HESPA

19 April 2024
QS World University Rankings
 QS WUR
Methodology
QS World University Rankings 2025
Methodology
➢ WUR 2025: First ranking of 2025 cycle – 4 June 2024

➢ No methodology changes for WUR 2025

➢ Updates made in previous iteration – WUR 2024, which marked the 20th Anniversary edition:

➢ IRN – International Research Network (5%) – seeks to measure the diversity of research collaborations,
rather than just looking at research volume metrics. Previously introduced to some of our other rankings
including regional rankings as well as into our Subject Rankings 2023 (launched last year) – across 17
subject areas.

➢ Employment Outcomes (5%) - Employment opportunities and skills are increasingly important to
students and this new indicator is made up of two different metrics which includes the Graduate
Employment Rate and the Alumni Impact Index.

➢ Sustainability (5%) - This makes us the first of the major rankings to incorporate Sustainability into the
flagship rankings table, helping to emphasize the importance of this topic to students, institutions,
national policymakers and the wider sector. The score for this component is taken from the analysis of
the standalone Sustainability Rankings.
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HESA Data for QS WUR 2025

HESA data was not available according to the usual timescale; this means that the data
will not be available for use in the upcoming 2025 cycle of QS Rankings.

There were two options available to institutions:

1. QS will use last year’s HESA data for the 2025 rankings cycle.

2.Your institution was able to submit up to date data on our HUB platform; the
deadline was 9 February 2024

Please note that for any concerns about availability of HESA data, your institution needs
to contact HESA directly.

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QS World University Rankings
by Subject
 New Subject for 2024: Music
80% Academic Reputation
20% Employer Reputation

QS Subject Rankings 2024

55 Narrow Subjects
5 Broad Subjects (Faculty Areas)

➢ In WUR by Subject 2024 – no overall methodology changes but

pleased to have expanded the ranking to be the largest QS
Subject ranking to date in terms of number of published entries.
➢ QS introduced Music as a new subject for this year’s subject
rankings – top 20 ranked for this iteration, with a view to
continuing to develop and expand that as we move forward.
➢ This is, in part, in response to feedback from the sector
and the very generalised nature of ‘Performing Arts’ as a
subject area in the rankings. Whilst music programmes
are also still included in this year’s Subject Rankings for
the transition, we anticipate separating this fully into two
separate subjects from the next cycle (2025).
QS Sustainability Ranking
Sustainability Ranking Methodology
Environmental
Sustainability

Environmental
Research
ENVIRONMENTAL
IMPACT
Environmental
Education

Good
Governance

GOVERNANCE
OVERALL RANK
Equality 10

Knowledge
Exchange

Impact of
Education

SOCIAL IMPACT
Employability &
Opportunities

Health and
Wellbeing
New fields: Environmental Sustainability Category
Training on Environmental aspects of Sustainability

Training can be multi-modal, e.g.:

• Internal training sessions

• External organisation delivering
training
• Training videos
• Workshops

Only mandatory training is

considered
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New fields: Environmental Sustainability Category
Tool for assessing sustainability literacy and knowledge
Sulitest TASK or alternative
Alternative types of
assessment require
evidence to be
entered here.

Examples:
• confirmation of
subscription;
• institution report
from assessment
tool.
• Link to internal
assessment
carried out by the
institution

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New field: Social Impact Category
Training on social aspects of sustainability

Training can be multi-modal, e.g.:

• Internal training sessions

• External organisation delivering
training
• Training videos
• Workshops

• Only mandatory training is

considered
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Timelines & Rankings Calendar
Timeline: Institutional engagement

➢ November to February – Universities to submit data:

➢ Academic and Employer contact detail lists (up to 400 contacts in each
category)
➢ Data submission

➢ February to March – Academic and Employer surveys are open

➢ February – April – Sustainability data collection

➢ November to March – QS validates the rankings data

➢ April to May – Analysis stage

➢ June - World University Rankings results are published (4 June 2024)

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Timeline: Rankings Calendar

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Timeline: Rankings Calendar

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