Can the dimension of a university affect the assessment of the performance?

This study examines the role of international rankings in university performance assessment, focusing on 16 Italian state universities in 12 global ranking systems. The results show that rankings provide different results depending on their criteria and may favour larger institutions, especially for ARWU, CWUR, Scimago and URAP, while others, such as Leiden and RUR, provide a size-independent perspective. The study highlights the limitations of traditional ranking methods and argues in favour of a multidimensional approach that takes into account both size and research quality. Specialized universities show that sector-specific assessments are necessary to ensure fair comparisons. The study suggests integrating qualitative measures such as peer reviews and impact assessments to refine the ranking methods. A more balanced assessment framework will improve institutional strategy, funding allocation, global competitiveness and ultimately promote research excellence.