ASSESSING THE QUALITY OF HIGHER EDUCATION IN ROMANIA. AN EMPIRICAL STUDY OF ROMANIAN UNIVERSITIES ASSESSED THROUGH THE CONSTRUCTION OF A COMPOSITE QUALITY INDEX

This study examines the quality of higher education in Romania, with a particular focus on state universities that have a dedicated field of Economics. By using Principal Component Analysis (PCA), the study examines various measures of quality, such as the student-faculty ratio, the ratio of master's to bachelor's students, and various aspects of teaching quality. In addition, the research constructs a composite quality index, establishing a hierarchy of universities. This ranking is then compared with the positions of these universities in global rankings. The results highlight notable differences between universities and the importance of each measurement used. This kind of assessment in a meaningful and impartial way could serve as an important tool to evaluate the quality of higher education offered to students and to identify the best approaches for its improvement.