There are tons of universities abroad and with so many options on hand, choosing a university to attend has become a difficult decision to make. One of the solutions that students take up is by considering the highest-ranked institutes where they are eligible to get through with their academics, curricular, and experience. University rankings are a good way to judge the accomplishment of a college but they shouldn’t be the only criteria. Some students believe that considering college rankings allows them to choose a specific university more easily, but a minority of students believe that rankings are not a satisfactory way to select a university because different evaluating organizations use different methods for awarding rankings to institutions.

Other than assessing the college ranking, there are a few other elements which you need to consider before choosing the proper university or the college and they are;

• Admission Procedure for top-ranking universities/college
• Educational Cost
• Institution review, the strength of students, course review
• Campus facility and safety for Indian students.

When considering rankings, students must consider both levels of rating, as institutions get two types of rankings: university-wide rankings and program-specific rankings. The ranking method that decides the ranking of a university or college is primarily based on the below elements:

• Easy and Simple Application Process:

Universities can enhance their selection by making the application procedure easier and simpler for students or they can improve their technology by increasing the number of candidates. Access to higher education is a critical component in today’s world, and worldwide governments work hard to promote their institutions. The acceptance rate of students for admission as a percentage of the total number of candidates is established by the entry standards and is used to rank organizations.

• Educational Quality and Facilities

This is among the most important aspects while considering studying at a university internationally. Students’ comfort and satisfaction with their faculty and teaching technique are very important while considering a university. The ranking groups consider teaching methods, institution’s subject, or course combination for assessing academic success. Some companies even consider the doctoral awards won by institutes for ranking, however, this is not an optimal criterion.

• Graduates Performance

The performance of a university’s passed-out graduates is being used to estimate an institute’s academic excellence. The ranking is based on the calculated graduation level of people rather than the expected graduation rate.

• Economic Background

Evaluating the economic stability of a university or college is another important factor in ranking educational institutions. Universities or institutions showing a higher financial budget are typically considered better than those with lower disposable funds. Though finances may not have a direct impact on students’ learning, it is how the business manages its economic means that has the most effect on learners.

• Scope of Research

Universities’ contributions to the dissemination of information and ideas are used to assess the quality of their research. The ranking bodies consider this by calculating the number of papers published in the journals. The research work’s effect increases the university’s reputation, and the research work’s citation is utilized in the ranking process.

• Global Outreach

The potential of a university to attract international students and faculty is a key indicator of its presence on the world platform. Besides this, the university’s industrial alliance and international associations accounted for its role on the top rank.

For instance, the US has very good universities but it’s tough to gauge them by means of their overall rankings.  Comparing universities by ranking is fruitful for undergraduates since universities can be compared at the undergraduate level because there is very little variance between programs at the UG level.  At the Master’s degree level, programs vary a lot from one another so departmental rankings might help.  Overall university rankings really don’t apply well to graduate programs. Program-specific rankings would be a good starting point in the college selection process, especially at the graduate level.

For areas like law and business, graduate program rankings matter quite a bit. Top-tier law school graduates are far more likely to land jobs at top firms or in highly competitive public interest positions. Business school grads from top B-schools are more likely to get the internships and jobs that they want. In these cases, attending a highly-ranked school can make up for a lower GPA or class rank.

Graduate school rankings don’t matter as much in other fields, especially ones that are extremely specialized. For example, if you are seeking a degree in a specialized medical field such as “psychology of human behavior,” choosing a school with a department/professor performing relevant research or other work that you are interested in is more significant.

A good rule of thumb: if it’s difficult to find a list of rankings for your particular subject area online, then the rankings probably don’t matter as much.