The improvements you describe in university rating systems are welcome (Nature 464, 7–8 and Nature 464 16–17; 2010), but they are not notably geared to the interests of the students. We need broader ratings that clearly indicate the practical advantages of studying at a particular university.

Research output is one measure of what a student has gained from higher education. But most science undergraduates see university enrolment primarily as an economic benefit rather than as a path to research. Job satisfaction and choice of profession both affect post-graduation economics, so they should be taken into account. Assessments of education debts and post-graduation employment rates would be useful too.

If such helpful titbits of economic data could be combined with research output, institutional peer assessment, teaching quality, assessment by employers and other factors, ranking schemes would contribute more meaningfully to higher education.