Frequently Asked Questions

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HE Higher Education Ranking — Expanded FAQ (American Ranking System)
1. What is HE Higher Education Ranking?
HE Higher Education Ranking is an
institutional
ranking system that evaluates the overall operation of higher education institutions (HEIs) using a structured set of criteria and key performance indicators (KPIs). The goal is to improve institutional performance across academic, research, and societal missions by measuring what institutions do and how effectively they do it. Results and guidance support improvement and internationalization across the sector.
2. Where is it legally registered?
HE Higher Education Ranking is an
American ranking system
. It is registered in
Dover (Kent County), Delaware, USA
as
HE Higher Education Ranking LLC
,
File Number 10157263
3. Who publishes the ranking each year?
HE Higher Education Ranking is published
annually
and is presented as an institutional ranking initiative associated independently.
4. When did the ranking begin?
The first edition was published in April 2023. Subsequent editions follow the annual cycle described below.
5. What general areas does HE measure?
HE covers the core operating domains of an HEI—teaching and learning, faculty and research, internationalization, social and cultural impact, quality assurance, labour-market linkages, infrastructure, equity and equality, academic freedom and transparency, and innovation—captured within a structured methodology of criteria and KPIs designed to reflect institutional operation and improvement.
6. How many criteria and indicators are used?
The methodology specifies
25 general criteria
(each with its own weight) and
136 measurable KPIs
distributed across those criteria.
7. How are weights applied?
Each of the 25 criteria carries a specific weight; its KPIs then have weights commensurate with their parent criterion. Final results aggregate KPI scores into criterion scores and then into an institutional score. (HE’s methodology page explains the weighting framework.)
8. Is HE a program-level ranking?
No. HE is
institutional
, not programmatic. It compares whole institutions on like-for-like operational indicators rather than individual faculties or degree programs.
9. How many universities does HE include each year, and why the cap?
HE aims to rank the
best 1,000 HEIs worldwide
. The cap is designed to promote global competitiveness; HE frames 1,000 as roughly
~3% of universities worldwide
, making inclusion both selective and motivational for institutional improvement.
10. What is the publication model and access policy?
Results are
published online
on the ranking website and are
free and open access
. HE explicitly supports open access to ranking data.
11. Who are the main stakeholders for HE?
Primary stakeholders include universities and colleges; national councils and ministries; QA and accreditation agencies; funders; employers and labour-market partners; and learners and families—each using the indicators to understand performance and improvement priorities.
12. How does a university join the ranking?
Institutions can contact HE through the official channels (email/LinkedIn) to express interest. Participating HEIs receive a questionnaire; their submitted data are analysed and reported in the annual release. HE also announces a data-collection window in mid-November, with results published in March/April of the following year.
13. How is data collected?
HE’s core data source is the
institutional questionnaire
completed by HEIs. Indicators are designed to be measurable and auditable within the institutional context.
14. What does HE do to maintain quality assurance?
HE describes a
council of experts and advisors
who hold periodic meetings to safeguard originality, relevance, and value. HE also states its intent to align with good-practice frameworks such as those of IREG (Observatory on Academic Ranking and Excellence).
15. How transparent is HE?
HE publishes its methodology and KPIs, and after results are released, each participating HEI receives a
detailed institutional report
showing submitted data, results, and
guidelines/recommendations
for improvement.
16. How does HE relate to quality assurance, accreditation, and ISO standards?
HE’s indicators intentionally
intersect
with QA/accreditation areas because improving those areas tends to improve institutional operation. While
ranking, QA, and accreditation
share the objective of raising standards, they differ in
how
they measure and validate performance: HE is an
annual comparative measurement
; accreditation is a formal compliance and review process; QA is an ongoing internal system of assurance.
17. Does the methodology evolve?
Yes. HE explicitly states that
criteria and indicators may be updated
to remain relevant and useful to institutions. Changes aim to reduce burden while enhancing validity and impact.
18. What makes HE different from other global rankings (e.g., THE, QS, U.S. News)?
While traditional rankings often emphasise research reputation and bibliometrics, HE’s framework stresses
institutional operation and improvement across 25 criteria/136 KPIs
, including governance, access, equity, and links to the labour market. This wider operational lens complements reputation-heavy systems and is designed to be
actionable
for QA and management. (For context on other rankings’ emphases, see examples from THE and QS.)
19. Is HE aligned with international development and access agendas?
HE’s methodology includes items that
measure adherence to UN-related recommendations
on access and comprehensive development, as well as governance and funding transparency at HEIs.
20. What outputs do participating universities receive?
Beyond public results, participating institutions receive a
confidential, detailed report
with their data, results, and targeted
improvement guidance
for the next cycle.
21. How can students and parents use HE?
They can compare institutions at a
general operational level
(not by program) to understand the learning environment, support, and broader campus conditions reflected by the KPIs.
22. How can governments and funders use HE?
Policy-makers and funders can read HE’s indicators to assess
local, regional, and international impact
, institutional spending models, financial governance, and student aid—informing investment and policy choices.
23. Does HE host community or knowledge-sharing events?
Yes. The site lists webinars and online seminars connected to its themes (e.g., internationalization; research and rankings).
24. Is there any cost to access the ranking?
No. HE states that results and ranking data are
completely free
and open access.
25. What is the geographic scope?
HE is
international
—covering HEIs across all regions and continents.
26. How are ties, outliers, or missing data handled?
HE’s public methodology focuses on criteria/KPIs and weighting; institutions with missing submissions may be excluded from some measures. (For specifics, institutions should refer to the current questionnaire and technical notes shared during the data-collection phase.)
27. Can institutions submit corrections or updates?
Institutions communicate through HE’s official channels during and after the submission window. The detailed report provides a basis for discussion of future-cycle improvements.
28. How does HE safeguard originality and avoid metric gaming?
HE points to expert oversight and iterative methodology development (including alignment with IREG good practice) to keep indicators relevant and balanced across education, research, governance, and societal impact—reducing over-reliance on any single metric.
29. What is HE’s improvement philosophy?
The methodology is designed as a
macro-enhancement tool
—a practical blueprint for annual progress across teaching, research, internationalization, governance, and equity—rather than a narrow contest of prestige.
30. Where can I read more about the methodology?
See
Methodology
on the HE site and the downloadable
“Introduction to HE Higher Education Ranking: Methodology, Criteria, and Indicators”
publication.
31. Where do I start if my university wants to participate?
Use the
Apply / Request Info
options or the contact channels referenced on the site; HE then shares the questionnaire link and the current-cycle timeline.