In 2022, CoinDesk will evaluate the top 50 colleges for their influence on the blockchain. We evaluated each of the 240 institutions based on variables such as the volume and impact of its research publications, the quantity of its courses, degrees, conferences, clubs, and industrial collaborations or funding, the locations of its graduates’ employment, its reputation, and many other factors.
While well-known university rankings are under scrutiny, CoinDesk began this months-long effort, especially after Columbia University’s data was questioned in relation to the US News and World Report (USNWR) 2022 and 2023 lists.
Although not flawless, our system avoids some of the issues that big university rankings frequently have. CoinDesk did not rely on self-reported replies from our sample of 240 schools; instead, it gathered its own data from openly accessible databases and the websites of the colleges. Even if our method of data retrieval might be insufficient, manipulation is unlikely.
We also had to consider what it meant to rank institutions based on their pedagogy and research in the newly developing field of blockchain technology. It’s doubtful that our readers are teenagers or their parents looking for the top undergraduate institutions. Our target audience is older and employed, whether or not they work in the crypto industry or a similar profession. What makes universities ranked for our audience? Universities are graduating the people who will work in blockchain for years to come for one reason, fair or unfair. Recruiters might find our study to be helpful. Another was determining whether colleges provided graduate degrees and non-degree certificates, and we included information in each of our pieces for readers interested in pursuing additional education in the field of cryptocurrency.
Finally, it is instructive to examine how the university, one of the most established institutions in the world for assessing professional achievement, is changing in order to educate and research a disruptive emergent technology. For instance, two of Singapore’s institutions made the top 10 this year. Singapore is a little country with a 283 square mile (733 square km) land area and a 6 million-person population (equivalent to Johannesburg).
This outcome can be a result of the city-regulatory state’s environment being crypto-friendly (though that stance may be undergoing a change). However, it might also show something useful about blockchain in general.
“Singapore is punching way above its weight on the global stage,” said MIT researcher Reuben Youngblom, who advised CoinDesk on the methodology for these rankings. “It’s a fun commentary on what blockchain is capable of, being somewhat of an equalizer.”
“At this point in these rankings, something like adding one class could add a significant bump,” he said. “Adding a degree program would have a huge impact. It speaks to how nascent this field is in education.”
