AUC Top in Egypt, Fifth in Region in QS Rankings

For the third year in a row, Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) ranked The American University in Cairo (AUC) the number one University in Egypt and fifth in the Arab region in their 2015 - 2016 World University Ranking.  AUC was also ranked the fourth top University in Africa. The ranking uses nine indicators with different weights that measure reputation, faculty and student quality, and faculty research.  In fact, this year, AUC ranked highest in this global ranking since it began in 2012. “QS World University Rankings is a reputable university ranking based on a diversified and balanced set of criteria covering performance on the academic, teaching, research and employability fronts,” said Iman Megahed, executive director of data analytics and institutional research. “The ranking provides students, parents and stakeholders with more relevant information than what most other world rankings provide that focus primarily on research output as a key metric for performance.” AUC scored particularly well in the two indicators that hold the most weight; academic reputation and employer reputation. In the Arab region, AUC ranked second in employer reputation and fourth in academic reputation. These indicators were determined based on the survey results of working academics and employers worldwide. Academic reputation is based off a survey of just under 76,800 responses from academics across the globe and counts toward 40 percent of the overall score. The employer reputation indicator used 44,200 responses, asking employers about the universities they believe produce the best graduates. AUC improved its rank from last year in four of the nine indicators. “The employer reputation rating reflects the high value local and international employers hold of AUC degrees, as well as the high potential recruitment of its graduates,” noted Maha Guindi, executive director of the Career Center and a member of AUC’s Standing Committee on Academic Rankings. “AUC has strong partnerships with employers; accordingly, students benefit from numerous events to network, have access to career opportunities and firsthand information from employers through on-campus corporate information sessions, job shadowing visits, career days, employability skills programs and employment fairs.” In development studies, AUC ranked in the 51 - 100 category among Sciences Po in France, Georgetown University and University of California - Davis. The University also ranked well globally in the arts and humanities category. AUC recently established a Standing Committee on Academic Rankings to monitor major global rankings and propose strategies to disseminate data about AUC to ranking agencies more effectively. The committee also analyzes the methodologies and criteria different enterprises use in their rankings. Members of the committee include faculty and staff members who have specialized expertise in international accreditation and ranking. "In a way, I am delighted by the sustained acknowledgment for our quality of education and the strength of the academic programs AUC offers,” said Ehab Abdel-Rahman, vice provost of AUC. “Yet, I believe that no formulaic rankings can quite assess and describe the spirit and distinctiveness of any university. Rankings cannot determine which university might be the right match for an individual student.”