the USNWR…</p>

<p>So why do people give so much weight to these USNWR rankings? Or is it only given consideration in deciding where to go to college?</p>

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<p>Well reading post, apparently it’s coming across that many are calling me uneducated ( not surprise by those saying such).</p>

<hr>

<p>Well it’s nice to know of University of Michigan- Ann Arbor high ranking in other parts of the world, and it’s well known reputation. It’s certainly a great university to attend.</p>

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<p>^I don’t think anyone was trying to attack you Coolbreeze. Atleast I certinly wasn’t.</p>

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<p>That last one is a mockery. UM 11, with Penn 13, Duke 14, Princeton 15, Chicago 20???</p>

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<p>Giants, I think all three international rankings have their quirks. The last one (Newsweek) admittedly ranks Princeton a little low. I see nothing strange about Michigan’s ranking…or Duke’s, Penn’s and Chicago’s ranking either. </p>

<p>The SJTU ranking is probably the most accurate, but their ranking of Northwestern and Duke is a little off. </p>

<p>The Times ranking is the weakest if you ask me. Stanford #17 in the world and #12 in the US? Berkeley #34 in the World and #18 in the US? Those two universities should be ranked in the top 5 or 6 in the US.</p>

<p>At any rate, reputationally and academically, Michigan is always going to be ranked between #7 and #20 in the US, depending on which ranking you look at, so all three of the international rankings rank Michigan fairly.</p>

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<p>Coolbrezze, nobody said you were uneducated. However, you are still in high school, so your knowledge of universities and how they are seen in the academic and corporate world is only developing. In time, you will see things very differently.</p>

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<p>“So why do people give so much weight to these USNWR rankings? Or is it only given consideration in deciding where to go to college?”</p>

<p>“People” do not give so much weight to the USNWR ranking, only high school students and some parents do. The academic world and corporations don’t even look at the USNWR.</p>

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<p>^</p>

<p>Alexandre, I dont know you, but I respect you sooo much! :slight_smile:
Keep up the good work.</p>