Journal decision profile

Trends in Higher Education

Social Sciences

Trends in Higher Education's 2026 Journal Metrics Score is 3.4, ranking Q1 in Education. Two-year citation average from OpenAlex data, updated August 2026.

Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing InstituteeISSN 2813-4346
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Bookmark this page — track observed submission-to-acceptance timing, FWCI and field-normalized citation data for this journal in one view.

Journal Metrics Score
i
Journal Metrics ScoreThe raw score is citations received in the latest complete year by works from the two previous years, divided by the number of those works. It is calculated from OpenAlex open data (CC0) and is not a percentage grade.
2026
3.4

Journal Metrics Score 2026 · 2021–2024 window citedness 4.00.

Submission-to-acceptance
i
Submission-to-acceptanceCalendar days between the received and accepted dates reported in recent PubMed records. This interval includes editorial handling and author revisions, so it is not time to first decision or pure peer-review time.
PUBMED

Not available — there are not enough recent PubMed records with both received and accepted dates.

Indicative APC
i
Indicative APCThis journal-level estimate comes from the OpenAlex source record. It is not a verified quote and may exclude taxes, waivers, society discounts, or article-type charges. Check the journal's official website before deciding.
OPENALEX · VERIFY
$1,207

Journal-level estimate only. Verify current charges, taxes, waivers, discounts, and article-type fees with the journal.

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At a glance

Journal decision profile

Each spoke is a 0–100 percentile within a comparable journal cohort—not a percentage grade or a single black-box rating.

Relative profile

Metrics ScoreThe raw 2026 Journal Metrics Score is the recent two-year citation average shown above. The radar converts it to a 0–100 cohort percentile: farther out means a higher score than more comparable journals. It is not a percentage grade.iSource outputThe raw rank compares lifetime output inside the journal’s leading-topic source set. The radar then compares that rank position across Decision Profile journals in the same primary OpenAlex field; when that field has too few profiles, it uses the broader profile set. Farther out means relatively more output, not better research quality.iTop 10% shareThe share of recent papers in the global top 10% for citations after comparing papers of the same type, publication year, and subfield. The radar converts that share to a 0–100 cohort percentile; it does not predict how a new paper will perform.iMedian FWCICitation performance of the middle recent paper after field, year, and work type are considered. A raw FWCI of 1.0 is the expected citation level for comparable papers; the radar shows its 0–100 cohort percentile.iOutput volumeAverage works published per year in the recent analysis window, converted to a 0–100 cohort percentile. Farther out means the journal publishes more papers; it does not mean those papers are better.i
Cost is intentionally excluded. Missing APC data is never converted to a zero-dollar fee or a fabricated cost score.

Raw values behind the shape

Always visible
Metrics Score
i
Metrics ScoreThe 2026 raw Journal Metrics Score shown above. The bar is its 0–100 percentile within the radar's comparable journal cohort; it is not a percentage score.
3.42026 · OPENALEX
Source output rank
i
Source output rankThis lifetime journal-wide output rank compares works published by the OpenAlex source with sources associated with the journal’s leading topic. More output does not mean higher quality.
#1635 / 5,018LIFETIME OUTPUT
Highly cited papers
i
Highly cited papersShare of recent works in the global top 10% for citations after comparing papers of the same type, publication year, and subfield.
56.4%FIELD-NORMALIZED TOP 10%
Field-normalized impact
i
Field-normalized impactCitation performance of the middle recent paper after field, year, and work type are considered. A raw FWCI of 1.0 is the expected level for comparable work.
2.73MEDIAN FWCI
Submission-to-acceptance
i
Submission-to-acceptanceReceived-to-accepted calendar days from qualified PubMed records. It includes editorial handling and author revisions; it is not time to first decision or pure peer-review time.
—NOT AVAILABLE
Recent output
i
Recent outputAverage works published per year across the complete analysis window. This is a volume measure, not a quality score.
29 / yr2021–2024 AVG
Field-normalized top 10% share56.4%

66 of 117 works · same type, year & subfield

Field-normalized top 1% share11.1%

13 works · same type, year & subfield

Median FWCI2.73×

Above field-year expectation

Source output rank#1635

of 5,018 topic-associated OpenAlex sources by lifetime output

What does Median FWCI mean?

FWCI compares papers with the same publication year, type, and field. 1.0 is the world average; above 1.0 is above expectation. This journal's median is 2.73, so its typical recent paper runs about 173% above its field benchmark.

What does Top 10% Share mean?

56.4% of recent papers rank in the global top 10% after field normalization. This is easier to compare across specialties than raw citation totals.

Publishing pattern

Publication volume and article mix

Volume is separated from citation accumulation so newer papers are not presented as weaker simply because they are newer.

Works published by year

OpenAlex source records · 2022–2025

72022
422023
682024
812025

Recent work-type mix

117 OpenAlex works · 2021–2024

Article94%
Review5.1%
Editorial0.9%
OpenAlex article is broader than “original research.” PubMed Publication Types can add case-report and clinical-study detail.
Fit signals

Topics and research coverage

OpenAlex topics show the research communities this journal serves.

Leading OpenAlex topics

2021–2024 works
Higher Education Research Studies10
Education during COVID-19 pandemic6
Artificial Intelligence in Education5
Career Development and Diversity5
Disability Education and Employment5
Student Assessment and Feedback5
Higher Education Governance and Development4
Online and Blended Learning4
Service-Learning and Community Engagement4
Sustainability in Higher Education4
Methodology: OpenAlex snapshot 2026-10-16. FWCI, percentile badges, topics, and type mix use 117 works published 2021–2024. Radar normalization is versioned in the cached profile, and no cost score is assigned without reliable APC data.

Subject Category Quartiles

Quartiles computed within each OpenAlex subfield
CategoryQuartile
EducationQ1
Computer Science ApplicationsQ2
Health InformaticsQ3

Is Trends in Higher Education a good journal?

Yes. A Q1 journal by citation data

Yes. By citation data, Trends in Higher Education is a strong journal: it is Q1 in Education and ranks #610 of 6,918 Social Sciences journals by Journal Metrics Score (top 9%). Trends in Higher Education's 2026 Journal Metrics Score is 3.4. OpenAlex lists an indicative article processing charge of $1,207 USD. OpenAlex classifies its papers in subfields including Education, Computer Science Applications, and Health Informatics, so check that your topic fits its scope.

Best quartile
Q1
Education
Rank in Social Sciences
#610 of 6,918
Top 9%
2026 Journal Metrics Score
3.4
Acceptance rate
Not published
By the journal or publisher
Open access fee (APC)
$1,207
OpenAlex, verify with the journal
Papers published in 2025
81
OpenAlex works

Check before you submit

  • Confirm the current article processing charge, waivers, and any institutional agreement on the journal website; the OpenAlex figure is indicative.
  • Confirm the journal is indexed where your institution or funder requires (for example Scopus or PubMed) before you submit.

Verdict from citation data only: quartile and field rank by Journal Metrics Score (OpenAlex), publisher-reported acceptance rates, and PubMed submission and acceptance dates. See how we rank journals and how to verify indexing.

Q1
Subfield Quartile
N/A
CAS Block

Ranking and source check

#610
of 6,918 Social Sciences field journals
#605
among Q1 Social Sciences journals

Confirm the exact title and ISSNs against the publisher homepage before a high-stakes submission decision.

Journal Details

OpenAlex Works
267
H-Index
17
Fully Open Access
Yes
Recent OA Works
267
Subject Areas
EducationComputer Science ApplicationsHealth Informatics

Source: the current OpenAlex source record. OpenAlex works can include multiple work types. Fully Open Access is a source-level flag. Recent OA Works is summed from OpenAlex's counts_by_year series (up to the latest ten years); it is not a lifetime OA percentage. Any APC shown here is an indicative OpenAlex value—verify current charges on the journal's official website.

How to submit to Trends in Higher Education

  1. 1

    Check the scope

    OpenAlex classifies Trends in Higher Education's papers in subfields including Education, Computer Science Applications, and Health Informatics. Read the aims and scope page and a few recent papers close to your topic before you prepare the manuscript.

  2. 2

    Follow the author guidelines

    Article types, word and figure limits, reference style, and the required statements (data availability, ethics, conflicts of interest, author contributions) are set by the journal. Prepare the cover letter and files to match them.

  3. 3

    Submit through SuSy

    MDPI journals take submissions through SuSy, MDPI's submission system, reached from the Submit button on the journal website.

    Open SuSy ↗
  4. 4

    Plan for costs

    OpenAlex lists an indicative article processing charge of $1,207 USD for this open-access journal. Check the current fee, waivers, and any institutional agreement on the journal website.

  5. 5

    Know what to expect

    Trends in Higher Education does not publish an acceptance rate.

Submission system from the publisher's author information, checked 2026-10-27. Individual journals can differ, so follow the link in the journal's own author guidelines.

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Common questions about Trends in Higher Education

Is Trends in Higher Education a good journal?

Yes. By citation data, Trends in Higher Education is a strong journal: it is Q1 in Education and ranks #610 of 6,918 Social Sciences journals by Journal Metrics Score (top 9%). Trends in Higher Education's 2026 Journal Metrics Score is 3.4. OpenAlex lists an indicative article processing charge of $1,207 USD. OpenAlex classifies its papers in subfields including Education, Computer Science Applications, and Health Informatics, so check that your topic fits its scope.

What is Trends in Higher Education's Journal Metrics Score in 2026?

Trends in Higher Education's 2026 Journal Metrics Score is 3.4, from the August 2026 data release. The score is a two-year citation average computed from OpenAlex (CC0) data: citations received in the most recent complete year to works published in the two prior years, divided by the number of those works.

What is the acceptance rate of Trends in Higher Education?

We have not found an official acceptance rate published by Trends in Higher Education or its publisher, and Journal Metrics does not estimate one because submission counts are not public. To judge selectivity, compare Trends in Higher Education's quartile and score with similar journals, or ask the editorial office.

What quartile is Trends in Higher Education in?

Trends in Higher Education's best quartile is Q1. By OpenAlex subfield: Q1 in Education; Q2 in Computer Science Applications; Q3 in Health Informatics. Quartiles rank journals by Journal Metrics Score within each subfield.

Is the Journal Metrics Score the same as other journal citation metrics?

No. Journal Metrics computes the score independently from OpenAlex open data. Other providers use different citation databases, document types, and counting rules, so their published figures for Trends in Higher Education will not match this score exactly. Compare journals using one source at a time.

How much does it cost to publish in Trends in Higher Education?

OpenAlex lists an indicative article processing charge of $1,207 USD for Trends in Higher Education. This journal-level estimate may exclude taxes, waivers, discounts, or article-type fees, so confirm the current charge on the journal's website.

Which journals are alternatives to Trends in Higher Education?

Comparable journals include Journal of University Teaching and Learning Practice, Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education, South African Journal of Higher Education, and Critical Education. Compare their scores, acceptance times, and costs in the recommended alternatives on this page before choosing where to submit.

How do I submit a paper to Trends in Higher Education?

MDPI journals take submissions through SuSy, MDPI's submission system, reached from the Submit button on the journal website. Before submitting, check the scope, follow the author guidelines for article type, length, and required statements, and prepare a cover letter.

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