Efficiency assessment of universities through data envelopment analysis

Assessing the efficiency of universities is vital for effective allocation and utilization of educational resources. In this paper, a data envelopment analysis (DEA) model for jointly evaluating the relative teaching and research efficiencies of universities was presented. The inputs and outputs for university performance measurement were first identified. They comprise a total of 16 measures which are believed to be essential. A variant of DEA called joint DEA maximization was used to model and evaluate these measures. The model was tested using a hypothetical example and its use and implications in university performance measurement were described. The application of DEA enables academics to identify deficient activities in their universities and take appropriate actions for improvement. (C) 2010 Published by Elsevier Ltd. Selection and/or peer-review under responsibility of the Guest Editor.