THES Ranking: only one Latin American university in Top 200
30 Nov 2009
The Times Higher Education Supplement (THES) World University Ranking 2009 was published on 6 October 2009. While Dutch universities occupy prominent places on this list, only one Latin American university is represented: the Universidad Autónoma Nacional de México (UNAM).
This annual ranking is viewed by university employees and students alike as one of the most important international rankings. However, it is usually dominated by the same institutions from North America, Europe and Asia and there is just one university from the Latin American continent: the National University of Mexico (UNAM).
Ranking methodology
Of course this does not mean that other Mexican (or Latin American) universities offer low-quality education. It is very important to review the methodology of the ranking. In case of Mexico, research is carried out at the public universities, of which UNAM is the biggest, and not at private institutions. Since academic publications and citations are considered in compiling this ranking, a Mexican private institution which may offer excellent study programmes cannot enter the ranking. This also applies to Dutch universities of applied sciences which also cannot be represented in this ranking.
Another key reason for the tiny representation of Latin American universities is that the ranking emphasizes the number of international students and staff members. This automatically benefits universities offering English-taught programmes over universities that only offer programmes in Spanish, for example.
If you have questions about Mexico’s higher education institutions, Nuffic Neso Mexico can help you determine the quality of each institution by examining the local accreditations and rankings.
For more information about THES visit the Times Higher Education website.