2013 QS World University Rankings
2013 QS World University Rankings
Summary
Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), a company that specializes in providing study abroad services, released the 2013 QS World
University Rankings on September 10, 2013. In total, more than 3,000 universities were evaluated and over 800 were
ranked1, including 26 Canadian universities. The University of Saskatchewan (U of S) was ranked 421 – 430 in the
world, a drop from 393 last year.
University of Saskatchewan was placed behind 17 Canadian universities. University of Toronto was ranked the highest
at 17, followed by McGill University (21), University of British Columbia (49), University of Montreal (92), and
University of Alberta (96). Four universities were ranked between 101-200 including McMaster University (140),
University of Waterloo (180), Queen’s University (189), and Western University (199).
What is the ranking based on?
The QS World University Rankings is based on the weighted scores of six indicators (see below):
Area
Academic
reputation
Employer
reputation
Citations per
faculty
Faculty per
student
International
faculty
International
students
Indicator
Composite score drawn from peer review survey divided into five
subject areas including Arts and Humanities, Engineering and IT,
Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Natural Sciences, and Social
Sciences
Employers surveyed on the quality of graduates
Weight
Source
40%
QS Global Academic
Survey
10%
QS Employer Survey
Score based on research performance factored against the size of
the research body
Score based on student to faculty ratio and intended to evaluate
level of teaching quality
20%
Score based on proportion of international faculty members
5%
SciVerse Scopus from
Elsevier
Data provided by
institutions
Data provided by
institutions
Score based on proportion of international student members
5%
20%
Data provided by
institutions
For more information about the QS ranking methodology, please go to http://www.iu.qs.com/universityrankings/rankings-indicators/
1
st
th
The top 400 universities were ranked individually from 1st to 400th place. Universities that were ranked between 401 to 500 were placed
in groups of ten (e.g. 401-410, 411-420, 421-430, and so on). The remaining universities were ranked into categories: 501-550, 551-600, 601650, 651-700 and 701+.
2013 QS World University Rankings
Scores for the University of Saskatchewan
The following table illustrates the scores for the U of S on each of the six indicators of the QS Rankings.
Academic
reputation
Employer
reputation
Citations/
faculty
Faculty/
student
International
faculty
International
students
OVERALL
21.12
58.3
14
32.7
59.6
12
32.0
73.0
15
45.9
35.4
4
39.6
81.8
13
46.8
55.2
11
31.7
53.7
14
(40%)
U of S score
Median score for U153
U of S rank among U15
2
3
(10%)
(20%)
(20%)
(5%)
(5%)
The QS rankings uses z-scores to normalize the results. That is, indicator scores are calculated based on the distance between each value from the mean average of
the entire dataset. Theoretically, a U of S score of 21.1 in academic reputation means that 21.1% of the universities who participated in the QS rankings are ranked
below the U of S; or in other words, 78.9% of the universities scored higher.
Scores for academic reputation, employer reputation and international faculty for the University of Manitoba are not available.
Rankings by faculty areas
In addition to the overall rankings, the QS rankings also published the top 400 universities in five faculty areas: arts and
humanities, engineering and technology, life sciences and medicine, natural sciences, and social sciences and
management. These rankings are compiled based on similar methodology with the overall rankings, although higher
weights are placed on academic reputation and employer reputation with the exception of life sciences and medicine.
The U of S ranked 328 in life sciences and medicine, 380 in engineering and technology, and 395 in natural science. Last
year, the only faculty area where the U of S placed in the top 400 was natural science (371).
For more information, visit
www.usask.ca/ipa
QS Rankings 2013 | September 2013 | University of Saskatchewan
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2013 Academic Rankings of
World Universities (ARWU)
2013 Academic Rankings of World Universities
Summary
The Shanghai Ranking Consultancy released its 2013 Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU), also known as the
Shanghai Ranking, on August 15, 2013. In total, more than 1,200 universities were ranked and the top 500 were
published. The University of Saskatchewan (U of S) was ranked in the 201-300 category 1, consistent with results from
previous years.
Twenty-three Canadian universities were placed in the top 500. The University of Toronto was ranked the highest at 28th,
followed by the University of British Columbia (40th), McGill University (58th) and McMaster University (92nd). University
of Alberta, University of Montreal, and Waterloo University were ranked 101-200. Eight Canadian universities were
ranked 201-300 along with the U of S.
The Shanghai Ranking Consultancy also published the top 200 universities in five broad subject fields and five subjects.
The U of S was among the top 200 in two broad subject fields, ranked 151-200 in engineering/ technology and computer
sciences, as well as in life and agriculture sciences.
What is the ranking based on?
The Academic Ranking of World Universities is based on the weighted scores of six indicators (see below) collected from
third party data with 40% of the weighting based on quality of faculty, 40% on research output, and 20% on quality of
education and per capita performance combined.
Area
Quality of
Education
Quality of
Faculty
Research
Output
Per Capita
Performance
Indicator
Number of alumni winning Nobel Prizes in the sciences or Fields
Medals in mathematics (Alumni)
Number of staff winning Nobel Prizes in the sciences or Fields
Medals in mathematics (Award)
Number of highly cited researchers (top 250) in 21 broad subject
categories (HiCi)
Number of ‘articles’ or ‘proceedings papers’ published in Nature and
Science over the last five years (N&S)
Number of ‘articles’ or ‘proceedings papers’ indexed in Science
Citation Index-Expanded and Social Sciences Citation Index in
previous year (PUB)
Per capita academic performance with respect to the size of an
institution (PCP)
Weight
10%
20%
Source
Official Nobel Prize site
and International
Mathematical Union
for Fields Medals
20%
20%
Thomson Reuters
websites
20%
10%
ARWU indicators/
university data from
national agencies
For more information about ARWU’s ranking methodology, please go to: http://www.shanghairanking.com/ARWUMethodology-2013.html
1
st
th
The top 100 universities are ranked individually from 1 to 100 place. The remaining universities are ranked into the following
categories: Top 101-150, Top 151-200, Top 201-300, Top 301-400, and Top 401-500.
ARWU 2013 | August 2013 | University of Saskatchewan
1
2013 Academic Rankings of
World Universities (ARWU)
Scores of the University of Saskatchewan
The following table illustrates the scores for the U of S on each of the six indicators that make up the Academic Ranking of
World Universities.
U of S score
Median score for Canadian universities
U of S rank among Canadian universities3
1
2
3
4
Alumni
9.31
0
7th
Award
0
0
4th4
HiCi
15.7
14.5
11th
N&S
9.4
12.3
17th
PUB
31.6
34.6
18th
PCP
15.4
17.5
18th
OVERALL
13.82
14.1
15th
Indicator scores are calculated by dividing the actual indicator value by the top university value for that indicator and multiplying by 100. The U of
S score of 15.4 on PCP does not mean that faculty at the university have on average 15.4 publications, rather it means the success of our university
on PCP is 15.4% of the top university for this indicator.
ARWU does not publish scores for institutions that are ranked lower than the top 100. This score was determined based on a calculation using the
scores and weights for the six individual indicators.
Twenty-three Canadian Universities were in the top 500.
U of S tied with 19 institutions at 0. Only three universities scored higher than 0 in this category.
Placement of Canadian universities
The following table illustrates the placement of Canadian universities in the Academic Ranking of World Universities over
the past four years. It is important to note that some categories have changed slightly over the years (e.g. 201-302
category in 2009 changed to 201-300 for 2010-2013).
2013
University
2009
2010
2011
2012
28
University of Toronto
27
27
26
27
40
University of British Columbia
36
36
37
39
58
McGill University
65
61
64
63
92
McMaster University
91
88
89
92
101-150
University of Alberta
101-151
101-150
102-150
101-150
101-150
University of Montreal
101-151
101-150
102-150
101-150
151-200
Waterloo University
201-302
151-200
151-200
151-200
201-300
Dalhousie University
201-302
201-300
201-300
201-300
201-300
Queen’s University
201-302
201-300
201-300
201-300
201-300
Simon Fraser University
201-302
201-300
201-300
201-300
201-300
University of Calgary
201-302
151-200
151-200
201-300
201-300
University of Guelph
201-302
201-300
201-300
201-300
201-300
University of Laval
201-302
201-300
201-300
201-300
301-400
University of Manitoba
201-302
201-300
201-300
201-300
201-300
University of Ottawa
201-302
201-300
201-300
201-300
201-300
University of Saskatchewan
201-302
201-300
201-300
201-300
201-300
University of Western Ontario
201-302
201-300
201-300
201-300
301-400
University of Victoria
201-302
201-300
201-300
301-400
401-500
Carleton University
402-501
401-500
401-500
401-500
401-500
Concordia University
401-500
University of Quebec
402-501
401-500
401-500
401-500
401-500
University of Sherbrooke
402-501
401-500
401-500
401-500
401-500
York University
402-501
401-500
401-500
401-500
ARWU 2013 | August 2013 | University of Saskatchewan
2
2013 Academic Rankings of
World Universities (ARWU)
Rankings by broad subject field
In addition to the overall ranking, the Shanghai Ranking Consultancy also published the top 200 universities in five broad
subject fields: Natural Sciences and Mathematics (SCI), Engineering/Technology and Computer Sciences (ENG), Life and
Agriculture Sciences (LIFE), Clinical Medicine and Pharmacy (MED), and Social Sciences (SOC). These rankings are compiled
based on similar methodology with the overall ranking.
The U of S ranked 151-200 in engineering/technology and computer sciences, as well as in life and agriculture sciences.
The following table illustrates the placement of Canadian universities in the broad subject field rankings in 2013.
University
McGill University
University of British Columbia
University of Toronto
University of Alberta
University of Montreal
McMaster University
University of Calgary
Simon Fraser University
University of Laval
University of Saskatchewan
University of Western Ontario
Waterloo University
Queen’s University
University of Guelph
University of Manitoba
University of Ottawa
University of Victoria
York University
SCI
101-150
51-75
35
101-150
151-200
101-150
-
ENG
51-75
101-150
12
76-100
101-150
151-200
151-200
43
-
LIFE
23
35
47
76-100
101-150
151-200
101-150
151-200
101-150
-
MED
32
101-150
25
76-100
151-200
45
151-200
101-150
151-200
76-100
151-200
-
SOC
51-75
35
42
51-75
76-100
41
151-200
76-100
76-100
101-150
151-200
Total number of fields
in the top 200
5
5
5
4
4
3
3
2
2
2
2
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
Rankings by subject
Currently, the Shanghai Ranking Consultancy only publishes rankings in five specific subjects: mathematics, physics,
chemistry, computer science, and economics/business. The U of S was not ranked in the top 200 in these subjects.
For more information, visit
www.usask.ca/ipa
ARWU 2013 | August 2013 | University of Saskatchewan
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2013 THE World University Rankings
2013 Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings
Summary
Times Higher Education (THE), a weekly British magazine reporting specifically on news and issues related to higher
education, released the 2013 THE World University Rankings on October 2, 2013. The University of Saskatchewan (U of S)
was not ranked among the top 400 institutions 1.
Nineteen Canadian universities, including all 14 of our U15 peers, were placed in the top 400. University of Toronto was
ranked the highest at 20, followed by University of British Columbia (31), McGill University (35) and McMaster University
(92). Other Canadian universities that ranked in the top 400 include University of Montreal, University of Alberta,
University of Ottawa, University of Calgary, Laval University, University of Victoria, Queen’s University, Simon Fraser
University, University of Waterloo, Western University, Dalhousie University, Carleton University, York University,
University of Manitoba and University of Guelph.
What is the ranking based on?
The THE World University Rankings is based on the weighted scores of thirteen indicators in five areas as indicated below.
Area
Teaching (30%)
Research (30%)
Citations (30%)
Industry income
(2.5%)
International
outlook (7.5%)
Indicator
Reputational survey – teaching
Academic staff / total students
Doctorates awarded / undergraduate degrees awarded
Doctorates awarded / academic staff
Institutional income / academic staff
Reputational survey – research
Academic papers / academic & research staff
Research income / academic staff
Citation impact (normalized average citations per paper)
Research income from industry and commerce (per academic
staff)
Weight
15%
4.5%
2.25%
6%
2.25%
18%
6%
6%
30%
Source
Reputational survey
University provided data
University provided data
University provided data
University provided data
Reputational survey
Web of Science database
University provided data
Web of Science database
2.5%
University provided data
Ratio of international to domestic staff
Ratio of international to domestic students
Proportion of internationally co-authored research papers
2.5%
2.5%
2.5%
University provided data
University provided data
Web of Science database
For more information on the THE ranking methodology, please go to: http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/worlduniversity-rankings/2013-14/world-ranking/region/north-america/methodology
1
The top 200 universities were ranked individually from 1 to 200. Between 201 and 300, universities were ranked into the groups of 25; universities
that were placed between 301 and 400 were divided into two groups of 50.
THE rankings 2013 | October 2013 | University of Saskatchewan
1
2013 THE World University Rankings
Scores of the University of Saskatchewan
The following table illustrates the scores for the U of S on each of the five areas of the THE rankings.
(30%)
Industry
income
International
outlook (7.5%)
OVERALL
23
23
12
59.3
73
55
57
49.6
42
42
51
62.8
27
27
20
45.6
Teaching
Research
Citations
291
31
19
36.9
21
21
18
36.1
(30%)
U of S score (2013)
U of S score (2012)
U of S score (2011)
Median score for U15
(30%)
(2.5%)
For more information, visit
www.usask.ca/ipa
THE rankings 2013 | October 2013 | University of Saskatchewan
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