University Ranking As an Education Quality Assessment Tool

The purpose of the article is a comprehensive analysis of the ranking methodology of leading international and European University rankings. The research methodology is based on abstraction use, analysis, and synthesis methods, which have provided theoretical comprehension for the phenomenon of world universities ranking. The scientific novelty of the findings involves proposal development for upgrading International University Rankings. Based on the analysis of rates, indicators, and weight assignment of the most influential International University Rankings in the world (ARWU, THE, QS World University Rankings, Webometrics, PRSP, CWTS Leiden Ranking, SCImago institutions Rankings, U-Multirank), the article stated that the composition of their rates varies within a relatively small number of key features, the choice of which is related to the degree of availability of data for analysis and the subjective position of developers regarding the primary characteristics of the university. It is concluded that the ranking indicators do not consider the organization features of training, scientific and innovative processes at university. In ranking methodologies, there are no indicators that would characterise the learning process, the teaching quality, the students’ achievements, the degree of their learning skills and being advanced in knowledge, in respect to international rankings, and the readiness of graduates for a career in a specific social context of a particular country, referring national rankings. It is noted that the marketing mechanism for assessing universities should be supplemented with a humanistic one, which provides an appreciation for the learning process as an interaction between the student, teacher, and the environment. When developing rankings, it is necessary to clearly define the indicators for universities of different training profiles and justify the indicators, their weight assignment, and score counting procedure