The challenges of having effective methodologies and data collection processes were highlighted recently with US News & World Report pulling a top MBA course from one of its key rankings.

Temple University’s online MBA had been the highest-ranked course in USN&WR’s Best Online Programs but has now been removed from the 2018 ranking after it emerged that self-reported data had not met set standards, based on the proportion of students who had submitted standardized test scores.

Although such instances are rare, it is a reminder that both universities and ranking organisations face challenges to their reputation; and that being firmly on top of the requirements for accurate data provision needs t to be a key plank for any institution’s ranking strategy.