Identifying and prioritizing the components and indicators that affect the ranking of universities, focusing on educational aspects

The purpose of the current research is to identify and prioritize the criteria and indicators that are effective on the ranking of universities, with focus on educational aspects. In terms of the data collection, this research is classified as a mixed method (quantitative-qualitative) research. The research was carried out using the combined method of grounded theory and fuzzy Delphi. The qualitative part of the research was conducted through an open and targeted interview with scientific experts, industrial owners, and students. In order to analyze the qualitative data, the three-stage process of open, central, and selective coding was used. In the quantitative part of the research, fuzzy Delphi method, with triangular fuzzy numbers, was used to identify suitable indicators and prioritize them. Statistical population in the index section, was all published researches related to the university ranking; for the interview section, experts from public comprehensive universities based in Tehran were selected in a targeted way. Based on data analysis, seventeen components and sixty-nine effective indicators were identified in the educational ranking of universities. The six main dimensions include strategy and goals, financial resources, evaluation and feedback system, training process, commercialization and human resources. The identified components were prioritized in order of importance as follows: communication with the industry, educational resources, skill training, commercialization, financial resources, planning, professors, international interaction, strategy and goals, administrative staff, ethics, content education, students, evaluation and supervision, graduates, cross-departmental communication and managers. University education leads to the improvement of research and scientific production. In order to promote universities to the global level, renewed attention to university education should be included in the mechanism of university development programs