U21 Ranking of National Higher Education Systems

[dead0man]

link (warning, PDF)
1 United States 100.0
2 Sweden 83.6
3 Canada 82.8
4 Finland 82.0
5 Denmark 81.0
6 Switzerland 80.3
7 Norway 78.0
8 Australia 77.8
9 Netherlands 77.4
10 United Kingdom 76.8
11 Singapore 75.4
12 Austria 73.8
13 Belgium 73.7
14 New Zealand 72.5
15 France 70.6
16 Ireland 69.5
17 Germany 69.4
18 Hong Kong SAR 68.9
19 Israel 67.4
20 Japan 66.1
21 Taiwan 62.0
22 Korea 60.2
23 Portugal 60.1
24 Spain 59.9
25 Ukraine 58.6
26 Czech Republic 57.9
27 Poland 56.2
28 Slovenia 55.8
29 Greece 54.7
30 Italy 54.0
31 Bulgaria 52.5
32 Russian Federation 52.4
33 Romania 51.3
34 Hungary 50.8
35 Slovakia 50.6
36 Malaysia 50.5
37 Chile 48.9
38 Argentina 48.6
39 China 48.3
40 Brazil 47.2
41 Thailand 46.6
42 Iran 45.8
43 Mexico 45.3
44 Croatia 44.9
45 Turkey 44.4
46 South Africa 43.4
47 Indonesia 37.5
48 India 34.4

[Franzl]

I can buy that. I mean, nobody is going to be beating the US anytime soon unless they start charging hundreds of thousands for degrees.

[dead0man]

Germany seems unusually low, whatsupwitdat?

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Germany seems unusually low, whatsupwitdat?

Rankings like this are beyond silly but not nearly as silly as the German university system. There are literally thousands of exiles from it (and that's the best way of thinking about them, really) at unis elsewhere in Europe.

[Franzl]

Germany seems unusually low, whatsupwitdat?

I think going by certain factors, Germany compares relatively poorly. Seminar sizes (often over 35 people), packed lectures where not everyone is guaranteed a seat are not uncommon. Relatively old and outdated buildings.

It's more these things (which require money...and 14 of 16 states do not charge tuition, so money is always a problem).

I think it's more these things than the actual academic performance, as German degrees seem to still enjoy relatiely high prestige elsewhere, particularly in the hard science and engineering.

[Franzl]

Germany seems unusually low, whatsupwitdat?

Rankings like this are beyond silly but not nearly as silly as the German university system. There are literally thousands of exiles from it (and that's the best way of thinking about them, really) at unis elsewhere in Europe.

Out of interest, what are you thinking of?

edit: Access requirements screw a lot of German high school graduates. The numerus clausus that limits entrance into most degree programs to those with relatively absurdly high GPAs. That I've heard forces some to go abroad.

[MaxQue]

Germany seems unusually low, whatsupwitdat?

Rankings like this are beyond silly but not nearly as silly as the German university system. There are literally thousands of exiles from it (and that's the best way of thinking about them, really) at unis elsewhere in Europe.

Talking of exiles, they is lots of French students in Quebec, too, to have a North American education (the French university system has some serious flaws, too, I heard).

[Simfan34]

I'm surprised to see the UK as low as it is. But if there is one thing we do well, it's higher education.

[Franzl]

I'm surprised to see the UK as low as it is. But if there is one thing we do well, it's higher education.

The best US schools are the world best, yes. But there's also a lot of worthless institutions out there (think University of Phoenix).

That said, the problem with American higher education isn't the academic quality...rather it's access.

It's like the healthcare system. Of course American healthcare is the best in the world if you can pay cash for the best doctors. Same thing is basically true for higher education as well (yes, yes, many receive scholarships, etc.), to the point that students graduate with extreme amounts of debt that may never be paid off.

And at least at undergraduate and maybe even graduate level....I don't think the investment is worth it in America. If I ever go to PhD level or higher....then it would be worth considering.

[DC Al Fine]

I'm surprised to see the UK as low as it is. But if there is one thing we do well, it's higher education.

The best US schools are the world best, yes. But there's also a lot of worthless institutions out there (think University of Phoenix).

That said, the problem with American higher education isn't the academic quality...rather it's access.

It's like the healthcare system. Of course American healthcare is the best in the world if you can pay cash for the best doctors. Same thing is basically true for higher education as well (yes, yes, many receive scholarships, etc.), to the point that students graduate with extreme amounts of debt that may never be paid off.

And at least at undergraduate and maybe even graduate level....I don't think the investment is worth it in America. If I ever go to PhD level or higher....then it would be worth considering.

What field are you in Franzl? It may be a very very bad idea to get a Phd in America depending on what you study.

[alexmanu]

Not surprised to see the UK so low. The Tory coalition hasn't got a clue about education. They upped the tuition fees and it's done nothing, they don't invest in any improvements but merely cut University grants and hand off the costs to the students. It's shameful, institutions like Cambridge, Oxbridge, LSE, Imperial and UCL should not have their reputations harmed more by the incompetence of conservatives.
  
If there's one thing a Labour government does well, it's education. Shadow Secretary of State for Education Stephen Twigg MP is a smart man and he'll have to sort out the mess that that rat of a man, Michael Gove created.

[You kip if you want to...]

I'm surprised to see the UK as low as it is.

I don't think anybody in the UK is though.

This is what happens when you have a government who triples fees yet cuts funding to the Universities and then acts shocked and bewildered when applications fall for the first time in years.

If there's one thing a Labour government does well, it's education. Shadow Secretary of State for Education Stephen Twigg MP is a smart man and he'll have to sort out the mess that that rat of a man, Michael Gove created.

The fact Universities are the responsibility of the Business department is a joke, although not Cam and Clegg's fault (shockingly). Although, that doesn't mean Gove isn't doing his best to screw those kids who're living in poorer neighborhoods, attending state school, whose parents never went  to university (or 'factory fodder' in Tory-speak) and their chances of finding a place at University.

[alexmanu]

There's a top-down mess in the education system right now. I have no understanding of why academies are being created...is it just another way for the private sector to groom future workers? (if there are even jobs available which, at the current rate, there won't be) Or are the current government so unwilling to spend money on education that they are happy for private investment to solve the issue? The reason that British Universities are falling is all to do with our secondary education system. The mess it's in, coupled with the rise in fees results in more kids from a comprehensive school background not being interested in applying for a University place.

I can't wait until we vote this government out.

[ingemann]

I'm honestly surprise that both Scandinavia and USA lies in the top, because it's two different thing they excel in. Of course both produce a lot of international publication (it's the primary reason for the low position for France and Germany as their universities mostly produce domestic publications). But Scandinavian universities usual focus on a high average higher education, while USA focus on producing the very best among a elite and care little for the average so let the worst among be among the very worst international. 

[Stranger in a strange land]

I can buy that. I mean, nobody is going to be beating the US anytime soon unless they start charging hundreds of thousands for degrees.

The U.S. university system, for all its flaws, is still the best in the world. Cost is only part of the factor though. Yes, private schools have gotten ridiculously expensive, but your typical state university in the U.S. still knocks the socks off a typical public university in Europe. It's still far more expensive, but an education at a public university is within the range of what a middle class family can afford.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

This thread is fycking hilarious.