Smart Education in Ireland : Maynooth University named among Top 400 universities

Maynooth University has risen significantly in the World University Rankings, published today by Times Higher Education (THE). Ranked this year in the 351-400 band (between 350th and 400th in the world), Maynooth’s position has been described as an “outstanding achievement” by THE. The overall score for 2015 is the highest the University has ever achieved.

The rankings are based on 13 separate performance indicators designed to capture the full range of university activities, including research, teaching, reputation, industry partnerships and international outlook.

Commenting on the new ranking, Maynooth University President, Professor Philip Nolan, said: “While one must not place too much emphasis on any ranking scheme, it is pleasing to be recognised among the top universities in the world. I am particularly gratified that this survey recognises the significant achievements of the staff at Maynooth University, specifically the quality and quantity of our research outputs, which I consider to be outstanding and which are also central to our teaching. It is also notable that our ‘international outlook,’ a focus of the University in recent years, is ranked within the top 150 globally.”

“Rankings of this kind also expose the challenges that are common to all Irish higher education institutions. The major weakness revealed in these rankings is that we have fewer people and less resources to teach our students when compared to leading international universities. If we are to truly compete on the world stage, the issue of adequate funding for teaching and research must be prioritised. If this is done, all Irish universities will achieve a lot more very quickly, with tangible benefits to our society, economy and global standing,” he added.

Maynooth University is currently implementing a strategic plan to 2017 designed to focus and enhance its contribution to education and research. The plan includes new centres of excellence for research, a radical enhancement of undergraduate education, and collaborations with other institutions, domestically and internationally.

Today, with more than 10,000 students, Maynooth University is Ireland’s fastest growing university, having doubled in size since 1999. Maynooth University is the top rated Irish university in 2012, 2013, and 2014 in the percentage of publications in the elite 1% most cited academic journals, and is ranked second highest among the seven Irish universities in the number of PhD graduates per 10 academic staff. A recent survey by Study Portals ranked Maynooth University number 1 in Europe for the level of satisfaction amongst international students with their experience of studying at Maynooth.

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