TY - JOUR AU - Pietrzak, Piotr AU - Cieciora, Małgorzata PY - 2021/05/13 Y2 - 2024/03/29 TI - Academic Rankings as a Source of Information for Study Candidates JF - Journal of Public Governance JA - PG VL - 52 IS - 2 SE - Articles DO - 10.15678/ZP.2020.52.2.05 UR - https://publicgovernance.pl/zpub/article/view/585 SP - 51-62 AB - <p><em>Objectives</em>: The aim of the article is to present a proposal for a ranking of public universities in Poland, taking into account the position of their graduates on the labour market.</p><p><em>Research Design &amp; Methods</em>: Three reflective indicators were used to create the ranking: average time (in months) from obtaining a diploma to taking up the first job under a contract of employment by graduates; the relative unemployment rate of graduates in the fifth year after graduation among graduates with no work experience prior to graduation; the relative wage rate of graduates in the fifth year after graduation among graduates with no pre-graduation work experience. The structure of three indicators has been based on zero-unitarisation.</p><p><em>Findings</em>: The leading universities in the ranking were technical and economic universities. Their 2014 graduates (in all the variety of fields of study offered by these universities) found a job relatively quickly – i.e. within five years of obtaining their diploma – as well as experienced less than average unemployment in the poviats of their residence and their earnings were higher than the average in the poviats of their residence.</p><p><em>Implications / Recommendations</em>: It is advisable to continue research on the methodology of creating academic rankings (including reflective indicators). In this regard, it is worth taking into account possibly large – but at the same time homogeneous – research samples.</p><p><em>Contribution / Value Added</em>: Extended research on how to create academic rankings (in particular devoted to study candidates).</p><p><em>Article classification</em>: research article</p><p><em>JEL classification</em>: A23, I23</p> ER -