1. Overview of Respondents and Nominations
In the first column, you’ll see the total number of nominations (respondents) globally, across all subjects, for your focused institution in the 2025 reporting year.
This gives a complete picture of your global footprint in the reputation survey data.
Domestic vs. International Respondents
Just below the total count, you’ll find a chart showing the breakdown of domestic and international respondents.
This allows you to compare your institution’s respondent mix against your selected Benchmark Peers. Helping you see where you stand amongst your peers, and whether your respondent base is more nationally or internationally weighted.
3. Year-on-Year Change in Respondents
The second column in the report visualizes how your respondent base has changed year-over-year.
Blue: New nominations (new respondents this year)
Red: Dropped respondents (no longer responding)
Yellow: Continued nominations (respondents who have participated in prior period)
The totals beneath the chart summarize these values, showing how stable or dynamic your respondent base has been over time.
4. Unique Respondents (Most Recent Year)
The third column focuses on unique respondents in the most recent survey year.
In QS’s reputation methodology, only the most recent nomination by each unique respondent is counted within a five-year window.
This section helps you understand:
The total number of unique respondents for your institution
The distribution of domestic vs. international respondents
How that compares with your Benchmark Peers
5. Five-Year Rolling Respondent Totals
Finally, the fourth column displays the rolling five-year total of unique respondents.
This represents the sum of all unique respondents over the past five years, showing longer-term trends in your reputation survey participation.
Key Insights You Can Draw
Track changes in your academic and employer reputation response base
Identify strengths in domestic vs. international engagement
Compare your performance with peer institutions over time
Understand the stability and reach of your respondent network