Two years after the publication of the first EUA Report on Global University Rankings in 2011 their number continues to increase, methodologies 
continue to develop and countless new products are being offered to universities. EUA therefore decided to produce a second report as a service 
to our members, with the intention of documenting the new developments that have taken place since 2011 and also drawing attention to the 
consolidation of the overall phenomenon of rankings, and their growing impact on universities and in the public policy arena. 

There have been countless discussions on rankings and their significance for universities and policy makers in the last two years. EUA hopes that this second report will help to ensure that future debates are well-grounded in reliable information and solid analysis of the methodologies and indicators used, and ensure the usefulness of the new products being developed. We would also hope that our work contributes to making universities and policy makers alike more aware of the potential uses and misuses of rankings, and their impact, for example, on student recruitment, immigration policies, the recognition of qualifications and choice of university partners. These developments indicate the need to reflect on the extent to which global rankings are no longer a concern only for a small number of elite institutions but have become a reality for a much broader spectrum of universities as they seek to be included in, or improve their position in one or the other rankings. This means that they have started to shape the development of higher education systems as such which is a significant shift bearing in mind that most international rankings in their present form still only cover a very small percentage of the world’s 17,500 universities, between 1% and 3% (200-500 universities), with little consideration given to the rest. As such, they are of direct relevance for only around half of EUA members, but at the same time they still impact the rest of EUA members through the policy influence described above.