Virginia Tech jumps 17 places to be among the top 10 percent of universities in the world among more than 3,500 universities, according to Quacquarelli Symonds, (QS) World University Rankings released Tuesday.  

In what PR Newswire calls "the most popular annual league table of world universities" based on web traffic, social media metrics, and online consumers, Virginia Tech rose from 355 to 338 in the world.

The Department of Mechanical Engineering held the position of 45th in the world for the second year in a row and third year in the top 50.

Less than a year after being recognized by U.S. News & World Report as an institution that will appeal to students "who plan to enroll in universities outside of their own country," Virginia Tech's rise in international standings is not a new revelation for Guru Ghosh, vice president for Outreach and International Affairs.

"Virginia Tech continues to rise in these global measurements because of what we already know – that our faculty, research, and programs are among the best in the world," he said. "International research and engagement will continue to play a key role in achieving Virginia Tech’s goal to be among the top three percent globally."

The QS World University Rankings aim to provide a useful resource for prospective students worldwide who are seeking to identify the most prestigious and influential institutions in their chosen subject of study. The rankings are based on survey responses by faculty throughout the world, but respondents are asked to evaluate only universities in their region.

The methodology, as listed on the QS World University Rankings' website, consists of six indicators that assess universities in four areas: research, teaching, employability, and internationalization. Four of the indicators are based on "hard" data, and the remaining two are based on major global surveys – one of academics and another of employers – each the largest of their kind. The indicators include:

  1. Academic reputation (40 percent)
  2. Employer reputation (10 percent)
  3. Student-to-faculty ratio (20 percent)
  4. Citations per faculty (20 percent)
  5. International faculty ratio (5 percent)
  6. International student ratio (5 percent)
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