Massey University has been awarded a five-plus star rating from educational benchmarking agency Quacquarelli Symonds for the first time.
The rating system, known as QS Stars, provides universities with an overall score, as well as ratings in 11 sub-categories: teaching, research, employability, internationalisation, facilities, online/distance, innovation, arts and culture, inclusiveness, social responsibility and discipline specialisation/accreditations.
The University received the maximum score for the employability sub-category, which evaluates reputation with employers, graduate employment rate, and career services support.
It also received the maximum score in the social responsibility sub-category.
It received maximum scores for overall student satisfaction and satisfaction with teaching, in the teaching sub-category.
In the facilities sub-category, it received full marks for infrastructure, library facilities, medical facilities and student societies.
Massey received five stars in the specialist criteria of veterinary science. The University is ranked 23rd in the world for its veterinary science programme in the QS ranking.
In the internationalisation category, the University received full marks for international research collaboration, international faculty, international students, religious facilities and international diversity.
In New Zealand, only Massey, the University of Auckland and the University of Otago have a five-plus star rating.
Massey University Vice-Chancellor Professor Jan Thomas says the result demonstrates conclusively that Massey is a world-leading institution, worthy of its international reputation.
“Our results in the QS Stars show that we are delivering a first-class learning experience that is informed by the student voice, to both our New Zealand students and our international students,” Professor Thomas says.
Since the launch of this service in 2010, the QS Intelligence Unit has rated more than 275 institutions in 45 countries. This is the third QS Stars audit for Massey, with the University’s rating improving in each audit cycle.
The benchmarking measures the University against a set of standards QS Stars has devised for the sector, rather than against other universities. QS Stars are an audit on the strengths and weaknesses of a university. The university provides QS with evidence across dozens of indicators, which is then verified and the university is given an overall score, as well as a score for each category. There is no limit to the amount of universities that can achieve the highest score overall or in any category.