Impact Rankings 2022: new methodology announced

The methodology for the next Times Higher Education Impact Rankings has been published and is available in seven languages.

The 2022 Impact Rankings, which are based on the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), will draw on the same broad methodology as this year, but a small number of indicators have been added, while some definitions have been tweaked.

For example, the metric on education for the SDGs for SDG 17 (partnerships for the goals) will now reward institutions with dedicated courses that address sustainability and the SDGs, and have dedicated educational outreach activities for the wider community. The metric previously only asked for a commitment to meaningful education around the SDGs across the university, in some or all programmes.

Meanwhile, the SDG 7 (affordable and clean energy) indicator on promoting a pledge towards 100 per cent renewable energy now specifies that this pledge should be public and made known to those beyond the university.

Several indicators also now explicitly reference support for immigrants and refugees. The SDG 10 (reduced inequalities) indicator on tracking application and admission rates of under-represented groups includes newly settled refugee students in this definition, alongside ethnic minorities, low-income students, non-traditional students, women, LGBT students, and disabled students.

The SDG 4 (quality education) indicator on lifelong learning opportunities being accessible to all now also references immigration status among other types of discrimination, while the SDG 11 (sustainable cities and communities) measure on preserving intangible cultural heritage includes “the heritage of displaced communities” as one example.   

The full English-language methodology for the Impact Rankings 2022 is available here, while the year-on-year changes are highlighted in red here.

The data portal for universities’ submissions to the Impact Rankings 2022 will open on 20 September until mid-November and include links to the methodology in six other languages (Chinese, French, Japanese, Russian, Spanish and Turkish).

The Impact Rankings 2022 will be launched at the THE Innovation & Impact Summit in Sweden in April 2022. Register your interest.

We have compiled a list of frequently asked questions about our Impact Rankings, but if you have any other queries, email impact@timeshighereducation.com.