A e to Understanding the Bgarian University Ranking System Nov. 29, 2024 O n Oct. 29, the annual Bulgarian university rankings were released. All students received an email with information about the results of the fi ve most popular majors at AUBG. The research was conducted by the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Bulgaria and compared 51 higher education institutions that off er hundreds of programs across 52 professional fi elds. This year, AUBG scored 62 points (out of 100) in Administration and Management, 59 in Economics, 56 in Political Science, 51 in Public Communications and Information Sciences (JMC), and 60 in Informatics and Computer Sciences. AUBG has kept its place in the rankings relatively high, but it should be acknowledged that these are its lowest results (in all fi ve fi elds) since the introduction of the rankings in 2012. An especially concerning tendency can be observed in the Media Studies (JMC) department, where AUBG marks a drop of 11 points in the past two years. A similar trend on a smaller scale can be noticed in the results of the other four majors in the same time frame – Economics (5 points decrease), Business Administration (5 points decrease), Political Science (4 points decrease), and Informatics and Computer Sciences (5 points decrease). AUBG tops the ranking in Administration and Management (Business Administration). The university ranks No. 2 in Economics (sharing the spot with the University of National and World Economy), 12 Fall 2024 | AUBG Daily Journalism and Mass Communication (shared with the University of Library Studies and Information Technologies), Political Science and European Studies, and third in Informatics and Computer Science. However, more context is needed to better comprehend these rankings’ complexity. Every university participating in the ranking is measured using two types of indicators: informational (based on data from national registers) and rating (primarily based on data from sociological research). The fi nal score for each university is determined only by rating indicators. These indicators use quantitative data, like student satisfaction surveys and faculty research output. These indicators are separated into six sub-groups. All of them determine the result of the university, with the most important sub-group being career relevance to labor market and regional importance (35% of the score), followed by teaching and learning (30%), science and research (20%), prestige (10%), teaching and learning environment (2,5%), and social well-being and equity (2,5%). Career Relevance to Labor Market and Regional Importance This is the most important category for the university evaluation. It focuses on unemployment among graduates, the applicability of the obtained degree, realization, income levels, economic impact, and regional economic contributions. Only people who have graduated from university in the past fi ve years are taken into consideration for the results of this research. Bulgarian 35%5 % 35 35 35 35 35 5% 35% 1010% 35% 10% 35% 5% 35% 5%55%%% 10%10% 0% g AUBG’s 2024 results reveal general trends such as rising unemployment, a decrease in the applicability of the acquired degree, and lower levels of realization in all fi ve university majors. A slight increase in the taxable income among graduates can be observed in the fi elds of business, computer science, and political science, contrary to lower taxable income in media studies and economics. i n 0% r o 2.5% 225%%5% C e ga P r i e e s e a t r l R m e e v l o e r o c & v i a a a l E q n n c e i t l T 2 e e l - y R r n i I p S t W u c g B e
13 Publizr Home