As rankings of universities?

Perhaps the most popular in the UK overall rankings of universities are published in electronic or printed form Newspapers The Times (Good University Guide), The Guardian (The Guardian University Guide) and The Independent (The Complete University Guide. Most of the ratings are based on the same sources and operate on the same source data. The results, however, differ.

Why do ratings differ?

The reason is the goals, objectives, and research methodology. Goals and objectives influence the selection of criteria, evaluating their importance, and hence the weight in the formation of the final figures. Without going into details of methods of information processing, recall the obvious: they are the set of rules under which everything on the source data. Different methods – different results. The place of the University in the ranking does not mean that all subjects are taught at the same level. The same applies to the quality of research in different subject areas and to the quality of the material base of various faculties.

Look at the different ratings:

Good University Guide, The Times includes two tables: General and by subject area. Universities are in the rating depending on the points they scored on eight key indicators.

Weight	Figure	Translation	Transcript
1,5	Student Satisfaction	the overall quality of programs	student reviews
1,5	Research Quality	the quality of research	quality indicator 1 employee eligible to participate in the RAE; a dual system of calculating
1	Entry Standards	entry requirements	the average score received
1	Student-Staff Ratios	the ratio of students and teachers	the number of students per teacher, with the exception of employees engaged in scientific-research activities
1	Services & Facilities Spend	the cost of development of material and training base	1 student, on average, for 2 years
1	Completion	students completing the course	the ratio of the expected number of graduates with graduation last year, including jumping to other programs
1	Good Honours	diplomas with honors	the ratio of diplomas with honors and regular
1	Graduate Prospects	career opportunities for graduates	are ranked in 4 levels

Primary statistical data is additionally verified with the universities and, if necessary, adjusted. The user is given the opportunity to build the table in accordance with their interests and priorities, changing the weight of criteria.

Table The Guardian cover all program students of the first higher education in the UK. For the construction of the rating used six criteria.

Weight, %	Figure	Translation	Transcript
10	Teaching quality	The quality of teaching	a positive assessment of graduating students
5	Feedback	Academic support	a positive assessment of graduating students
17	Spending per student	Total cost for 1 student	Total cost for 1 student
17	Staff/student ratio	The ratio of students and teachers	the number of students per 1 teacher
17	Job prospects	Career opportunities for graduates	the ratio employed in the profession or have decided to continue training with the unemployed
17	Value added	The acquired knowledge/skills	comparison of the results of the graduates with their introductory knowledge
17	Entry score	entry requirements	the average score received

A set of criteria of this rating is significantly different. For example, it is not considered research activity of universities because it is intended to help undergraduate students. It is expected that more significant factors - the quality of teaching and other aspects of the educational process, and the data about research activity of the University are important for continuing higher education masters and PhD programs.

The rating ranks the achievements of universities in General and in specific subject areas. The electronic version allows you to create your own table taking into account the importance of certain criteria.

To summarize:

the rating results are determined by the methodology: all the existing diversity of information was first filtered using the selected criteria, and the remaining data is treated securely and in accordance with a certain methodology.
universities may not be equally strong in all: do not abandon the consideration of a suitable program because of a line of the University in the ranking, because not all of his strengths could influence the final score;
when choosing a program, it is important to obtain the maximum amount of information: other people's opinion can be taken into account, but it must clearly formulate its own objectives and priorities.