Andina

QS: Peruvian universities rise in latest rankings, PUCP claims national top spot

Photo: ANDINA/Gustavo Sánchez

Photo: ANDINA/Gustavo Sánchez

09:00 | Lima, Oct. 4.

QS Quacquarelli Symonds —global higher education analyst— has released the fourteenth edition of the QS World University Rankings: Latin America.

The 2025 edition spans 23 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, analyzing 437 of the region's best universities.

This year, the top four remain unchanged. Universidade de São Paulo (USP) takes the region's highest rank, followed by Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (UC) in second, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (Unicamp) in third.

The results see Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú (PUCP) take the country's highest rank, placing 15th thanks to its exceptional reputation among international employers and academics.

Executive Summary: Peru

QS ranks 24 Peruvian universities. Of these, eight have climbed and five have dropped, while 11 remain stable in their ranks or bands.

This gives it an overall improvement rate of 12.5%, the third highest in the region among countries with five or more ranked universities.

Overall improvement: more universities rise than drop
Burgeoning reputation among international employers
Soaring research output in terms of volume
Faces challenges in staff expertise, according to Staff with PhD

"Peruvian higher education has earned a strong reputation among employers, with its graduates seen as highly skilled and work-ready, and its industry partnerships proving effective," QS Senior Vice President Ben Sowter stated.

"However, challenges remain in research metrics, particularly in staff training and research output. The steady year-on-year improvement in Papers per Faculty is a positive sign that resources are being directed appropriately, reflecting Peru's sustained success in recent rankings," he added.

According to Sowter, economic growth in Peru has led to increased enrolment and the expansion of universities, raising concerns about quality and funding.

"Despite these challenges, Peru continues to compete with larger regional counterparts. By further enhancing research and staff quality, it can further strengthen its regional competitiveness," he noted.

Peru: In Focus

Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú (PUCP) is the national leader in four of QS' indicators, including Academic and Employer Reputation, Web Impact, and International Research Network.

PUCP is held in the highest regard among international academics and employers, placing 11th and 10th respectively in Employer and Academic Reputation. It is Peru's only university to place among the region's top 20 in these indicators.

Employer Reputation marks a strength for Peru's universities, with six among the region's top 50. It is also one of Peru's most improved indicators, with 67% climbing the table in this metric.

In QS' measure of class size and teaching resources, Faculty per Student Ratio, Universidad Privada Norbert Wiener is the top performer, placing 12th.

Staff expertise marks a slight challenge for Peruvian universities, with none among the region's top 100 in Staff with PhD. Universidad del Pacífico (UP) is the domestic leader in this metric, placing 104th.

UP is also Peru's most productive research institution, placing 62nd in Papers per Faculty. While it is the only university to place among the top 100 in this indicator, Peru has seen the greatest improvement in this area, with 75% of its universities moving up the table.

A detailed methodological information can be found at QS Latin America & Caribbean University Rankings Methodology.

Editor's note: Information provided by Quacquarelli Symonds

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Published: 10/4/2024