1. There are many versions of rankings in the UK, which one is more authoritative? Which one is more trustworthy?

Answer: They are all very authoritative and can be trusted; The only difference is the evaluation perspective. For example, The Times focuses on academic aspects, while The Guardian focuses on employment. It is recommended that students use a combination of the two rankings. The most well-known ranking in China at present is the Times ranking. However, it is widely recognized in the industry that the latest Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) for UK universities is the most guiding tool for applying for a master's degree in the UK. The RAE ranking is updated every 7 years, and the latest version of the ranking was released in 2008.

Reference ranking:

TIMES UK University Rankings

The Guardian's comprehensive ranking of UK universities

Latest RAE 2014 Rankings of UK Universities

2. Why does the same university rank differently in different newspapers? Where does statistical data come from?

Answer: Because the reference angles for newspaper rankings are different, some data comes from universities, while others come from student surveys of numerous universities or online voting.

3. What factors affect the annual ranking changes of British universities in the same newspaper?

Answer: Like The Times, rankings are influenced by multiple factors, such as historical period, annual funding for university hardware equipment, graduation rate, etc. If a university invests millions of pounds in its computer center this year to replace hardware equipment, then the university's ranking in the second year will be affected by this and move up a few places because this indicator participates in the ranking.

4. What is the relationship between UK rankings and the strength of universities?

Answer: There is a certain correlation, but it is not the only performance value. The quality of teaching can be effectively guaranteed under the premise of a stable teaching team. However, the issue of ranking is related to many other factors in universities. Therefore, it is recommended that students choose colleges that are suitable for themselves, considering factors such as academic performance matching.

5. What factors should be considered when applying to a UK university besides rankings?

Answer: Admission criteria, university location, graduation rate, future job prospects, and the possibility of internship recommendations are all issues that should be considered.

6. Which is more important, professional ranking or comprehensive ranking?

Answer: Both are important and need to be combined for reference.

7. What is the fundamental difference between schools ranked 20th and 30th?

Answer: There is no significant difference. There are over 120 universities in the UK, and if classified into 5 levels, there are approximately 30 universities in each tier.

8. If choosing to study abroad in the UK, what should be the weight of the "ranking" factor? Is it true that the higher the ranking, the better the school?

Answer: The reference ratio is about 50%, and the other 50% still need to go through professional consultation in order to know oneself and one's enemy, win a hundred battles, and not just rely on rankings.

9. Why do so many institutions release university rankings?

Answer: As an education powerhouse with abundant resources, different institutions may release university rankings. On the one hand, it is beneficial for establishing the authority of institutions; On the other hand, it is also beneficial for the promotion of universities.

10. Are all the schools participating in the UK university rankings public and private?

Answer: The majority of universities in the UK that participate in university rankings are public institutions, with a few being private institutions such as the University of Buckingham.

11. Some private universities are not on the list, is it a very poor 'wild chicken university'?

Answer: It's not necessarily the case, but when choosing to study abroad in the UK for undergraduate or master's programs, it is recommended to focus primarily on public universities.

12. Is professional ranking the most reflective of the teaching strength of a major?

Answer: Not entirely, but it can be used as a reference! Because professional rankings are not a separate indicator for evaluation.