The University of Texas at Austin recently shot up in the latest QS World University Rankings list, jumping from the No.72 spot last year to No.58.
QS World University Rankings based its list on an “analysis of 17.5m academic papers and the expert opinions of over 240,000 academic faculty and employers.” The organization looked at 1,500 institutions of higher learning across the world.
No other Texas university appeared to crack the top 100. Texas A&M University came in at No.134. Rice came in at No.145. University of Texas at Dallas came in at No.520.
UT Austin’s latest ranking is the highest it has ever achieved in the more than 20 years QS World University Rankings has been publishing its list, and it is the first time the institution has surpassed the No.60 spot.
The latest list was developed using three new metrics — employment outcomes, international research network, and sustainability — which QS World University Rankings called its “largest-ever methodological enhancement.” Other factors taken into consideration include academic reputation, faculty-studio ratio, and scholarly citations per faculty member.
UT Austin’s rise on the list coincides with an upcoming redesign of its admissions policy following the Supreme Court’s recent decision curtailing race-based admissions at colleges and universities.
“[T]he University has lawfully been considering race among many factors as part of its comprehensive and holistic admissions process. UT will make the necessary adjustments to comply with the most recent changes to the law and remains committed to offering an exceptional education to students from all backgrounds and preparing our students to succeed and change the world,” said the university in a statement, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
UT Austin was the only public university in Texas using race as a consideration in undergraduate admissions at the time of the Supreme Court’s ruling, according to The Texas Tribune. However, some private universities, like Rice University and Southern Methodist University, will also have to make some policy adjustments due to the ruling.
