Changwon National University climbs 80 spots in QS Asia university rankings

Changwon National University ranked 701–710 in the 2027 QS Asia University Rankings released by British global higher-education assessor Quacquarelli Symonds, the university announced Thursday. The result marks an 80-spot improvement from last year's 781–790 band, ending years of declining rankings and marking the university's first rebound in five years.

The number of universities evaluated grew to 1,722 this year from 1,526 last year, an increase of 196 institutions, or 12.8 percent. Amid the expanded pool, Changwon National University's relative standing improved from the top 51.4 percent last year to the top 40.9 percent this year.

The university attributed the rise primarily to improvements in reputation indicators, which account for half of the total assessment weight. Its academic reputation score climbed 6.7 points to 19.1 from 12.4 last year, while its employer reputation score rose 5.2 points to 14.1 from 8.9.

Among the 11 detailed evaluation indicators, five also rose: the faculty-to-student ratio, international research network, citations per faculty, the proportion of faculty holding doctoral degrees, and the ratio of international faculty and students. Three indicators — papers per faculty, exchange students and employment outcomes — edged down.

The university said the gains reflected its systematic efforts since the launch of its University Performance Management Center last year, which has been collecting and managing data for global university rankings and monitoring indicator changes.

"We achieved a meaningful rebound in five years even as the pool of evaluated universities expanded significantly," said Jeong Dae-un, director of the University Performance Management Center. "We will continue to analyze key indicators closely and manage our performance consistently to further strengthen the university's international competitiveness."