University Rankings Department

In the modern era, university ranking systems are recognized as a tool to assess the quality and performance of educational institutions. These systems are mostly grounded on the league tables, which vary with ranking agencies. It is related to institutional management and decision-making among students. Ranking systems permit various stakeholders, namely students, university administrators, and investors, to realize the state of the institutions built on diverse facets such as teaching, student success rate, research, and proportion of international students and faculty, and support them in making decisions. Besides, university ranking systems became a marketing strategy to flaunt their research, education, or business achievements to the global student community and other stakeholders. 

Augmented access to higher education has raised the call for evidence concerning academic quality at various universities. This condition enhanced the growth of university ranking systems worldwide. As a result, universities are involved in multiple ranking systems to improve their quality, performance, and reputation. Likewise, IAU initially participated in the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) Ranking in 2012 and progressed to cover other ranking systems. After that IAU participated in Times Higher Education Rankings (THE), UI GreenMetric Ranking and Saudi Global Ranking in its first phase in 2023

IAU's main objective through the University Ranking Department is monitoring and improving its global, regional and local rankings to participate in achieving the KSA 2030 vision’s objectives and indicators (to be one of the top 200 universities global rankings in in the three major ranking agencies (QS, THE and ARWU) by 2026), which can be accomplished by continuous quality improvement. 

In addition to the mission of IAU (Teaching and Learning, Research and Community Partnership). University Ranking Department also working to support IAU in participating and achieving UN Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs) which aim to transform our world, call to action to end poverty and inequality, protect the planet, and ensure that all people enjoy health, justice and prosperity.

The main objectives of the rankings department are:

1. Raising awareness on the culture of Rankings sustainable development across IAU.
2. Communicate with various rankings providers and their consultants to get the necessary information required for rankings and their projects.
3. Coordinate with IAU administration, academic and administrative units to collect necessary data & information to fulfill the criteria of different ranking agencies.
4. Maintaining year year-wise database of criterion and indicators of ranking agencies and their respective sources.
5. Analyze the data of rankings providers & databases after announcing of results and prepare performance reports along with suggestions for improvement for preparing action plans and submit them to the top management periodically.
6. Develop strategies for improving university performance to enhance its position in various rankings.
7. Follow up the implementation of the action plans for enhancing rankings with IAU academic and administrative units.
8.  Monitoring & evaluating the university's Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) versus indicators of various Global University Rankings.
9.  Benchmarking of the university's performance with national & international universities according to KPIs of various Rankings.
10.  Analyzing & forecasting the future ranking position of the university in various global rankings.