Wikipedia ranking of world universities

We use the directed networks between articles of 24 Wikipedia language editions forproducing the wikipedia ranking of world Universities (WRWU) using PageRank, 2DRank andCheiRank algorithms. This approach allows to incorporate various cultural views on worlduniversities using the mathematical statistical analysis independent of culturalpreferences. The Wikipedia ranking of top 100 universities provides about 60% overlap withthe Shanghai university ranking demonstrating the reliable features of this approach. Atthe same time WRWU incorporates all knowledge accumulated at 24 Wikipedia editions givingstronger highlights for historically important universities leading to a differentestimation of efficiency of world countries in university education. The historicaldevelopment of university ranking is analyzed during ten centuries of their history.