As tuition is being introduced--or raised--at publicly supported university systems around the world, more people are embracing the idea that rankings can help consumers get the best value. Jamie P. Merisotis, president of the Institute for Higher Education Policy, a Washington-based research group, says that in the last few years, national ranking systems have been established in at least 20 countries across the world, and he expects more. Most are compiled by newspapers or magazines. Outside the United States they are typically referred to as "league tables," after the listings of the wins and losses in a sports league.The systems use varying combinations of measures--including institutions' reputations, research output, resources, students' test scores, graduation rates, and job placement--which lead to quite different results. Academics have criticized all of the rankings, saying they are simplistic and arbitrary. Still, some lists have had considerable impact in just a few years, especially outside the United States.