University ranking plays a key role in deciding where you want to pursue a graduate degree. Today, there are hundreds of universities and colleges that offer graduate and postgraduate programs that are subject and career specific.

Availability of options can be confusing at times and this can make the application process difficult. While one college might have a favorable student-to-teacher ratio, another institution will have a better curriculum as compared to the first.

The aforementioned points raise a serious question as to what factors play a key role in determining engineering universities rankings. More importantly, you must understand its implications for your future career prospects.

What works best for you
Engineering university rankings are not the only primary influence when it comes to finding the best education. It is merely one of the factors that determine the top ten or twenty institutions in order of preference. Note that no two global lists will have the same rankings when it comes to one particular university. A university might offer quality education and still be ranked number fifty on such a list. However, as different parameters are set when determining the rankings, it should not affect your application if you feel the curriculum works best for you.

Ranking criteria
World University Rankings by Times Higher Education (THE), Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) by Shanghai University, and QS Rankings are among the popular and reliable lists to find the best university in the field of engineering. The results will vary for all three lists depending on ranking criteria in order of preference. QS and THE focus more on metrics of students and teachers while ARWU ranks institutions by giving preference to reputation. Moreover, THE and ARWU also give more emphasis to citations and research paper publications to determine the rankings.

Minor differences influence ranking
Differences in reputation, graduation rates, quality of the faculty, and even the course fees will affect popular engineering universities ranking significantly. Note that location, demographics, and employment opportunities available after graduation are among few of the factors that also influence ranking.

Intangible factors
Student portals, campus diversity, emotional support, faculty assistance, surrounding environment, campus facilities, a balance between curriculum and recreation, and the overall learning experience will also influence engineering universities rankings.