What does it mean if a university is a 'QS Contributor'?

As part of our efforts to provide accurate, impartial insights into the world's best universities, we're introducing a new QS Contributor Status to reward particular institutions.

QS Contributor universities are those who have actively engaged with us by submitting data for us to use in our rankings. These universities are not included in the final ranking, but their commitment to transparency and global academic engagement is worthy of recognition.

The QS Contributor Status is a new recognition for institutions that submit data to QS but are not eligible to be ranked within our main tables (regional rankings, sustainability).  

Institutions that achieve this status will be listed on this page and acknowledged on their individual university profiles.  

This initiative provides a platform for these institutions to gain visibility and recognition and is a reward for their commitment to transparency and helping to raise standards in higher education.

There are several reasons why a university may not qualify for inclusion in a final ranking. For example, if an institution is too specialised and only offers teaching in a narrow range of subjects it may not be included in our regional rankings as it becomes harder to fairly compare it with other institutions offering a more comprehensive education. 

The QS Contributor Status provides students with more information about a potential study destination, as the data provided by the university will be used across other QS products and services designed to help you with choosing where to study.

It also demonstrates that the university is engaging internationally with QS and has a commitment to raising the standards of education. They may even be on their way towards being included in a future ranking. So, although it may not be included in a particular rankings table, the university may still be worth considering.