Ranking Universidades Latinoamérica

QS University Rankings: Latin AmericaTM

2012/2013

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QSUniversity Rankings: Latin AmericaTM 2012/2013

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Welcome
to the 2012 QS University Rankings: Latin AmericaTM Report

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S University Rankings: Latin America was published for the first time in 2011, and created a huge amount of interest both within the region and further afield. This is perhaps unsurprising: Latin America is a hugely dynamic, fast-growing continent that has recentlyidentified higher education as key to its development, yet in global rankings it has mostly been conspicuous by its absence. QS University Rankings: Latin America – produced after extensive consultation with universities throughout Latin America – provides a uniquely detailed comparison of the performance of the region’s universities. This year’s rankings are extended to incorporate 250 institutions,50 more than last year. A second year’s survey results has provided a richer and more inclusive data pool, extending the scope of the useful information we are able to offer. Universities have therefore been ranked individually from 1-150, then in groups of ten from 151-200, with a single group from 201250. This incremental increase in the size of the groupings reflects the entirely logical gapin relative levels of data at the top and bottom of the table. It enables us to avoid a situation wherein we are making a fine-comb distinction based on overall scores that are not sufficiently varied to warrant such a high level of differentiation.

The rankings are remarkable for their stability, a pleasing indication of the validity of the measures employed. The performance of smallerinstitutions at an earlier stage of their development, with less experience in collecting data and a less consistent and established research output, is far more likely to significantly change in a short space of time than that of an established research-intensive institution at the top of the table.Yet even further down the table, volatility levels remain relatively low. The top 200 varies by just sevenuniversities from that of 2011, though direct comparisons from 100-200 cannot be drawn due to the larger groupings that were employed in 2011. As in 2011, the rankings adopt the principles of the QS World University Rankings, augmented with measures of particular regional application. Academic and employer reputation surveys remain the backbone of our approach, in combination with data on researchproductivity and citations, student/faculty ratio, the proportion of staff with a PhD, and web presence. It is an exciting period for Latin American universities, with the growth in scientific research, massification of social demand for higher education, increased student mobility and the rise of private universities all accelerating the pace of change. This year’s rankings help further ourunderstanding of the comparative performance of universities throughout the region, and shine a light on pockets of development that have previously been beyond the scope of international rankings.

Ben Sowter
Ben Sowter is the Head of Division, QS Intelligence Unit

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QS University Rankings: Latin AmericaTM 2012/2013

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2012 QS University Rankings: Latin America
Stablerankings confirm Brazilian dominance
Danny Byrne Editor of TopUniversities.com

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niversity rankings have sometimes been criticized for their volatility, with some observers complaining that seismic year-onyear shifts reflect methodological tinkering or unreliable measures rather than genuine change. The familiar look of the top ten in 2012 QS University Rankings: Latin America is therefore...