The latest edition of U-Multirank has been published. This is not a conventional ranking but rather a tool that allows prospective students and other stakeholders to select metrics relating to research, teaching and learning, knowledge transfer, regional engagement, and international orientation and to make comparisons or construct their own rankings.
U-Multirank began in 2010/11 with a feasibility study sponsored by the European Commission. It is now produced by a consortium led by the Centre for Higher Education (CHE), Germany, the Centre for Higher Education Policy Studies (CHEPS) at the University of Twente, Netherlands, the Centre for Science and Technology Studies (CWTS) at Leiden University, Netherlands, and Fundación CYD, Spain. There are also five Associate Partners and three Financial Partners.
Metrics are constructed from a variety of sources including a student survey and data submitted by institutions. Although many indicators are included the response rate is varied and many universities have not submitted data. Participation is much greater in Western and Central Europe than in other regions.
Although there is no overall league table U-Multirank does include a number of readymade rankings. Western and Central European universities tend to do very well although some institutions from North America and Asia make a good showing especially in subject rankings.
The International Orientation ranking is headed by four universities with maximum scores, located in France, Norway and Italy. The Research and Industry Linkages ranking has nine universities with top scores, four located in the Netherlands, three in the UK, and one each in Denmark and Switzerland.
The Regional Economic Engagement ranking is led by ETH Zurich and the Applied Knowledge Partnership ranking by the EDHEC Business School, France.
The Institutional Universities of Science and Technology ranking is more diverse. Of the nine universities with six A scores two, Caltech and Carnegie Mellon University, are located in the USA and one, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, in Saudi Arabia.
It is also possible to use U-Multirank to compare specific universities or to construct subject rankings.
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