CORE CRITERIA
ADVANCED CRITERIA
Core Criteria
These criteria feature the key building blocks of a university whether focused globally, domestically or locally – All categories in this section are mandatory for the evaluation.
TEACHING
Faculty student ratio
The ratio of faculty to students
Overall student satisfaction
Proportion of students expressing satisfaction with overall experience in student survey
Completion
Proportion of students scheduled to graduate succeeding in doing so
Satisfaction with teaching
Proportion of students expressing satisfaction with teaching through student survey
Faculty with PhD
Proportion of faculty with PhD or equivalent terminal degree
Further study
Proportion of students pursuing further study within 12 months of graduation
EMPLOYABILITY
Employer reputation
Number of employer referees endorsing institution in QS Global Employer Survey
Graduate employment rate
Proportion of students employed within 12 months of graduation (excluding those not actively seeking work e.g. pursuing further study)
Career service support
Number of full-time careers advisors
RESEARCH
Academic reputation
Number of academic referees endorsing institution in QS Global Academic Survey
Citations per paper
Citations per paper – adjusted for institutions with negligible activity in medicine, science and technology
Papers per faculty
Research papers (Scopus) per faculty member
Arts-related outputs
Recognition of academic outputs in disciplines where journal articles are not pervasive
Prolific academic experts
Number of faculty members achieving international recognition through awards (e.g Nobel)
INTERNATIONALIZATION
Institutional research collaborations
University research collaborations or joint degree programs with QS top 500 universities in previous three years published rankings
International faculty
Proportion of international faculty
International students
Proportion of international students
Inbound exchange students
Proportion of inbound exchange students
Outbound exchange students
Proportion of inbound exchange students
Religious facilities
Provision of appropriate facilities for international students of different religions
International diversity
Number of nationalities represented in student body
Learning Environment
Universities will typically select one of the categories in this area as part of the QS Stars™ evaluation
Facilities
Sporting Facilities
Provision of key, popular sporting facilities (e.g. swimming pool, gym, track, sports courts etc…)
Student accommodation
Number of student rooms relative to size of student body
IT infrastructure
Number of computers on campus; proportion of wired student rooms or campus Wi -Fi coverage
Library Facilities
Value or number of acquisitions with the past 12 months
Medical Facilities
Provision of medical facilities appropriate to the size of the student body
Student societies
Number of student administered organizations
Online/ Distance Learning
Latest technology
Use of new technology for program deployment
Track record
Length of time the institution had been operating successful online programs
Student faculty engagement
Regular access to faculty for one on one support
Student interaction
Opportunities to meet and interact with fellow students
Commitment to online
Number/proportion of programs made available online
Reputation
Number of organizations using programs and technology for staff training
Advanced Criteria
For a university to aspire to being truly world-class, its mission and its impact must extend further than the basics. This selection of criteria looks at important factors that a university with a solid foundation in the core criteria might target to advance to a higher level of performance and recognition.
Recognising that institutions vary in specialisation, this section gives universities the option to select two of the categories in this area that showcase their strengths.
CULTURE
Concerts and exhibitions
Concerts and exhibitions featuring the work or performances of students and faculty
Credits and cultural awards
Credits or cultural awards for students, faculty members or the institution as a whole publically accessible works
Cultural investment
Financial contribution to arts projects outside the university OR investment in cultural preservation
INNOVATION
Patents
Active patents registered with national or international patent offices
Spin-off companies
Spin-off companies established in the last five years still operating and no longer requiring support from the university
Industrial research
Joint research projects with distinct research corporations (non-university), yielding publications in Scopus in the last 5 years
ENGAGEMENT
Community investment and development
Financial or in-kind contributions to community projects within 200km of any campus or affiliated facility
Charity work and disaster relief
Financial or in-kind contributions to national or international causes and charities
Regional human capital development
Proportion of graduates employed in the region OR proportion of students from the region
Environmental impact
Performance against a checklist of environmental indicators
ACCESS
Scholarships and bursaries
Financial value of, or number of students granted access through, scholarships
Disabled access
Proportion of campus with wheelchair access
Gender balance
Recognition of gender parity
Low-income outreach
Proportion of students identified as low-income OR investment in promotion to low-income families
*Universities only need to be evaluated in two of the sections in this area as part of the QS Stars Evaluation. A maximum of 100 points can be scored. Institutions can request assessment in more than two areas.
Specialist Criteria
Excellence in a narrow field is as valid a claim to world-class status as competence in the round. These criteria are designed to extend credit where it’s due. – All categories in this section are mandatory for the evaluation.
DISCIPLINE RANKING
Faculty area ranking
Ranking performance in any one of five broad faculty areas conducted
Specific subject ranking
Ranking performance in specific disciplines in rankings conducted by QS or respected alternate publisher
ACCREDITATION
Internationally recognized accreditations
Programs accredited by internationally recognized and applicable standards
Nationally recognized accreditations
Programs accredited by internationally recognized and applicable standards
THRESHOLDS & PRE-REQUISITES
1 Star (100 / 1000)
- Must have the authority to grant valid degree level programs in its own name
2 Stars (250 / 1000)
3 Stars (400 / 1000)
4 Stars (550 / 1000)
- Must have at least 75 academic referees or must have at least 2 citations per faculty member (for any institution not focused exclusively in two or fewer of our broad faculty area
- Must have at least 1% international students
5 Stars (700 / 1000)
- Must have at least 150 academic referees or 3 citations per faculty member (for any institution not focused exclusively in two or fewer of our broad faculty areas)
- Must have at least 5% international faculty
- Must have at least 5% international students
- Must have at least 20 employer referees
- Must have a minimum of 70 points in Facilities category within Core Criteria
5 Stars Plus (900/1000)
- Must have 5 star rating in all categories
