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QS World University Rankings API Integration Guide

Query QS university ranking records and documented indicators for education research, comparison tools, and institution profiles.

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QS World University Rankings API Integration Guide

Query university ranking records by name with pagination and documented ranking indicators. This guide focuses on practical integration for education research, comparison products, and institution profile enrichment.

Start here: Try the live demo or view the current API details.

API details

Item Value
API name Global QS World University Rankings
Category Metadata APIs
Method GET
Endpoint https://api.gugudata.io/v1/metadata/qs-global-university-ranking
Content type query parameters
Demo endpoint https://api.gugudata.io/v1/metadata/qs-global-university-ranking/demo
Detail page https://gugudata.io/details/qs-global-university-ranking
OpenAPI JSON https://gugudata.io/assets/openapi/gugudata.openapi.3.1.json

When to use this API

  • Query QS ranking records for education research.
  • Power university ranking pages and comparison tools.
  • Enrich institution profiles with ranking indicators.

Request parameters

This endpoint accepts parameters through the query string. Keep appkey out of client-side public code and send it only from trusted server-side environments.

Parameter Type Required Default Description
appkey string Yes YOUR_APPKEY Application key supplied in the query string.
name string No - Case-insensitive university name search, up to 100 characters.
pageIndex integer No 1 One-based page index for pagination.
pageSize integer No 10 Records per page. Zero uses 10; values above 20 are capped at 20.

Example request

curl -G "https://api.gugudata.io/v1/metadata/qs-global-university-ranking" \
  --data-urlencode "appkey=YOUR_APPKEY" \
  --data-urlencode "name=Harvard" \
  --data-urlencode "pageIndex=1" \
  --data-urlencode "pageSize=10"

Response fields

The response body contains the fields below for successful JSON responses. For binary endpoints, the success response is returned as binary content and JSON is used for error responses.

Field Type Required Description
dataStatus object Yes Response metadata returned by the API response.
dataStatus.requestParameter string Yes Normalized request parameters echoed by the service. Sensitive credentials are omitted when available.
dataStatus.statusCode integer Yes Application-level status code returned by the API response.
dataStatus.status string Yes Application-level status enum returned by the API response.
dataStatus.statusDescription string Yes Application-level status message returned by the API response.
dataStatus.responseDateTime string Yes Response timestamp returned by the API response.
dataStatus.dataTotalCount integer Yes Total number of records that match the request.
data array<object> Yes Ranking records in ascending overall-rank order.
data[].id string | null Yes Stable record identifier.
data[].universityName string | null Yes University display name.
data[].region, country, city string | null Yes Published location fields.
data[].logoUrl string | null Yes Hosted logo URL when available.
data[].rank string | null Yes Overall ranking display value.
data[].academicReputationRank, academicReputationScore string | null Yes Academic reputation indicator.
data[].citationsPerFacultyRank, citationsPerFacultyScore string | null Yes Citations-per-faculty indicator.
data[].facultyStudentRatioRank, facultyStudentRatioScore string | null Yes Faculty-to-student indicator.
data[].employerReputationRank, employerReputationScore string | null Yes Employer reputation indicator.
data[].employmentOutcomesRank, employmentOutcomesScore string | null Yes Employment outcomes indicator.
data[].internationalStudentRatioRank, internationalStudentRatioScore string | null Yes International student indicator.
data[].internationalResearchNetworkRank, internationalResearchNetworkScore string | null Yes International research network indicator.
data[].internationalFacultyRatioRank, internationalFacultyRatioScore string | null Yes International faculty indicator.
data[].sustainabilityRank, sustainabilityScore string | null Yes Sustainability indicator.

Response example

This example illustrates the response shape. Ranking values can change between dataset releases.

{
  "dataStatus": {
    "statusCode": 200,
    "statusDescription": "successfully",
    "responseDateTime": "2026-04-10T00:00:00Z",
    "dataTotalCount": 1,
    "status": "SUCCESS",
    "requestParameter": "name=Harvard&pageIndex=1&pageSize=10"
  },
  "data": [{
    "id": "ranking-record-id",
    "universityName": "Harvard University",
    "region": "North America",
    "country": "United States",
    "city": "Cambridge",
    "logoUrl": null,
    "rank": "4",
    "academicReputationRank": "1",
    "academicReputationScore": "100",
    "citationsPerFacultyRank": null,
    "citationsPerFacultyScore": null,
    "facultyStudentRatioRank": null,
    "facultyStudentRatioScore": null,
    "employerReputationRank": null,
    "employerReputationScore": null,
    "employmentOutcomesRank": null,
    "employmentOutcomesScore": null,
    "internationalStudentRatioRank": null,
    "internationalStudentRatioScore": null,
    "internationalResearchNetworkRank": null,
    "internationalResearchNetworkScore": null,
    "internationalFacultyRatioRank": null,
    "internationalFacultyRatioScore": null,
    "sustainabilityRank": null,
    "sustainabilityScore": null
  }]
}

HTTP status codes

Use the HTTP status code for transport-level handling. If the response body contains dataStatus.statusCode, treat it as an application-level status field in the JSON payload.

HTTP status Meaning Recommended handling
200 Request processed successfully. Parse the documented response body for the endpoint result.
400 Invalid request parameters or request format. Check required fields, data types, and request body format.
401 Missing or unknown application key. Send a valid appkey with the request.
403 The application key is recognized but access is not allowed. Check subscription, trial state, and endpoint access.
429 Request rate or trial usage limit exceeded. Reduce concurrency or retry after the limit window resets.
500 Internal service error. Retry later or contact support if the error persists.
503 Upstream service unavailable. Retry later when the dependency is available again.

Implementation notes

  • Validate required parameters before sending the request so 400 responses are easier to diagnose.
  • Keep server-side retries conservative for 429, 500, and 503 responses.
  • Cache stable metadata responses when your use case allows it, especially for lookup and directory endpoints.
  • Log the HTTP status code and dataStatus.statusDescription together for easier debugging.
  • Use the demo endpoint for a quick connectivity check, then switch to the authenticated endpoint for production data.

FAQ

Where is the official API detail page?

The official detail page is https://gugudata.io/details/qs-global-university-ranking. It is the best place to review the latest public endpoint information before publishing or integrating.

Should I handle dataStatus.statusCode as the HTTP status code?

No. Use the HTTP status code for request-level behavior such as authentication, permission, rate limiting, and server errors. Use dataStatus.statusCode only as the response body status field when it is present.

Can I use the demo endpoint in production?

No. The demo endpoint is for quick testing and examples. Use the authenticated endpoint with your appkey for production workflows.

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