Released today, the QS University Rankings: BRICS 2016 sees Chinese universities confirm their dominance of the tables. Led by Tsinghua University (1^st) and Peking University (2^nd), China now occupies the top five spots in the ranking, and accounts for almost half (23) of the top 50.

Published annually, the QS University Rankings: BRICS compares leading universities in the five BRICS countries – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. Collectively accounting for 42% of the world’s population, these five nations remain significant players in the changing global economy, and all have placed higher education at the center of plans for continued development.

For 2016, the ranking has been extended to feature the top 250 BRICS universities (previously 200). This expansion particularly benefits Brazil and India, which now have 54 and 44 entries respectively (compared to 40 and 31 last year). Nonetheless, China remains the most-represented nation, appearing 86 times, followed by Russia (55). South Africa has 11 universities featured, led by the University of Cape Town in 14^th place.

As well as giving institutions an overall position, the ranking also allocates scores for each of the eight performance indicators assessed, allowing for more detailed comparison of relative strengths and weaknesses. The academic reputation indicator, based on a global survey of academics, awards full marks to four of the leading Chinese universities, as well as Russia’s Lomonosov Moscow State University and Brazil’s Universidade de São Paulo. All of these except the Russian institution also claim full marks in the employer reputation indicator, joined by the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay.

Indian and Brazilian universities claim many of the strongest scores for proportion of faculty members with a PhD; 17 Indian and 11 Brazilian institutions are awarded full marks on this metric. However, Russian universities come out ahead when the ratio of faculty members to students is considered, accounting for 16 of the top 20 scores on this measure.

The most prolific research publishers, based on papers per faculty member, are the Indian Institute of Science Bangalore and Indian Institute of Technology Delhi. Both of these also claim full marks for research impact, assessed based on citations per paper, along with the University of Science and Technology of China and Zheijiang University.

The ranking also reflects the particular success of Chinese and South African institutions in attracting academics from other countries. Between them, these two nations occupy almost all of the top 20 positions for proportion of international faculty members, along with two Russian institutions. Meanwhile Russian universities fare notably well when the proportion of international students is considered, with the highest performers on this measure also including South Africa’s Rhodes University and China’s University of International Business and Economics.

About the QS University Rankings: BRICS

The QS University Rankings: BRICS was developed in 2013, in collaboration with Russian news agency Interfax. For the 2016 edition, 421 universities were evaluated, with the top 250 published. The methodology uses eight indicators: academic reputation, employer reputation, faculty/student ration, proportion of staff with a PhD, papers per faculty member, research citations, proportion of international faculty and proportion of international students.

For more insights into the latest results, read the free digital supplement.

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This year’s edition of the QS University Rankings: BRICS, a dedicated ranking of the top universities in the five BRICS countries, will be published on 20 July 2016. Previously featuring 200 leading institutions across Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, this year will see the list extended to 250.

Developed in collaboration with Russian news agency Interfax in 2013, this annual ranking provides an overview of higher education leaders in the five BRICS nations, as well as facilitating more in-depth comparisons. It draws on eight key performance indicators, reflecting global reputation, internationalization, academic staff levels, and research production and impact.

What did the results show in 2015?

The table is currently topped by three Chinese universities – Tsinghua University, Peking University and Fudan University – followed by Russia’s Lomonosov Moscow State University, and India’s Indian Institute of Science Bangalore. All five BRICS countries are featured in the top 20, but Chinese universities are dominant throughout, largely thanks to their strong global reputation among both academics and employers.

Delving into the individual indicators assessed reveals some clear disparities between the nations. Many leading South African universities boast high levels of international faculty members – along with Brazil’s Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, which tops the list on this criteria. Indian institutions claim some of the highest proportions of staff qualified to PhD level, though faring much worse when faculty/student ratio is considered – an area in which Russian universities shine.

50 more institutions added for 2016

The addition of 50 more institutions this year will allow for further comparisons both within and across the five nations, all of which have placed higher education at the center of plans for continued development. As the BRICS countries engage in increased collaboration, the ranking could provide a useful tool for identifying suitable partners for academic research and knowledge exchange, as well as contributing to national benchmarking.

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