Meritocracy or reputation? The role of rankings in the sorting of international students across universities

University rankings have gained prominence in tandem with the global race towards excellence and as part of growing expectation rational, scientific evaluation performance across a range institutional sectors human activity. While their omnipresence is acknowledged, empirically we know less about whether how matter higher education outcomes. Do university rankings, predicated on universalistic standards shared metrics quality, function meritocratically to level impact long-established reputations? We address this question by analysing extent which changes position UK universities ranking tables, beyond existing reputations, strategic goal international student recruitment. draw upon an ad hoc dataset merging aggregate (university) indicators reputation other characteristics numbers. Our findings show that recruitment students primarily determined reputation, socially mediated sedimented over long term, rather than universities’ yearly updated positions. conclude while there insufficient evidence improving outcomes, they are nevertheless consequential for actors investing purpose identity.