Comparative assessments of national higher education systems are often based on global university rankings, but their aggregated scores can hide structural differences across countries. This paper applies a partially ordered set (poset) analysis to examine country performance in higher education, focusing on national structural positions, dominance relations, and stability over time. Using data from the QS, Times Higher Education, and Academic Ranking of World Universities between 2021 and 2025, we jointly analyze the three rankings by constructing yearly country-level posets based on aggregated institutional performance. This approach evaluates countries simultaneously across the three ranking systems, allowing comparisons only when consistent superiority is observed across dimensions and preserving the multidimensional structure of country performance that linear rankings compress. Preliminary results for 2025 reveal a highly stratified partial order with 15 levels, reflecting both performance hierarchies and systematic incomparabilities across countries. The United States and the United Kingdom occupy the maximal level and dominate 53 of the 54 countries in the sample, indicating consistently strong performance across all three ranking systems. China follows at level 14, dominating 51 countries and forming a distinct upper tier. At level 12, Japan and Germany share a comparable structural position, with similar dominance profiles and multidimensional coherence, each dominating 43 countries. A longitudinal perspective highlights both structural stability among top-performing systems and gradual upward movements among selected middle-income countries. By emphasizing structural positioning rather than rank order, this study contributes to comparative higher education research by offering a non-compensatory, country-centered perspective on global performance dynamics.

Authors:
Marina Ferraz, Universitat Ramon Lull, Spain
Flavio Comim, Universitat Ramon Lull, Spain
Judith Baguena, Universitat Ramon Lull, Spain
Jordi Díaz, Universitat Ramon Lull, Spain

About the Presenter(s)
Marina Ferraz is currently a PhD Candidate in Economics and Sustanaibility at Universitat Ramon Lull, in Barcelona, Spain.

Connect on Linkedin
https://www.linkedin.com/in/marina-ferraz-79a58265/

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