The University of Western Australia
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QS Ranking Methodology

A focus on research of an international quality and the fostering of an outstanding research culture have positioned UWA as one of the best universities in Australia and in the top 150 in the world.

Further information

About QS Ranking

The QS (Quacquarelli Symonds) Ranking was introduced in 2005 and was conducted in conjunction with the Times Higher Education magazine until 2009.
  2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
QS 80 111 64 83 84 89 73 79 84 89 98 102 93
  2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
QS 80 111 64 83 84 89 73 79 84 89 98 102 93

Performance Indicators

The QS ranking is based on six indicators, with 50% of the score determined by academics and business employers responses to reputation surveys.

Indicator Percentage
Academic Reputation 40%
Employer Reputation 10%
Faculty Student Ratio 20%
Citations per Academic (Scopus) 20%
International Academic Ratio 5%
International Student Ratio 5%

QS have excluded self-citations since 2011. In 2015, QS introduced a hybrid model where normalization is applied to citation totals at the faculty area level. Given that around 49% of global citations are in the Life Sciences & Medicine area, applying this adjustment made a substantial difference to the indicator and overall performance of certain institutions, including UWA. In 2016, QS excluded papers with more than 10 affiliated institutions.

Subject Rankings

QS employ an different set of measures for their subject rankings, which list the top 200 universities in a given field. Each of the 46 subjects (across five broad areas) has different weightings applied to four factors:

Indicator
Academic reputation: Data are pulled on a per-subject basis from the survey employed in the main ranking.
Employer reputation: Data are pulled on a per-subject basis from the survey employed in the main ranking.
Citations per paper: Data are extracted from Scopus, and are calculated across a five year window (2010 to 2014 for the 2016 ranking)
H-Index: Two h-indices are calculated; one for all the papers that are attributable to the given subject (h1), and one to the papers that are only attributable to that subject (h2). These are aggregated with double weight given to h2.
Subject Weight (%) UWA
2016 Rank
Academic
Rep		 Employer
Rep		 Citations
/ Paper		 H-Index
Arts & Humanities 108
Archaeology
70
10
10
10
 51-100
Architecture / Built Environment
70
10
10
10
 101-150
Art & Design
90
10
 101-150
English Language & Literature
80
10
10
 51-100
History
60
10
15
15
 51-100
Languages
70
30
 151-200
Linguistics
80
10
5
5
 201-250
Performing Arts
90
10
 33
Philosophy
75
5
10
10
 151-200
Engineering & Technology 124
Chemical Engineering
40
30
15
15
 151-200
Civil & Structural Engineering
40
30
15
15
 48
Computer Science & Info Systems
40
30
15
15
 151-200
Electrical Engineering
40
30
15
15
 101-150
Mechanical Engineering
40
30
15
15
 101-150
Mineral & Mining Engineering
50
20
15
15
 11
Life Sciences & Medicine 55
Agriculture & Forestry
50
10
20
20
 31
Anatomy & Physiology
40
10
25
25
 13
Biological Sciences
40
10
25
25
 51-100
Medicine
40
10
25
25
 51-100
Pharmacy & Pharmacology
40
10
25
25
 201-250
Psychology
40
20
20
20
 41
Natural Sciences 143
Chemistry
40
20
20
20
 201-250
Earth & Marine Sciences
40
10
25
25
 43
Environmental Sciences
40
10
25
25
 51-100
Geography
60
10
15
15
 51-100
Mathematics
40
20
20
20
 151-200
Physics & Astronomy
40
20
20
20
 201-250
Social Sciences & Management 78
Accounting & Finance
50
30
10
10
 51-100
Business & Management Studies
50
30
10
10
 51-100
Communication & Media Studies
50
10
20
20
 101-150
Economics & Econometrics
40
20
20
20
 101-150
Education
50
10
20
20
 51-100
Law
50
30
5
15
 101-150
Politics & International Studies
50
30
10
10
 151-200
Sociology
70
10
5
15
 101-150
Sports-related Subjects
60
10
15
15
 20
Statistics & Operational Research
50
10
20
20
 151-200
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Last updated:
Thursday, 12 October, 2017 1:36 PM

https://www.research.uwa.edu.au/2631192