Kent State has found its place in the world, or at least its place in academia.

The Times of London ranked Kent State 196 out of 200 universities worldwide. Only three other schools in Ohio made the list, including The Ohio State University at 66, Case Western Reserve University at 65 and the University of Cincinnati at 190.

Provost Robert Frank said these rankings are especially significant because they have a worldwide scope and are done by a prestigious organization.

University spokeswoman Emily Vincent said the notice of Kent State by a third party solidifies its position among other institutions of learning.

“It confirms that we are one of the top universities in the world,” Vincent said.

Both Frank and Associate Provost Timothy Chandler said that to their knowledge this is Kent State’s first appearance on the top 200 list.

The methodology used five factors to determine ranks.

A strong emphasis was placed on teaching, citations and research. These three categories formed 92.5 percent of the total score. The last 7.5 percent consisted of the international mix and industry income of the university.

International mix is the ratio of domestic students and faculty compared to the number of international students and faculty.

Industry income is the commercial funding a university receives and the price others will pay for the university’s research.

Frank said a university such as Kent State would fare favorably because of its commitment to research.

In fact, he said the nine articles in science Owen Lovejoy published last year are an example of how research supports Kent State’s score in the citation category of the rankings.

Lorenzo Thomas, a sophomore psychology major, said the rankings make him proud to be a student at Kent State.

“It actually impresses me that we would even be recognized overseas,” Thomas said.

Thomas added that these rankings are likely very important to the university for retention and recruitment purposes.

Vincent said one of the most significant purposes of rankings is to encourage recruitment.

“It makes it more appealing to students that Kent State is recognized nationally and internationally,” she said.

The fact that the rankings were published in a European-based publication is significant in itself, Chandler explained.

“It says something about our recognition in other parts of the world,” he said.

Chandler also mentioned the fact that even the request for Kent to send its data in order to participate in the rankings was a great accomplishment for the university.

Melissa Elmore, a junior nursing major, said she thinks rankings are important because they show the quality of the university to professors, staff and other contributors to the university.

She said for Kent to place so high among other well-known universities shows that the university is dedicated to its students and their success.

“It makes me feel even better about going here,” Elmore said.

Contact Bethany English at [email protected].