U of C ranks high among young universities

By Fabian Mayer, October 2 2014 —

The University of Calgary is the 171st-ranked university in the world and the ninth among universities under 50 years old, according to Quacquarelli Symonds Limited’s (QS) annual world university rankings.

The ninth-place ranking makes the U of C the top-rated young university in Canada and the second-best rated in North America, behind University of California Irvine, which placed seventh worldwide among universities under 50. The U of C moved up four spots among young universities from 2013’s rankings.

The U of C moved up 30 places from last year’s overall rankings. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology was the number-one ranked university in the world for the third consecutive year.

QS’s list is considered one of the most comprehensive in the world and ranks schools on categories like research, teaching, employability and internationalization.

The U of C didn’t fare well in QS’s ranking for access, receiving just three out of five stars. Access is based on the availability of bursaries and scholarships, disabled access, gender balance and low-income outreach.

Students’ Union vice-president academic Hana Kadri said the ranking will make the U of C a more desirable place to go to school.

“I think it also means that it’s going to be a more competitive institution. Many students, whether they are domestic or international, choose universities based on a level of prestige,” Kadri said.

While Kadri believes that rankings are important, she doesn’t think they should factor into the U of C’s decision making.

“I don’t think that ranking systems should affect the amount of funding put into any particular area, unless of course we’re lagging in an area,” Kadri said.