The journal 'Új Pedagógiai Szemle' belongs to University of Miskolc
Professional contributor: Hungarian Pedagogical Association
ISSN 1215-1807 (Printed)
ISSN 1788-2400 (Online)
INDEX 25701br>DOI-prefix: 10.71157

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Vol. 76
(2026)
Issue 07-08
Schools in the mirror of rankings: Comparing the HVG and MCC grammar school rankings, 2025–2026
DATE OF PUBLISHING: 2026-09-14
SECTION: Tanulmányok [peer reviewed]
AUTHOR:
BÉRES, ANDRÁS
doktorandusz | PTE Természettudományi Kar, Földtudományok Doktori Iskola
KEYWORDS: school rankings; grammar schools; ranking convergence; indicator profiles; social selection; HVG; MCC

ABSTRACT (FULL-TEXT IN HUNGARIAN!)

This study compares the 2025 and 2026 Hungarian grammar school rankings published by HVG and jointly produced by Mathias Corvinus Collegium and the Hungarian Educational Authority (MCC–OH). It examines the extent to which the two rankings, which draw partly on shared data sources but use different indicator sets and aggregation logics, identify the same leading institutions and the indicator profiles associated with Top 10 positions. Institutional overlap at the Top 10, Top 20, Top 50 and Top 100 levels is assessed using counts, overlap rates and the Jaccard index, while the ordering of institutions appearing in both Top 100 lists is examined through Spearman’s and Kendall’s rank correlations. The internal structure of the Top 10 groups is analysed using mean indicator ranks and rank-based standardised institutional profiles visualised as heatmaps. The findings show substantial but incomplete convergence in the broader Top 100, whereas Top 10 membership and individual rank positions are more sensitive to the methodology applied. Both rankings include relatively balanced profiles that perform favourably across several dimensions, but specialisation–compensation patterns are also present. The study concludes that rankings are not complete or neutral measures of school quality: their differences reveal how alternative indicator choices and aggregation decisions make different dimensions of grammar school performance visible.

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Béres A. (2026): Schools in the mirror of rankings: Comparing the HVG and MCC grammar school rankings, 2025–2026. Új Pedagógiai Szemle. 76. 07–08. sz., 26–66. DOI: 10.71157/upsz.2026.07-08.03
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