February 2012 NUI Galway Excels in New International Rating

Top Marks as 5 Star Rating Awarded from QS Stars

NUI Galway has today been awarded a five star rating from the latest QS Stars rating system. NUI Galway recorded top marks in a new international rating, designed as an alternative to university rankings.

Three Irish universities competed for the first ever global university rating system and NUI Galway joins University College Cork in securing the overall five star rating. NUI Galway was rated five out of five overall, receiving maximum ratings in several key areas, including research, teaching, internationalisation, facilities, engagement and innovation. 

Speaking of the announcement, President of NUI Galway, Dr Jim Browne said: “This is excellent news for NUI Galway and a fitting acknowledgement of the exceptional developments that have taken place at this University in recent years. The award of five stars confirms NUI Galway's position as one of Ireland's leading universities, and a growing force on the international stage.”

Dr Browne added: “This five Star rating represents a significant international validation of our performance in teaching, research and other activities, and positions us well alongside other international universities on a global stage. It rewards the vision by the University to continually invest in capital development and it highlights the strength of our industry partnerships and commercialisation activity.  NUI Galway is particularly proud of its achievements in engagement and delighted our leadership in this field is recognised. In a growing competitive market, we are especially happy about our five star rating in internationalisation as this again reaffirms our position within higher education globally.”

The first international assessment of its kind, QS Stars has been devised by the research team behind the annual QS World University Rankings. The opt-in scheme assesses an unlimited number of universities in a greater range of areas than any existing international ranking.

Designed to cover areas currently beyond the scope of university league tables, rankings expert Dr Ellen Hazelkorn of Dublin Institute of Technology has called the system “a smart and inevitable development in the higher education knowledge business.”

 “QS Stars has the potential to revolutionise the way we measure university performance”, says John O’Leary, editor of The Times Good University Guide. “It covers areas that have proved to be beyond the scope of international rankings, such as teaching, employment rates and access, as well as strength in specialist disciplines.”

Unlike rankings, QS Stars measure universities against preset international standards, drawing on 30 criteria. As well as an overall rating of zero to five stars (with a 5+ plus rating reserved for a handful of top scorers), universities that opt to take part are rated in up to eight areas including research, teaching, graduate employability, access and innovation

QS Head of Research Ben Sowter states: “With concerns about graduate unemployment and rising tuition fees, students need a more comprehensive way of comparing universities than rankings can provide. QS Stars is able to provide a far greater range of evidence about the performance of an unlimited number of universities, helping students make smarter and better-informed decisions.”

For more information visit http://www.topuniversities.com/qsstars/ireland 

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