International rankings and the reproduction of inequality in higher education

Digitalization is reshaping global ranking systems for universities which influences their evaluation governance and equity. However this transformation is not only technological it is also linked to deeper structural historical and institutional dynamics that influence equity and visibility in global higher education. This study offers a review of literature based on a discourse analysis of international ranking frame-works, like particularly QS, Times Higher Education, and Webometrics. It examines how digital indicators, algorithmic processes and standardized evaluation models interact with structural disparities between institutions in the global North and South. The research offers original contributions by identifying new forms of digital paternalism in ranking mechanisms and proposing a policy shift toward multidimensional and participatory evaluation models. These results have implications for considering equity, transparency, and institutional agency in the governance of the global systems of higher education.