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What criteria does QS Stars use to rate universities?
Discover universities that excel in areas that matter most to you. Instead of comparing institutions against each other, QS Stars assess them in universally relevant criteria, highlighting the hidden strengths traditional rankings often overlook.
The methodology ensures a fair and transparent evaluation that celebrates excellence in every area crucial for your academic journey.
New for 2024: Evolved insights, clearer choices
We've updated our methodology to reflect the world’s evolving priorities and help you make informed decisions about your future. Look for updated QS Stars assessments with our refined methodology starting in January 2024.
Clearer criteria
Previous QS Stars methodology (v5.2)
New QS Stars methodology (v6)
Core criteria
Learning experience
Learning environment
Employability & outcomes
Specialist criteria
Sustainability
Advanced criteria
Research & innovation
Global engagement
Updated categories
Previous QS Stars methodology (v5.2)
New QS Stars methodology (v6)
Research/academic development
Research/academic development
Teaching
Teaching
Employability
Employability
Internationalisation
Global engagement
Social responsibility
Social impact
Innovation
Innovation and knowledge transfer
Arts & culture
Arts
Inclusiveness
Diversity, equity & inclusion
Environmental impact
Environmental impact
Facilities/online learning
Facilities/online learning
Subject ranking/programme strength
Subject rankings/programme strength
Entrepreneurship
Good governance
Empower your university search with QS Stars. Go beyond rankings to discover your perfect university match.
Learning experience
The right learning experiences can pave the way for a lifetime of success. They equip you with valuable skills, expand your knowledge, and unleash your potential. That's why QS Stars puts your learning experience front and centre, focusing on two key areas: teaching and overall learning environment.
Universities play a vital role in nurturing bright minds and inspiring the next generation of students. When evaluating teaching quality, we assess key indicators including faculty-student ratio, student satisfaction, retention rates, and the effectiveness of the learning management system to ensure you get the best possible support throughout your academic journey.
Loughborough University in the UK is an example of a university which has achieved a rating of five stars for teaching, one of nine five-star ratings the institution has achieved.
University infrastructure is more than bricks and mortar – it’s a platform for growth and exploration. This indicator is a window into your future experience, we look at factors including sporting facilities, library resources, campus amenities, medical services, and the availability of student societies – everything that plays a role in shaping your university experience.
De Montfort University in the UK is an example of a university which has achieved a rating of five stars for facilities, one of six five-star ratings the institution achieves in addition to an overall rating of five stars.
Online learning offers numerous benefits, including a flexible schedule, reduced degree costs, and the ability to advance your career while pursuing further education. This category examines a range of indicators, including student-faculty engagement, student interaction, student services and technology as well as online mission statement, among others.
This category allows universities to be evaluated for excellence based on their ranking in a broad subject area or a specific subject. We will also look at internationally or nationally recognised accreditations.
Inspired by our QS Stars for Business School ratings, this category recognises universities that may not be ranked for a subject but boast exceptional programmes. Indicators include graduate employment rate, completion or retention, student satisfaction, applications per place, accreditations and the number of international students.
Previously known as Arts & culture, Arts is now an elective category under Learning experience. To assess a university's support for the arts, we examine four key areas: its facilities, concerts, events, and exhibitions; artistic achievements and community engagement; and cultural investments.
Employability & outcomes
In today’s highly competitive job market, employers want more than just good grades. They’re looking for graduates who can handle real-world challenges with both technical expertise and transferrable skills. They need adaptable talent who can thrive in changing landscapes. Being work-ready is a sign of your potential for long-term career success and growth, and universities have a responsibility to prepare students for this.
In this category, we evaluate aspects such as employer reputation, graduate employment rate, employability outcomes (how many graduates work in jobs requiring higher education or in their field of study within 24 months of graduating), alumni impact, career support, apprenticeships and internships.
The Entrepreneurship category sheds light on universities with an entrepreneurial spirit, andassesses their ability to transform that spirit into career outcomes.
Sustainability
The most significant change to QS Stars’ methodology is the introduction of Sustainability as a core assessment dimension.
As institutions prioritise sustainability in teaching and research, it’s crucial to examine how they are shifting towards sustainability. Sustainable universities have a unique ability to drive, and shape change through innovative practices and educate the next generation of responsible leaders.
Good governance is the essential process of decision-making and implementation, crucial for institutions to achieve sustainable development goals. Indicators include transparent financial reporting, representation in university governing structures, strategy and risk management, and staff satisfaction.
This indicator recognises the efforts universities are making to transform society for the better whether through charity work, human capital development, community investment and many more.
The importance of impacting positively on the environment is greater than ever before, particularly within educational institutions focused on developing the next generation of leaders and industry experts.
This indicator demonstrates a university's ability to adapt and modify its processes to ensure accessibility to higher education for all students. This includes disability support, student diversity, and student organisations for underrepresented groups, among other factors.
Research & innovation
Building on the previous framework, this category delves into an institution's commitment to both research and innovation, and its ability to provide you with enriching research and academic development opportunities.
This flexible approach acknowledges the diverse strengths of institutions and allows them to present their unique contributions to the educational landscape.
Institutions must choose either Research or Academic development, but the Innovation & knowledge transfer indicator is elective.
To measure how good a university’s research quality is, we break it down into four critical areas: papers per faculty, citations per paper, research funds and academic reputation.
In the previous methodology, we only assessed institution based on four critical areas which included faculty development programmes, faculty with PhDs, learning development centresand pedagogical innovation. In our new methodology, we are adding another area, which is teaching spending as a percentage of turnover.
Previously known as Innovation, this elective indicator assessed institutions for their innovation by having unique patents, number of spin-off companies and publication of industrial research.
Previously known as Internalisation, this was once a criterion within the Core criteria.
This criterion looks at various factors including how many international students and staff the institutions have, the diversity of nationalities represented in their student body, and the breadth and depth of the institution’s partnerships with universities across the globe.
As Head of Content, Craig is responsible for all articles and guides published across TopUniversities and TopMBA. He has nearly 10 years of experience writing for a student audience and extensive knowledge of universities and study programs around the world.
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QS Stars: Find your perfect university match
Craig OCallaghan
Updated May 30, 2024Save
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Table of contents
Table of contents
What criteria does QS Stars use to rate universities?
Discover universities that excel in areas that matter most to you. Instead of comparing institutions against each other, QS Stars assess them in universally relevant criteria, highlighting the hidden strengths traditional rankings often overlook.
The methodology ensures a fair and transparent evaluation that celebrates excellence in every area crucial for your academic journey.
New for 2024: Evolved insights, clearer choices
We've updated our methodology to reflect the world’s evolving priorities and help you make informed decisions about your future. Look for updated QS Stars assessments with our refined methodology starting in January 2024.
Clearer criteria
Updated categories
Empower your university search with QS Stars. Go beyond rankings to discover your perfect university match.
Learning experience
The right learning experiences can pave the way for a lifetime of success. They equip you with valuable skills, expand your knowledge, and unleash your potential. That's why QS Stars puts your learning experience front and centre, focusing on two key areas: teaching and overall learning environment.
Compulsory categories
Teaching
Universities play a vital role in nurturing bright minds and inspiring the next generation of students. When evaluating teaching quality, we assess key indicators including faculty-student ratio, student satisfaction, retention rates, and the effectiveness of the learning management system to ensure you get the best possible support throughout your academic journey.
Loughborough University in the UK is an example of a university which has achieved a rating of five stars for teaching, one of nine five-star ratings the institution has achieved.
Facilities
University infrastructure is more than bricks and mortar – it’s a platform for growth and exploration. This indicator is a window into your future experience, we look at factors including sporting facilities, library resources, campus amenities, medical services, and the availability of student societies – everything that plays a role in shaping your university experience.
De Montfort University in the UK is an example of a university which has achieved a rating of five stars for facilities, one of six five-star ratings the institution achieves in addition to an overall rating of five stars.
OR
Online learning
Online learning offers numerous benefits, including a flexible schedule, reduced degree costs, and the ability to advance your career while pursuing further education. This category examines a range of indicators, including student-faculty engagement, student interaction, student services and technology as well as online mission statement, among others.
Elective categories
Subject ranking
This category allows universities to be evaluated for excellence based on their ranking in a broad subject area or a specific subject. We will also look at internationally or nationally recognised accreditations.
OR
Programme strength
Inspired by our QS Stars for Business School ratings, this category recognises universities that may not be ranked for a subject but boast exceptional programmes. Indicators include graduate employment rate, completion or retention, student satisfaction, applications per place, accreditations and the number of international students.
Arts
Previously known as Arts & culture, Arts is now an elective category under Learning experience. To assess a university's support for the arts, we examine four key areas: its facilities, concerts, events, and exhibitions; artistic achievements and community engagement; and cultural investments.
Employability & outcomes
In today’s highly competitive job market, employers want more than just good grades. They’re looking for graduates who can handle real-world challenges with both technical expertise and transferrable skills. They need adaptable talent who can thrive in changing landscapes. Being work-ready is a sign of your potential for long-term career success and growth, and universities have a responsibility to prepare students for this.
Compulsory category
Employability
In this category, we evaluate aspects such as employer reputation, graduate employment rate, employability outcomes (how many graduates work in jobs requiring higher education or in their field of study within 24 months of graduating), alumni impact, career support, apprenticeships and internships.
Elective category
Entrepreneurship
The Entrepreneurship category sheds light on universities with an entrepreneurial spirit, andassesses their ability to transform that spirit into career outcomes.
Sustainability
The most significant change to QS Stars’ methodology is the introduction of Sustainability as a core assessment dimension.
As institutions prioritise sustainability in teaching and research, it’s crucial to examine how they are shifting towards sustainability. Sustainable universities have a unique ability to drive, and shape change through innovative practices and educate the next generation of responsible leaders.
Compulsory categories
Good governance
Good governance is the essential process of decision-making and implementation, crucial for institutions to achieve sustainable development goals. Indicators include transparent financial reporting, representation in university governing structures, strategy and risk management, and staff satisfaction.
Social impact
This indicator recognises the efforts universities are making to transform society for the better whether through charity work, human capital development, community investment and many more.
Environmental impact
The importance of impacting positively on the environment is greater than ever before, particularly within educational institutions focused on developing the next generation of leaders and industry experts.
Elective category
Diversity, equity & inclusion
This indicator demonstrates a university's ability to adapt and modify its processes to ensure accessibility to higher education for all students. This includes disability support, student diversity, and student organisations for underrepresented groups, among other factors.
Research & innovation
Building on the previous framework, this category delves into an institution's commitment to both research and innovation, and its ability to provide you with enriching research and academic development opportunities.
This flexible approach acknowledges the diverse strengths of institutions and allows them to present their unique contributions to the educational landscape.
Institutions must choose either Research or Academic development, but the Innovation & knowledge transfer indicator is elective.
Compulsory categories
Research
To measure how good a university’s research quality is, we break it down into four critical areas: papers per faculty, citations per paper, research funds and academic reputation.
OR
Academic development
In the previous methodology, we only assessed institution based on four critical areas which included faculty development programmes, faculty with PhDs, learning development centresand pedagogical innovation. In our new methodology, we are adding another area, which is teaching spending as a percentage of turnover.
Innovation & knowledge transfer
Previously known as Innovation, this elective indicator assessed institutions for their innovation by having unique patents, number of spin-off companies and publication of industrial research.
Global engagement
Previously known as Internalisation, this was once a criterion within the Core criteria.
This criterion looks at various factors including how many international students and staff the institutions have, the diversity of nationalities represented in their student body, and the breadth and depth of the institution’s partnerships with universities across the globe.
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As Head of Content, Craig is responsible for all articles and guides published across TopUniversities and TopMBA. He has nearly 10 years of experience writing for a student audience and extensive knowledge of universities and study programs around the world.
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