28.07.2026
A new article by Prof. Sonya Mileva, DSc (Economics), from the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration (FEBA), and Assoc. Prof. Kaloyan Haralampiev, PhD, from the Faculty of Philosophy, has been published in the journal Cogent Education (Taylor & Francis). The article is entitled "Constructing Excellence? The Role of Academic Reputation in University Rankings".
The study is part of the research project "Quality in Higher Education as a Social Construct: Formation and Transformation through Accreditation, Rankings, and Public Expectations", funded by the Bulgarian National Science Fund under Grant No. KP-06-N85/14 of 5 December 2024.
The research examines the role of academic reputation in the QS World University Rankings using the complete dataset for 1,501 universities and all 10 indicators included in the 2026 edition of the rankings. The findings show that the dominant influence of academic reputation on overall scores is determined to a significant extent by its high weighting in the ranking methodology, rather than solely by actual differences in university performance.
A comparison between the official weighted model and an equal-weight model reveals substantial changes in universities' positions. The findings highlight the need to interpret university rankings with caution as indicators of quality and academic excellence, while also underscoring the importance of greater transparency in determining the weights assigned to individual indicators.
The article is published in open access and is available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2026.2702700