Student Rating

What is a student rating?

Two times a year, all HSE University students are offered an opportunity to ‘find their place’ amongst their peers in the same year of study under the same degree programme.

A rating is a sorted roster of students, which shows how successful they are in learning various courses from their core curriculum within a set period of time.

At HSE University, we distinguish between current and cumulative ratings. Ratings may also vary in that they are generated before retakes and after retakes.

• Current ratings compare students' learning outcomes over the course of six months (for either two modules or one semester). This serves as a present, in-class indicator of your performance. It updates every time as recent courses taken within the last six months (usually, five to eight courses) are factored in.
• Cumulative ratings, in turn, compare students’ academic attainments during the entire period of their studies at HSE University. This is a cumulative indicator. Two times a year, the cumulative rating adds recent courses to those, which have been taken by students since Year 1. Therefore, before their graduation, students’ cumulative ratings will show their results across all curriculum elements: courses, term papers, projects, etc. (at least 30 curriculum elements for Bachelor’s students and at least 12 of those for Master’s students).
• Ratings before retakes (both current and cumulative) take into account grades as they were granted for examinations during a set examination period. For students, who were absent from an exam and received unsatisfactory grades thereto, ‘zero’ points shall be factored into the respective ratings for respective curriculum elements.
• Ratings after retakes, in turn, take into account grades, which were received for retakes of examinations.

Why are ratings important?

Ratings can enhance and maintain students’ motivation to engage actively and steadily in their studies.

Moreover, ratings can highlight varied and multidimensional information about the quality and efficiency of teaching, as well as about individual students’ academic achievements, e.g., for the purpose of making administrative decisions.

How are these ratings calculated?

Ratings are determined as follows:
 

1. Each faculty decides which students will be compared against one another. For instance, students can be either compared if they study in the same year under the same degree programme, or if they study in the same year under various degree programmes.
2. For each student, the sum of grades received and a given curriculum element’s credit value is determined. For instance, over the last six months, a student has studied English (4 credits), Calculus (5 credits) and History (3 credits). He/she, therefore, receive the following grades: 8, 7, and 10, respectively. This student’s indicator is calculated as follows: 4*8+5*7+3*10 = 97. 
3. Since all HSE University’s students have individual curricula, with each passing academic year, each student’s curriculum becomes more diverse in terms of its elements. The sum of accumulated credits may vary too. Therefore, for better comparative accuracy, rating sums shall be applied for the maximum amount of credits among all comparable students.

The exact formula can be viewed here: Regulations for the Rating System of Comprehensive Student Assessments at HSE University 

4. The full list of rated indicators is sorted in descending order: the higher indicator a student has, the higher the student’s rank is in the rating and the better his/her personal rating is.

If a student, over half a year, selects more courses than necessary for their programme’s curriculum (e.g., selecting four or five electives instead of just three), not all elements in their curriculum will be included in the current rating. Students may manage the inclusion of excessive components in their individual curricula. They should contact the Programme Office of their degree programme and inform them which elements should be considered for the current rating (via a written application or via e-mail). The results for homework, obligatory courses and the recommended number of elective courses shall be included in current ratings.

Cumulative rating includes all results – for both the optional elements and electives, regardless of whether a student wants either of them factored into the rating. Since the cumulative rating reflects all student’s academic activities and, therefore, several students in the cumulative rating may be above their peers, who may be leaders in the current rating.

A rating table shall be tabulated on the basis of student grades, as imputed to the University’s information system. Data shall be imputed manually by Programme Office’s staff on the basis of assessment record sheets, which have been signed by instructors who had administered examinations.

The tables shall be automatically calculated based on the same principles applicable to all HSE University faculties and regional campuses.

Since there’s a manual component to this process, so technical errors are possible. With this in mind, rating tables will be presented to students within a set timeframe, and if a student identifies a mistake (incorrect course or grade information), he/she may inform their Programme Office within two working days.

When are ratings prepared?

Tables with ratings are prepared after the summer and winter examination periods and then after retakes.

Ratings of various types are brought to the students’ notice during the ongoing academic year, but no later than the following date:

• current rating before retakes for the first semester: January 20;
• current rating after retakes for the first semester: March 10;
• current rating before retakes for the second semester: July 20;
• current rating after retakes for the second semester: October 25;
• cumulative rating: March 10 and October 25.

How can I view my position in a rating?

Tables with ratings are posted on respective websites of degree programmes in the ‘For Students – Ratings’ section no later than the dates specified above.

Degree programme managers send respective ratings to students via HSE University e-mail.

When does my position on the rating matter?

The ranks in ratings may be often referred to when distributing various student benefits.

For instance, fee-paying students who rank high on a rating may receive a tuition fee discount.

Your ranking may also affect your options to sign up for popular elective courses, minors, or open optional courses.

When deciding on providing a student with a grant for international academic mobility, your ranking may also matter.

What documents govern student ratings at HSE University?

Regulations for the Rating System of Comprehensive Student Assessments at HSE University