Prestigious university rankings often help students decide their next steps after high school. Academics and students eagerly anticipate the results of three key rankings: Times Higher Education, QS, and the Shanghai Ranking. The latter is compiled by the Shanghai Ranking Consultancy, an organisation affiliated with Shanghai Jiao Tong University.

The ranking assigns specific positions only to the top 100 universities, with those ranked beyond this grouped into ranges. This year, eight Polish universities are featured. The University of Warsaw and the Jagiellonian University both appear in the 401-500 range. The Gdańsk University of Technology, previously ranked in the last 100, has improved its standing, reaching the 801-900 group.

In contrast, the Wrocław Medical University and the AGH University of Science and Technology, both in the bottom 100, have seen a decline. The Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń and the Warsaw University of Technology are also included in this lower group. Meanwhile, Warsaw Medical University has dropped out of the Shanghai Ranking entirely.

Deputy Minister of Science Maciej Gdula recently addressed the positions of Polish universities in the Academic Ranking. Speaking during the July session of the Sejm, Gdula remarked, "Polish universities do not rank highly, but perhaps we should not be overly concerned. The way this ranking is constructed favours countries with Nobel Prize winners and those that invest heavily in research, while it overlooks other important functions of the academic system."

Gdula also cautioned against viewing these rankings as a form of competitive sport, where "there are clearly defined rules, and the goal is simply to excel in measurable outcomes like running speed, strength, or throwing distance."

Looking towards the future, the Deputy Minister of Science is considering investing in Polish universities to enhance their performance in global rankings. He stated, "I support investing in popularising science and promoting Polish universities. To be somewhat unorthodox, perhaps it would be beneficial to promote Polish science and focus on improving the international ranking of a single Polish university."

Professor Marcin Pałys, Chairman of the General Council for Higher Education and Science, discussed the Shanghai Ranking in an interview with Gazeta Wyborcza. He remarked, "The amount of energy, emotion, and time devoted to rankings is disproportionately large compared to the actual impact they have on the life of universities and the country. Rankings are not something scholars pay much attention to—they are more for those interested in adding something shiny to their CVs."

Pałys also commented on the performance of Polish universities, stating, "The position of Polish universities is actually much better than our country’s standing in international rankings based on economic indicators."

The results of Polish universities in the Shanghai Ranking have left Oskar Szafarowicz dissatisfied. The young Law and Justice supporter and law student at the University of Warsaw addressed the issue on X.

Szafarowicz wrote: "For years, we've heard complaints that ‘Polish universities are only in the third or fourth hundred of the Shanghai Ranking.’ This is a myth. In the latest edition of the world's best university rankings, Poland’s top institutions, Jagiellonian University and the University of Warsaw, are ranked in the fifth hundred (within the 401-500 range). What is the government’s plan to improve these statistics?"

He also criticised the approach of Deputy Minister of Science Maciej Gdula from the Left Party, stating, "The deputy minister, representing a party supposedly committed to making all regions of Poland equally prosperous, has announced that budget funds will be redirected to a single chosen university (at the expense of others), in hopes of boosting its position in global rankings through financial support."

Source: Gazeta Wyborcza