Analytics, Education and Science, Estonia

Estonian residents consider the University of Tartu, which has the longest history, to be the most prestigious Estonian university -- 84% of the approximately 1,200 respondents think so. Altogether 92% of the respondents mentioned the University of Tartu most often spontaneously, six out of ten people did it as the first choice.

The responses show that the strength of the University of Tartu's reputation is ensured primarily by high-level education and research and the high value of the diploma in the labor market. In addition, the respondents consider the University of Tartu to be reliable because the education offered there meets their expectations. A less conscious but great advantage of the university is considered to be internationality and functioning student exchange.

Aune Valk, vice rector for academic affairs of the University of Tartu, said that good reputation is very important for the University of Tartu. "It is a delight that the assessment given to the University of Tartu is especially high among young people compared to other higher education institutions studied. In the case of education and schools more broadly, reputation and satisfaction are closely linked -- what matters is what the university can do to provide a good education as well as how these efforts are perceived," Valk said.

The vice rector added that it is also helpful to know one's weaknesses. "The survey rated the practicality of the university's education lower. I can confirm that from the fall, all university curricula will include internships, and hopefully we will move in the right direction in this area. The university also needs to further clarify the issue of graduates' salaries, for example, in which specialties offered by the University of Tartu are salaries much better or at the same level compared to other higher education institutions," Valk said.

In connection with the COVID-19 pandemic, this year's reputation survey also examined how Estonian higher education institutions helped to combat the pandemic. The University of Tartu once again stood out the most in the answers -- 65 percent of the respondents highlighted the COVID-19 studies and research of the University of Tartu.

The aim of the university reputation survey organized by Kantar Emor was to find out the general reputation of Estonian higher education institutions among the population. In addition, for the first time, questions were asked about the prominence of universities in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.