Edited: University rankings, do they matter?

Every year university hopefuls flock to the university ranking website to see where their dream university ranks. But do these tables tell the full story?

College Student, Vakho Kvinikadze at Westminster Queen sway College using UCAS (credit: Tamar Tsilosani)

Comparing universities is an important industry, increasing particularly over the last ten years. Undoubtedly, this has been driven by the internationalisation of education, as well as our love and curiosity for competition. This time of year is crucial for students to find out where the university of their dreams  ranks. But are these league tables the golden guidelines that promises your desired career? Is this still the case for our young generation? Nowadays, students are more aware of the need to start thinking about their career at an early stage since there are fewer job opportunities than university graduates. This leads to a question that concerns every student: What are the main factors that attract graduate recruiters, university rankings, league table, The Russell Group, degree classification or field experience? According to the BBC’s recent article, Aberystwyth University has dropped to 49th place in just two years. Many students at Aberystwyth University have admitted that this raises concerns about their future employability.  Student Joe Mallinder said: “How has it gone down so quickly in two years, what has drastically changed… and will that have a massive effect on me getting a job?” Prof. Maged George Iskander, Vice Dean for Research Faculty of Business Administration, Economics and Political Science at The British University in Egypt (BUE) believes that, the University Ranking has a significant impact on the overall reputation of a university. However it can differ accordingly to criteria assessments such as ‘Subject Rankings’. Higher education statistics agency (HESA), an official independent collector and publisher, responsible for collecting and analysing data on students and Universities in the UK, publish annual statistics and surveys showing the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education (DLHE) . The survey asks recent graduates what they were doing six months after graduating. They recently published the statistics in a report entitled ‘Employment indicator: UK domiciled leavers obtaining other undergraduate qualifications from full-time courses 2012/13’. According to the survey, the University of Leicester, which is ranked among the UK’s top 20 universities, has on average the same rate of employment/further education (94.9%) as London South Bank University (94.3%), which is in 120th place in the university rankings. Professor Phil Cardew, Pro Vice chancellor at London South Bank University, criticises measurements of league tables by its assessment criteria. He particularly draws close attention to entry qualification requirements.  Prof. Phil Cardew said: ‘’ There is a very easy way for University to rise up its position on league tables, by simply closing doors to many potential students, who may not have done particularly well at A levels but gained other field experience while they had a break from education.” He also added the ”historical mission for London South Bank University is to provide university education to students, who are willing to obtain higher education in the UK.’’

We carried out our own research and conducted a small survey by collecting data from UK graduates and undergraduate students as well as overseas students to gather their thoughts on the following topic: ‘Does university ranking matter when considering undertaking higher education in the UK?’ 36% of students voted that it increases their opportunities, while another 32% said that the course is important not the university, only 25% considers that it determines success, and for some students this is not a concern when choosing a university. In some cases, employers in the media industry prefer students who have media qualifications and are fully skilled to take the opportunities offered to them. According to The Guardian university guide 2015, Bournemouth University is ranked 71st in the UK. However according to HEFCE, the Higher Education Funding Council for England, Bournemouth University has the world’s most recognised media school with an outstanding reputation in teaching and research. It was awarded its status in 2004 and still remains the same. Although Bournemouth’s overall ranking might not sound as promising as Cambridge’s, media graduates, Bournemouth University graduates have a greater chance of attracting the world’s leading employers within the media industry than those from higher ranked universities. Alona Shaji is currently studying at Queen Mary University of London. Her dream is to become a qualified doctor. For Alona and her parents, the main priority is that she attends a prestigious university, regardless of the quality of teaching she receives. Alona believes that the name of such an institution on her diploma will be the main indicator that guarantees her employment after graduation. Is the ranking the only factor to consider and does it really matter? The answer varies among critics however many have responded “Yes, it matters but only to some extent”. Nevertheless for many students choosing where to study, teaching quality, along with graduate employability, is often the most important consideration.   In this audio report, Tamar Tsilosani questions whether or not the university a student graduates from has an impact on their chances of employment.