Abstract:

College rankings serve as a vital means for stakeholders in higher education to acquire information about institutions and shape perceptions of educational quality. The growing popularity and enduring nature of rankings result from various factors, including heightened student mobility, institutional integration of rankings in promotional campaigns and decision-making processes, and their involvement in international discussions on assessment, accountability, and quality assurance efforts. These rankings, conveying simplified information to consumers, foster competition among institutions and wield influence over institutional policies. When crafted with a clear standardized purpose and appropriate methodologies, college rankings hold the potential to enhance the visibility of college quality for diverse audiences. However, the use of college rankings has not been without controversy, leading to clashes among stakeholders over definitions of educational quality, the effectiveness of rankings in capturing quality, and the role rankings should play in shaping policy and institutional practices.

College rankings have gained significant attention in the popular press, academic journals, policymaking circles, and the higher education community. The discourse typically centres on evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of rankings, proposing possible revisions to ranking methodologies, and exploring their applications in institutional promotion and college choice. Despite teaching and learning being fundamental components of university business, rankings often prioritize research indicators. Existing college rankings cover only a limited segment of the higher education landscape, potentially incentivizing behaviours that contradict public policy goals, and are based on educational inputs at a time when educational outcomes are increasingly important to policymakers. As university missions encompass various dimensions, rankings may not adequately reflect this diversity. They put the diversity of higher education institutions at risk and foster isomorphism—a tendency for organizations to adopt similar practices.

While there exist significant research on higher education institutions (HEIs) and rankings, the majority is dominated by Western countries, limiting our understanding in emerging market contexts. Consequently, this study investigates how international rankings impact diverse HEIs in India, contributing to the broader discourse on the global influence of rankings in higher education.

Keywords:

Rankings, HEI, India.