University rankings: a guide or an illusion?

University rankings always tempt us like a showcase where everything is laid out neatly. They seem to offer clarity and hint at a simple path to a bright future. But if you listen more closely, this showcase begins to rustle with nuances. No ranking reflects the entire history of a university or the experience of a particular student, and this is precisely where food for thought arises.

The first thing that makes rankings appeal is the sense of scale. They collect vast amounts of data, compare hundreds of universities, and create a picture in which higher rankings are associated with quality education, strong faculty, research laboratories, and prospects after graduation. For many students and their parents, this picture becomes a signpost. It inspires confidence that choosing a university higher in the rankings will automatically lead to greater success.

But a closer look at the rankings reveals a different side. Universities reach the top positions based on very specific criteria, and these criteria don’t always align with the needs of individual applicants. Some rankings emphasize scientific publications and citations, while others measure the number of international students or employer ratings. This means that the same institution can appear differently depending on the methodology, and a student focusing solely on its ranking risks missing out on what matters most to them, such as the campus atmosphere, academic flexibility, or the quality of teaching in their chosen field.

There’s also a third layer of consideration that forces us to step back and take a broader view. Rankings are indeed useful as a guide, but only if we view them as a tool, not the ultimate truth. They help narrow the search, compare basic parameters, and get a sense of the overall development dynamics of universities. However, making a real choice requires a deeper approach. Only personal priorities, values, the desired environment, and academic goals can determine which university will be the place for growth. Sometimes the university ranked fifth below turns out to be the best home for ideas, characters, and future projects.