League tables as policy instruments: the political economy of accountability in tertiary education

Abstract

The main objective of this article is to examine the role and usefulness of public information mechanisms, such as the rankings and similar classification instruments that are increasingly relied upon to measure and compare the performance of tertiary education institutions. The article begins with a typology of ranking instruments used for public accountability purposes, followed by a discussion of the political economy of the ranking phenomenon. It then attempts to assess their respective merits and disadvantages and makes some recommendations for policy-makers, tertiary education institutions, and the public at large.