There has been a steady growth in the number of university rankings available over the last few years, both for domestic and international comparisons. Although the various approaches have many detractors, increasing numbers of people - including students - are referring to them as an important means to assist decision-making. It is clear that university rankings and other forms of institutional comparison will only evolve and expand, but do they provide a good basis on which to make decisions? Can we genuinely compare the performance of one university with another when the objectives and diversity of provision might be widely different? And how important are rankings in relation to an institutions overall brand? This session includes two perspectives: John O'Leary, Editor, THES, will provide an insight into the outcomes of the THES World University Rankings 2006; Allison Doorbar will present preliminary research findings into institution branding and the importance of rankings in relation to brand.