Finance

Higher education

Sociology

Business

Regional science

International trade

Ranking (information retrieval)

Pedagogy

Globalization

Meaning (existential)

Economic growth

Psychotherapist

Internationalization

Machine learning

Comparative education

Political science

Psychology

Position (finance)

Economics

Global education

International education

Public relations

Computer science

European Journal of Education

Global university rankings are a worldwide trend that emerged in times of the globalisation and internationalisation of higher education. Universities worldwide are now striving to become “world‐class” institutions and are constantly aiming to improve their ranking position. Global rankings of universities are thus perceived by many as an ultimate tool for assessing the level of internationalisation at individual higher education institutions. This article first discusses the meaning of and relationship between the globalisation and internationalisation of higher education, as their influence on the emergence of global rankings is undeniable. It then outlines the methodological designs of four main global university rankings which serve as key prerequisites for the subsequent analyses of both the international(‐isation) indicators that these rankings include and of the international ranking initiatives that focus exclusively on the international outlook of higher education institutions. In the concluding discussion, the article reveals that, due to the predominantly quantitative orientation of global university rankings (on the internationalisation of higher education), their results should not be generalised or understood as a means to improve the quality of (internationalisation of) higher education.

Global university rankings and their impact on the internationalisation of higher education