Colleges 'obsessed' with rank

UNIVERSITIES in Ireland and elsewhere are obsessed with international rankings, according to a worldwide study published by an Irish academic.

The study quotes research which shows that some Irish employers are increasingly looking for graduates from particular universities.

Dr Ellen Hazelkorn, from the Dublin Institute of Technology, said that a university's reputation consistently ranks among the top 10 reasons worldwide why employers want to hire graduates.

The richer the university, the higher its ranking. Leading US universities such as Harvard, Princeton, Yale and Stanford spend up to €190,000 per student, which is eight times more than is spent on students here.

- John Walshe Education Editor

Irish Independent