Ignore university rankings

By Paul Axelrod. It’s that chilly time of year: The university ranking season is upon us. Around the world, academic administrators hold their breath, as the results flood in like a statistical tsunami. Some international surveys are already out, and Maclean’s magazine’s annual report card on Canadian universities will fly off the shelves this month.
Before you race out to see who stacks up, consider this: Rankings are endemically flawed. They have some entertainment value, they pander to our hunger for simple bromides, but they shouldn’t be used by families anxiously planning their children’s academic futures. More...