How QS Stars Helped Bryant University Tell Its Story Globally

Bryant University has long been recognized in the United States for its strength in business education. But while its reputation was strong at home, the University wanted to do more to explain its quality and outcomes to audiences beyond the US, particularly prospective international students and their families.

QS offered something they needed. “QS is a partner that can help us achieve our international reputation and recruiting goals,” Bryant University’s President, Ross Gittell, PhD said.

That ambition led Bryant to take part in QS Stars, a rating system designed to assess universities across a broad range of performance areas, rather than reducing them to a single ranking position.

A Process That Encouraged Honest Self-Assessment

The QS Stars audit took place over around six months and involved more than 20 staff members from across the university. Led by Bryant University's Office of Institutional Effectiveness and Strategy, the process required teams to gather evidence, reflect on existing practices, and explain how the university operates across areas such as governance, teaching, facilities and employability.

Rather than being a box-ticking exercise, the audit became an opportunity for internal reflection. “The process … provided valuable insights into our internal processes,” Gittell said. In some cases, it prompted concrete change. During the Governance self-assessment, for example, Bryant identified the need for stronger oversight structures and went on to establish a new ethics committee, a direct outcome of engaging with the QS Stars framework.

Clear Results, Clearly Communicated

At the conclusion of the audit, Bryant University was awarded an overall Five Star rating, alongside five stars in a number of key categories, including Teaching, Facilities, Employability, Good Governance, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, and Business and Management Studies.

For Bryant, the value of this result lay not only in the score itself, but in how easily it could be communicated. The QS Stars badge now features prominently on the University’s website and marketing materials, offering a clear, independent signal of quality to international audiences.

Several category results reinforced areas Bryant already knew were institutional strengths. A five star Employability rating reflected outcomes such as 99% of graduates securing full-time employment or further study within six months, while five stars for Facilities highlighted major investments, including the university’s Business Entrepreneurship Leadership Center.

Supporting International Recruitment

At the time of the QS Stars assessment, international students made up only around 6% of Bryant’s student body. The University saw QS Stars as a way to make its strengths more visible to students who may be less familiar with US institutions outside the most well-known names.

“Having the QS seal of excellence is an important distinction that resonates with international students and their families.”

By providing a trusted, globally recognized reference point, QS Stars helped Bryant translate its quality into a language that works across borders.

More than a rating

For Bryant University, QS Stars has proven to be more than a one-off evaluation. The university described the process as transparent and collaborative, with clear guidance from the QS team throughout the audit.

Today, Bryant sees QS not simply as a rankings organization, but as a long-term partner — one that supports both internal improvement and the way the university presents itself to the world.

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