QS World University Rankings 2023 : Thailand Records World Class Results for Student Employability ??
QS Quacquarelli Symonds, global higher education analysts, has today released the nineteenth edition of the world’s most-consulted international university rankings. The 2023 edition of the QS World University Rankings* sees two Thai universities place in the world’s top-100 in QS’ Employment Outcomes dataset which assesses the employability of an institution’s graduates. The lens provides invaluable insight regarding one of the most important measures of higher education performance. Thailand’s top institution, Chulalongkorn University (224th overall) comes 47th for Employment Outcomes while Thammasat University (651-700 band) places 98th.
Executive Summary Thailand: QS World University Rankings 2023
- Outstanding graduate employability
- Overall decline: more drops than gains
- Struggles in terms of research and internationalisation
Thailand broadly declines in this year’s rankings. Of its ten ranked institutions, four decline and six remain stable.
| QS World University Rankings 2023: Thai Ranked Institutions | ||
| 2023 Rank | 2022 Rank | Institution |
| 224= | 215 | Chulalongkorn University |
| 256= | 255= | Mahidol University |
| 601-650 | 601-650 | Chiang Mai University |
| 651-700 | 601-650 | Thammasat University |
| 801-1000 | 801-1000 | Kasetsart University |
| 801-1000 | 801-1000 | Khon Kaen University |
| 801-1000 | 801-1000 | King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi |
| 801-1000 | 801-1000 | Prince of Songkla University |
| 1201-1400 | 1001-1200 | King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang |
| 1201-1400 | 1201+ | Suranaree University of Technology |
THAILAND: HIGHLIGHTS
- Chulalongkorn University commands Thailand’s most international renown according to QS’ Academic and Employment Reputation indicators in which it places 104th and 116th. With more than half its universities placing in the world’s top-500 for Academic Reputation and half in the top-400 for Employer Reputation, these metrics represent a strong suit for Thailand.
- Thailand broadly declines across QS’ indicators. However, the most drops are in Employer Reputation in which all its universities decline. Despite this, the country still punches above its weight in this metric.
- As well as coming second in both reputational indicators, Thailand’s second-highest ranked institution, Mahidol University in 256th, boasts Thailand’s highest Faculty per Student Ratio, indicating small class sizes. Thailand records the most improvements in this metric, in which four universities improve.
- Research represents a challenge for Thai universities, with none placing in the world’s top-600. However, Suranaree University of Technology is its highest-rated institution for Citations per Faculty. Its primary research area is Engineering & Technology. Specifically, Petroleum Engineering represents 33% of its research output in the field over the past five years.
- A similar trend is seen across QS’ internationalisation indicators, in which no Thai universities make the top-600 for International Student Ratio or International Faculty Ratio.
Ben Sowter, QS Senior Vice President, said: “Thailand’s performance in the reputational indicators, as well as the Employability Outcomes lens, illuminates its ability to prepare its students and graduates for work. However, its Academic Reputation does not reflect its research impact which is lacking.”
“As one of the world’s top tourist destinations – more than 20% of Thai GDP in 2019 – it is possible Thailand enjoys a bolstered international reputation thanks to a high degree of name recognition the world over for reasons beyond simple educational excellence.”
Thailand’s higher education system faces similar challenges to its South Asian counterparts – political instability and an ageing population are all factors that pose difficulties to a tertiary sector blossoming as it potentially should – regardless, the role of universities in upskilling its workforce and driving its development is paramount.”
ASIA OVERVIEW?
The chart below shows the number of ranked universities in each tier up to the Top 500.
| Asia in the QS World University Rankings 2023? | ||||||||
| Higher Education System ? | Total Universities Ranked? | Top 10? | Top 20? | Top 50? | Top 100? | Top 200? | Top 300? | Top 500? |
| China (Mainland)? | 71? | ?? | 2? | 5? | 6? | 7? | 13? | 28? |
| Singapore? | 3? | ?? | 2? | ?? | ?? | ?? | ?? | ?? |
| Hong Kong SAR? | 7? | ?? | ?? | 3? | 5? | ?? | 6? | ?? |
| South Korea? | 41? | ?? | ?? | 2? | 6? | 8? | 10? | 17? |
| Japan? | 50? | ?? | ?? | 2? | 5? | 9? | 10? | 15? |
| Malaysia? | 24? | ?? | ?? | ?? | 1? | 4? | 7? | 9? |
| Taiwan? | 26? | ?? | ?? | ?? | 1? | 2? | 4? | 10? |
| India? | 41? | ?? | ?? | ?? | ?? | 3? | 6? | 9? |
| Indonesia? | 16? | ?? | ?? | ?? | ?? | ?? | 3? | 5? |
| Thailand? | 10? | ?? | ?? | ?? | ?? | ?? | 2? | ?? |
| Brunei? | 2? | ?? | ?? | ?? | ?? | ?? | 1? | 2? |
| Pakistan? | 13? | ?? | ?? | ?? | ?? | ?? | ?? | 3? |
| Philippines? | 4? | ?? | ?? | ?? | ?? | ?? | ?? | 1? |
| Macau SAR? | 2? | ?? | ?? | ?? | ?? | ?? | ?? | 1? |
| Vietnam? | 5? | ?? | ?? | ?? | ?? | ?? | ?? | ?? |
| Bangladesh? | 4? | ?? | ?? | ?? | ?? | ?? | ?? | ?? |
| Sri Lanka? | 2? | ?? | ?? | ?? | ?? | ?? | ?? | ?? |
Source: QS World University Rankings