How the rankings/league tables are measured

Looking beyond the rankings While useful, the sources of information about rankings and other assessments of quality in this section can only give you part of the picture about an institution and programme – and what is right for another person might not be right for you Read more about other factors to consider when choosing a UK postgraduate programme.

There is a great variety of measures/criteria used and the weightings given to them in the main rankings and league tables. Obviously, these rankings and tables will only be credible if the data gathered is itself credible. As a result, most publications have controls over eligibility for inclusion in their rankings or league tables and the collection of data for them. They are also careful about the type of data used, with most using at least use some official data.

Some also use data collected through their own surveys, which again are subject to controls and checks. Because of the importance placed on this, the publications do give considerable detail on their websites as to the lengths they will go to ensure the reliability and credibility of the data in their rankings and tables. In the interests of brevity, this information is not included here: if you want to know more, go to the website of the ranking or league table you are interested in:

• Business Week
• Economist Intelligence Unit
• The Financial Times business school rankings
• The Guardian University Guide
• The Guardian University Guide (print version)
• The Independent – The Complete University Guide
• The Law Society Gazette
• The Sunday Times University Guide
• The Times Good University Guide
• The Times Good University Guide (print version)
• The Times Higher Education Supplement
• The Virgin Alternative Guide to British Universities (print version)
• US News & World Report
• Wall Street Journal