Thursday 7 July 2011

World economics rankings

Selections from the new QS World Rankings of Economics Departments:
  • 1. Harvard
  • 2. MIT
  • ...
  • 37. Auckland (implausibly high)
  • Tied equal in rankings 51-100, and listed in alphabetical order:
    • Boston University
    • Cal Tech
    • ...
    • University of Canterbury (probably about right)
    • ...
    • University of Minnesota
    • ...
  • Tied equal in 101-150 (among others): University of Otago; Victoria University at Wellington; University of Waikato; Massey University


Ok, more honestly, there's no way that the NZ universities deserve to rank quite this well. Canterbury probably punches above weight in relative rankings because, in reputational surveys, Canterbury just has a good-sounding name: evocative of long English traditions, maybe it's really part of Oxbridge for all that the American survey respondents know.

But let's ignore the caveats and boldly assert that the University of Canterbury's economics department is tied equal with Boston University, the University of Minnesota, Cal Tech and other illustrious institutions. And, more importantly, we're better than Otago.

3 comments:

  1. now, now dont be jealous about Auckland, it fully deserves its ranking ;)

    There is a preponderance of English speaking Universities. I wonder how many languages the survey is sent out in and whether it is just online. I find it difficult to believe no Russian universities are up there

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  2. Auckland beating CalTech seems way more implausible than that we "tie" in a category of fifty schools.

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  3. Anyone any good in Russia went to the US;
    anyone halfway good went to Europe;
    anyone only halfway crap came to Aus - and we even go some of the dregs.

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