Renowned QS World University Rankings Value RSU’s Internationality

The University receives its highest ranking in the indicator on international student and faculty ratio in which the university has risen five places over the year to place 128th in the world.

‘RSU’s success in placing among the world’s top universities in the QS Rankings is a remarkable achievement taking into account both the changing and complex global situation of the last two years and the fact that universities have to compete with each other and prove their performance on a global scale every year.’

RSU Rector Prof. Aigars Pētersons

For several years now, only three higher education institutions from Latvia have managed to enter the internationally renowned QS World University Rankings. All three Latvian universities have retained their previous positions in this year’s ranking: Riga Technical University (RTU) is ranked 751–800, RSU is ranked 801–1000, but the University of Latvia (UL) is ranked 1001–1200. Competition for a place in the rankings has increased this year to a total of 1,422 institutions from 100 countries, which is 9.4% more than a year ago.

In the indicator on academic reputation, which has the greatest impact on the overall QS World University Rankings, all three Latvian universities are on an equal footing in terms of rank and are ranked 501+ in the world rankings. The QS ranking assesses the scientific performance of universities by the average number of citations per academic staff member. In this indicator, none of the three Latvian universities has managed to climb above the 601+ ranking.

Although Latvian universities are even in some ranking indicators, the overall rankings differ because universities’ performance is assessed on the basis of six criteria. Among these indicators, RSU is the strongest in the share of international students, which has been on an upward trend for several years and is also reflected in the ranking results. This year, RSU has also managed to improve its position in this indicator and, compared to last year, has moved up five places to 128th in the world. In comparison, RTU is ranked 249th, while UL is 601+ in the ranking table. In addition to the above indicators, universities are also assessed in categories such as employer reputation, student-to-academic staff ratio and the proportion of international staff. 

QS is one of the world’s most recognised providers of services, analysis and insights for the higher education sector. It has been compiling rankings since 2004 to compare universities’ performance.

The latest QS Ranking results