Cookies Policy
Our website uses cookies to distinguish you from other users of our website. This helps us to provide you with a good experience when you browse our website and also allows us to improve our site.
A cookie is a small file of letters and numbers that we store on your browser or the hard drive of your computer if you agree. Cookies contain information that is transferred to your computer's hard drive.
We use the following type of cookies:
Strictly necessary cookies:
These are cookies that are required for the operation of our website. These essential cookies are always enabled because our website won’t work properly without them. They include, for example, cookies that enable you to log into secure areas of our website, use a shopping cart or make use of e-billing services. You can switch off these cookies in your browser settings but you may then not be able to access all or parts of our website. More information about the individual cookies we use and the purposes for which we use them can be found below.
| Domain | Cookie | Purpose of Cookie | Max Age/Expiry |
| TopUniversity | STYXKEY-loggedout | TopUniversity uses this cookie to log out the user | 24 hours |
| STYXKEY_first_visit | TopUniversity uses this cookie to see if it is the first visit from the user on the site. If the User appears to originate from China then Topuniversity redirects them to it’s website hosted in China: qschina.cn. | 1 Year | |
| STYXKEY-social_login_go | Topuniversity uses this cookie to identify the user logged in via Google | 1 Year | |
| STYXKEY-slogin_go_updated | Topuniversity uses this cookie to update the email ID for users logged in via Google | 1 Year | |
| STYXKEY-user_survey_submitted | TopUniversity uses this cookie to understand if the user has completed our 'Help us to know you better' survey prompted when they visit the site. | 24 hours | |
| STYXKEY-user_survey | TopUniversity uses this cookie to retain the user's choice in the 'Help us to know you better' survey, once they have submitted it. | 6 Months | |
| STYXKEY-user_survey_other | TopUniversity uses this cookie to further understand the user's choice in the 'Help us to know you better' survey,if their role selection is 'Other' | 6 Months | |
| STYXKEY-flexregStep2Content | TopUniversity uses this cookie to prompt the user towards the post-signup content, if they've successfully registered on our site. | Session | |
| STYXKEY-flexregStep2 | TopUniversity uses this cookie to redirect the user to the step2 of our Signup process. | N/A | |
| STYXKEY-qs_new_user | TopUniversity uses this cookie to understand if the user has newly registered, inorder to track usage analytics via datalayers. | 1 Hour | |
| STYXKEY-formtrigger | TopUniversity uses this cookie to direct the user towards the login/signup popup forms, as per the appropriate call-to-action. | N/A | |
| STYXKEY-user-global-reg | TopUniversity uses this cookie to direct the user towards the login/signup popup forms, as per the appropriate call-to-action. | N/A | |
| STYXKEY-step2universityorprogram | TopUniversity uses this cookie to direct the user towards the Step-2 popup of our registration process, as per the appropriate call-to-action on University Profiles/Program pages. | N/A | |
| STYXKEY-step2nid | TopUniversity uses this cookie to retain the University content (NodeID) as per the appropriate call-to-action which prompts the user to the Step-2 popup of our registration process. | N/A | |
| STYXKEY-show-guides-pop | TopUniversity uses this cookie to decide whether or not to display the study guide popup page. If the user has successfully registered, the popup page is displayed as per the appropriate call-to-action | 1 Hour | |
| STYXKEY_comparidsPrograms | TopUniversity uses this cookie to retain the University program IDs selected by a user for comparison. | Session | |
| STYXKEY_comparidsUniversity | TopUniversity uses this cookie to retain the University Profile IDs selected by a user for comparison. | 30 days | |
| STYXKEY-valuenid | TopUniversity uses this cookie to retain the University content (NodeID) which prompts the user to the Step 2 of our registration process. | Session | |
| STYXKEY-valuekey | TopUniversity uses this cookie to retain the University content (NodeID) which prompts the user to the Step 2 of our registration process. | Session | |
| STYXKEY-valuestudy | Topuniversity uses this cookie to retain the study destinations selected by the user. The same is pre-selected on our step-2 signup forms. | Session | |
| STYXKEY-download_id | Topuniversity uses this cookie to retain the study guide ID downloaded by the user. | 24 hours | |
| STYXKEY-can_download_file | TopUniveristy uses this cookie to retain the nodeid of the downloaded study guide | 24 hours | |
| STYXKEY-save_article_nid | Topuniversity uses this cookie to retain the article node ID, when an unauthenticated, or anonymous user saves an article on the site- to continue showing their own saved content. | 24 hours | |
| STYXKEY_shortlistedschools | TopUniversity uses this cookie to retain the University Profiles shortlisted by the user, inorder to display a shortlist summary on the Matching tool. | Session | |
| STYXKEY_shortlisteprograms | TopUniversity uses this cookie to retain the University Programs shortlisted by the user, inorder to display a shortlist summary on the Matching tool. | Session | |
| STYXKEY-short_univ | TopUniversity uses this cookie to retain the University Profile ID shortlisted by a user in the database. | 24 hours | |
| STYXKEY-short_prog | TopUniversity uses this cookie to retain the University Program ID shortlisted by a user in the database. | 24 hours | |
| STYXKEY-openContentModals | TopUniversity uses this cookie to decide whether or not to display the Shortlist/Compare Summary in the bottom tray (GSACK tray) of the Matching tool | 24 hours | |
| STYXKEY-openContentModals-window | TopUniversity uses this cookie to retain the Shortlist/Compare page URL on the Matching tool. The users selection or deselection of Profiles/Programs | 24 hours | |
| STYXKEY_universitynamein | TopUniversity uses this cookie to retain the University name which is searched by the user on our Global search, or Directory pages. | 24 hours | |
| STYXKEY-prog_url | TopUniversity uses this cookie to retain the University program URL based on the 'Apply' Call to Action. | 24 hours | |
| STYXKEY-gotourl | TopUniversity uses this cookie to store the user's opt-ins or password settings. The option to change password or their existing opt-in, is recommended based on this cookie. We save no personal information as part of this. | Session | |
| STYXKEY-fragment_hash | TopUniversity uses this cookie to retain the category names which a user edits on their site dashboard (MyAccount page). | Session | |
| STYXKEY_pmtv2_data_ | TopUniversity uses this cookie to retain the academic and study preferences set by the user on the Matching Tool. | Session | |
| STYXKEY__last_search_data_ | TopUniversity uses this cookie to retain the most recent study and academic preferences set by the user on the Matching Tool. | Session | |
| STYXKEY_edit_cmt_result | TopUniversity uses this cookie to retain the changes made by the user to the study and academic preferences in the Matching tool. | Session | |
| STYXKEY-atsPopF1 | TopUniversity uses this cookie to retain the University Profile/Programs shortlisted by the user | 24 hours | |
| STYXKEY-CMTFBSign_InAttemptTag | TopUniversity uses this cookie to tag the sign-in attempt on the Matching tool page via Facebook socials. | N/A | |
| STYXKEY-MainFBSign_InAttemptTag | TopUniversity uses this cookie to tag the general sign-in attempt via Facebook socials. | N/A | |
| STYXKEY-CMTGoogleSign_InAttemptTag | TopUniversity uses this cookie to tag the sign-in attempt on the Matching tool page via Google socials. | N/A | |
| STYXKEY-MainGoogleSign_InAttemptTag | TopUniversity uses this cookie to tag the general sign-in attempt via Google socials. | N/A | |
| STYXKEY-v2drupalsignin | TopUniversity uses this cookie to confirm the completion of authentication before the same is included in the datalayers employed in analytics. | 24 hours | |
| STYXKEY-v2googlesign | TopUniversity uses this cookie to confirm the completion of authentication before the same is included in the datalayers employed in analytics. | 24 hours | |
| STYXKEY-v2facebooksign | TopUniversity uses this cookie to confirm the completion of authentication before the same is included in the datalayers employed in analytics. | 24 hours | |
| STYXKEY-lgdata_match | TopUniversity uses this cookie to retain the study level set by the user on the Matching Tool. | Session | |
| STYXKEY-step-two-submitted | TopUniversity uses this cookie to indicate a fully registered user, who has also completed Step 2 of the registration process | 24 hours | |
| STYXKEY_comparedschools | TopUniversity uses this cookie to remember the Universities currently being compared by the active visitor. | Session | |
| STYXKEY-KnowmoreDirectLoggedin | TopUniversity uses this cookie to understand if the user is an existing user or a new registration, after appropriate call-to-action 'Know More' on University Profile/Programs | 24 hours | |
| STYXKEY-v2facebooksignup | Topuniversity uses this cookie to recognize if a user attempts to signup via Facebook socials | 24 hours | |
| STYXKEY-v2googlesignup | Topuniversity uses this cookie to recognize if a user attempts to signup via Google socials | 24 hours | |
| QS_REACT_FILTER_SAVE | Topuniversity uses this cookie to capture the academic and study preferences set by a visitor on the Matching tool. | Session | |
| STYXKEY-getInTouchDirectLoggedin | Topuniversity uses this cookie to understand if a user signs-in directly after encountering the Get In Touch Call to action on a University Profile. | 24 hours | |
| STYXKEY-show-step2 | TopUniversity uses this cookie to direct the user onto the Step2 of our registration process, via the appropriate Call-to-Actions in the Matching Tool. | 24 hours | |
| Cloudflare Cloudflare uses various cookies to maximize network resources, manage traffic, and protect our customers’ sites from malicious traffic. To know more, visit: https://developers.cloudflare.com/fundamentals/reference/policies-compliances/cloudflare-cookies/ | cf_clearance | Cloudflare uses this Clearance Cookie to store the proof of challenge passed. It is used to no longer issue a challenge if present. It is required to reach an origin server | 30 Minutes |
| EU Cookie Compliance | cookie-agreed-version | Drupal uses this cookie to maintain the current version of the EU GDPR cookie compliance module active on it's configuration. | 6 months |
| cookie-agreed | Drupal uses this cookie to capture the cookie consent agreed, or disagreed by the user in the EU GDPR cookie compliance module. | 6 months | |
| cookie-agreed-categories | Drupal uses this cookie to manage the category of cookies that the user has consented to. The categories and additional details regarding the same can be seen on the cookie settings. | 6 months |
Functionality cookies:
These allow us to recognise and count the number of visitors, see how you move around the site and when you return to our website. This enables us improve the way our website works and to personalise our content for you, greet you by name and remember your preferences (for example, your choice of language or region). More information about the individual cookies we use and the purposes for which we use them can be found below.
| Domain | Cookie | Purpose of Cookie | Max Age/Expiry |
| Google: When users visits Topuniversity using any of the Google products including AdSense, Google Ads, Google Analytics, and a range of products within the Google Marketing Platform, cookies may be sent to their browser. To know more, visit: https://business.safety.google/adscookies/ https://policies.google.com/technologies/ads?hl=en-US | _ga OR _ga_{client_id} | Google Analytics uses this cookie to distinguish unique visitors on the site | 2 Years |
| __Secure-1PSID | Google uses this cookie for targeting purposes to build a profile of the website visitor's interests in order to show relevant and personalised Google advertising. | 2 Years | |
| SID | Google uses this cookie to store digitally signed and encrypted the records of a user’s Google Account ID and most recent sign-in time. | 1 Year | |
| __Secure-3PAPISID | Google uses this cookie for targeting purposes to build a profile of the website visitor's interests in order to show relevant and personalised Google advertising. | 2 Years | |
| SSID | Google uses this cookie to store digitally signed and encrypted the records of a user’s Google Account ID and most recent sign-in time. | 1 Year | |
| __Secure-3PSIDCC | Google uses this cookie for targeting purposes to build a profile of the website visitor's interests in order to show relevant and personalised Google advertising. | 2 Years | |
| APISID | Google uses this cookie to display personalised advertisements on Google sites, based on recent searches and previous interactions. | 1 Year | |
| __Secure-1PSIDCC | Google uses this cookie for argeting purposes to build a profile of the website visitor's interests in order to show relevant & personalised Google advertising. | 2 Years | |
| SIDCC | Google uses this cookie to provide the identification of trusted web traffic. | 1 Year | |
| __Secure-1PAPISID | Google uses this cookie for targeting purposes to build a profile of the website visitor's interests in order to show relevant & personalised Google advertising. | 2 Years | |
| SAPISID | Google uses this cookie to display personalised advertisements on Google sites, based on recent searches and previous interactions. | 1 Year | |
| APISID | Google uses this cookie to display personalised advertisements on Google sites, based on recent searches and previous interactions. | 1 Year | |
| HSID | Google uses this cookie to store digitally signed and encrypted the records of a user’s Google Account ID and most recent sign-in time. | 1 Year | |
| __Secure-3PSID | Google uses this cookie for targeting purposes to build a profile of the website visitor's interests in order to show relevant & personalised Google advertising. | 2 Years | |
| ar_debug | Google uses this cookie to store and track conversions. It is used for both source and trigger registrations to receive verbose debug reports on trigger registrations. | 2 minutes, extended every 30 seconds. | |
| AEC | Google uses this cookie to ensure that the requests within a browsing session are made by the user, and not by other sites. | 6 Months | |
| AB Tasty | ABTasty | Stores a unique visitor ID and details about tests and variations, enabling A/B testing, personalisation, and analytics. | Up to 13 months |
| _BEAMER_DATE | Records the date and time of a user’s visits, helping AB Tasty measure site usage patterns. | 12 months | |
| _BEAMER_FIRST_VISIT | Identifies the first time a user visits the site for analytics and personalisation purposes. | 12 months | |
| _BEAMER_LAST_UPDATE | Logs the last time data was updated for a visitor, used by AB Tasty to tailor content and measure engagement. | 12 months | |
| _BEAMER_USER_ID | Stores a unique user ID to recognise returning visitors, allowing AB Tasty to track user behaviour and personalise the experience. | 12 months | |
| HotJar: HotJar sets cookies to track usage analytics. To know more, visit: https://help.hotjar.com/hc/en-us/articles/6952777582999-Cookies-Set-by-the-Hotjar-Tracking-Code | _hjAbsoluteSessionInProgress | Hotjar uses this cookie to detect the first pageview session of a user | 30 Minutes |
| _hjFirstSeen | Hotjar uses this cookie to Identify a new user’s first session | 30 Minutes | |
| _hjIncludedInSessionSample_{site_id} | Hotjar uses this cookie to determine if a user is included in the data sampling defined by the site's daily session limit. | 2 minutes, extended every 30 seconds. | |
| _hjSession_{site_id} | Hotjar uses this cookie to hold the visitor's session data. | 30 Minutes | |
| _hjSessionUser_{site_id} | Hotjar uses this cookie to ensure that the userID is persisted to the unique site ID. Data from subsequent visits to the same site are attributed to the same (unique) user ID | 1 Year | |
| Omniconvert Omniconvert enables cookies on a user's browser to track usage analysis, or to run custom experiments which enhances the user's experience To know more, visit: https://www.omniconvert.com/help/kba/omniconvert-cookies/ | mktz_ab | Omniconvert uses this cookie to bucket the visitor who fits our predefined conditions into an A/B Experiment, to enhance the user experience. | 1 Year |
| mktz_sess | Omniconvert uses this cookie to tag the visitor who goes to a page on TopUniversity with the Omniconvert tracking code | 1 Year | |
| _mktz_enabled | Omniconvert uses this cookie to indicate the site pages that a visitor frequents on TopUniversity, carrying the Omniconvert tracking code | 1 Year | |
| mktz_interaction | Omniconvert uses this cookie to indicate the completion of a visitor's interaction with a lead overlay on Topuniversity, created to enhance user experience. | 1 Year | |
| Parse.ly Websites that have parse.ly plugins allow first party cookies to enable tracking sessions, and unique visitors. To know more, visit: https://docs.parse.ly/cookies/ | _parsely_session | ||
| _parsely_visitor | Sites that bear the Parse.ly plugin uses this cookie to uniquely identify a browser and count its sessions in JSON. Whenever a user visits another site that also uses Parse.ly, it is possible to recognize them and attribute their behavior as a single visitor. | 13 Months | |
| Intercom Intercom messenger allows first party cookies to track unique devices and browser sessions To Know more, visit: https://www.intercom.com/help/en/articles/2361922-intercom-messenger-cookies | intercom-device-id | Intercom sets this cookie as an identifier for each unique device that interacts with the Messenger | 9 Months |
| HubSpot: HubSpot sets a number of tracking cookies when a visitor lands on your website to understand their behavior better. To know more, visit: https://knowledge.hubspot.com/privacy-and-consent/what-cookies-does-hubspot-set-in-a-visitor-s-browser | __hs_initial_opt_in | Hubspot uses this cookie to store 'do not track' signals | |
| Cloudflare Cloudflare uses various cookies to maximize network resources, manage traffic, and protect our customers’ sites from malicious traffic. To know more, visit: https://developers.cloudflare.com/fundamentals/reference/policies-compliances/cloudflare-cookies/ | __cf_bm | Cloudflare uses this cookie to read and filter requests from bots. | 30 Minutes |
| _cfuvid | Cloudflare uses this cookie to distinguish individual visitors who share the same IP address. | session | |
| TopUniversity | STYXKEY-globaluserUUID | TopUniversity uses this cookie to generate a globalUserID for our datalayers which are purposed in analytical tools. If the user is not logged-in, a random User ID is attributed to that user. Else, their actual user ID is attributed to them. | 24 hours |
| SSESS{id} | Drupal places this cookie to provide a responsive website | 1 Month | |
| AWS | qssoperm | This is a fixed supercookie, related to single-sign on. It provides an additional authentication method, and can remain impermanently on the user's browser. | 1 Year |
| AWSALBCORS | Amazon Web services uses this cookie to provide load balancing functionality. | 1 Week |
Advertising cookies:
These cookies record your visit to our website, the pages you have visited and the links you have followed. We will use this information to make our website and the advertising displayed on it more relevant to your interests. More information about the individual cookies we use and the purposes for which we use them can be found below.
| Domain | Cookie | Purpose of Cookie | Max Age/Expiry |
| Meta Meta uses cookies to track device and browser sessions of users who visit the site via Meta/Facebook socials To Know More, visit:https://www.facebook.com/privacy/policies/cookies/?subpage=subpage-4.5 | _fbp | Meta uses this cookie on Topuniversity for visitors who have registered via Meta socials, to better target and optimise advertising | 3 Months |
| datr | Meta uses this cookie on Topuniversity to provide fraud prevention | 2 Years | |
| wd | Meta uses this cookie on Topuniversity to read the dimensions of the visitor's screen resolution | 1 Week | |
| fr | Meta uses this cookie on Topuniversity to deliver, measure and improve the relevancy of ads | 90 days | |
| sb | Meta uses this cookie to help identify a user's browser securely | 6 Months | |
| lastExternalReferrer | Detects how the user reached the website by registering their last URL-address. | Persisent | |
| lastExternalReferrerTime | Detects how the user reached the website by registering their last URL-address. | Persisent | |
| x | Meta uses this cookie to record the device pixel ratio of a visitor's screen and whether or not the high-contrast mode is enabled. | Session | |
| Google When users visits Topuniversity using any of the Google products including AdSense, Google Ads, Google Analytics, and a range of products within the Google Marketing Platform, cookies may be sent to their browser. To know more, visit: https://business.safety.google/adscookies/ https://policies.google.com/technologies/ads?hl=en-US | NID | Google Adsense uses this cookie to display Ads to signed-out users | 6 Months |
| Youtube Youtube collects cookies when a user visits TopUniversity page with youtube plugins installed. To know more, visit: https://cookiedatabase.org/service/youtube/ | VISITOR_INFO1_LIVE | Youtube uses this cookie to set a unique identifier that tracks video viewing | 6 Months |
| LAST_RESULT_ENTRY_KEY | Used to track user’s interaction with embedded content. | Session | |
| LogsDatabaseV2:V#||LogsRequestsStore | Persisent | ||
| YSC | Youtube uses this cookie to store and track information | Session | |
| Tiktok Tiktok collects cookies when a user visits a Topuniversity page with TikTok installed To know more, visit: https://ads.tiktok.com/help/article/using-cookies-with-tiktok-pixel?lang=en https://cookiedatabase.org/service/tiktok/ | _tt_enable_cookie | TikTok uses this cookie to track cookie consent and website activity | 13 Months |
| _ttp | Tiktok uses this cookie to measure and improve the performance of the site's advertising campaigns and to personalize the user's experience | 13 Months | |
| Intercom To know more, visit:https://www.intercom.com/help/en/articles/2361922-intercom-messenger-cookies | intercom-session-id | Intercom sets this cookie as an identifier for each unique browser session that interacts with the Messenger | 1 Week |
| DemandBase To Know More, visit: https://www.demandbase.com/cookie-policy/ | tuuid | Demandbase products uses this cookie for analytics and advertising services. | 10 Months |
| tuuid_lu | This tracks the date when the TUUID was last updated. | 10 Months | |
| Snap To Know more, visit: https://snap.com/en-US/privacy/cookie-information | _sctr | Snap.inc uses this cookie to determine whether a third party tag will be called in Snap Ads Pixel | 1 Year |
| _scid | Snap.inc uses this cookie to help identify a visitor. | 1 Year | |
| Microsoft Clarity Analytics To Know More, visit: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/clarity/setup-and-installation/cookie-list | _clck | Microsoft analytics service uses this cookie to synchronize the MUID across Microsoft domains | 1 Year |
| StackAdapt To know more, visit: https://www.stackadapt.com/cookie-policy | sa-user-id or sa-user-id-{id} | StackAdapt uses this cookie to identify users and display relevant advertisements. It tracks user interactions with embedded ocntent and optimizes advertisements | 1 Year |
| Beeswax (bidr.io) To Know more, visit: https://www.beeswax.com/cookies/ | bitoIsSecure | The bitoIsSecure cookie is a browser ID cookie set by Bidr, a provider of Linked share Buttons and ad tags. It is used for advertising purposes and to identify unique visitors | 13 Months |
| bito | Sets a unique ID for the visitor, that allows third party advertisers to target the visitor with relevant advertisement. | 13 Months | |
| capig.stape.org | cee | Registers a unique ID that identifies the user's device during return visits. Used for conversion tracking and to measure the efficacy of online ads. | 3 Months |
| Giphy | giphyPingbackId | Used to track the visitor's usage of GIFs - This serves for analytical and marketing purposes. | Session |
| _gid | Google uses this cookie to send data to Google Analytics about the visitor's device and behavior. Tracks the visitor across devices and marketing channels. | 1 day | |
| _gat | Google uses this cookie to send data to Google Analytics about the visitor's device and behavior. Tracks the visitor across devices and marketing channels. | 1 day | |
| Admedo.com | adm.sesh | Session | |
| adm.usrmeta | Persisent | ||
| Doubleclick.net | APC | Tracks the conversion rate between the user and the advertisement banners on the website - This serves to optimise the relevance of the advertisements on the website. | 6 Months |
| bannerflow.com | cc | Registers data on visitors from multiple visits and on multiple websites. This information is used to measure the efficiency of advertisement on websites. | 1 Month |
| goodreads.com | ccsid | Tracks the individual sessions on the website, allowing the website to compile statistical data from multiple visits. This data can also be used to create leads for marketing purposes. |
To enrich our website content, sometimes we may embed video content from other social media websites such as YouTube or Facebook. As a result, when you visit a page with content embedded, you may be presented with cookies from these websites. QWS has no control or liability over these cookies set, so you should check the relevant third party's cookie policy for more information.
We also offer a “share page” widget on some of our web pages, where content can be shared easily on the following sites Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google+. These sites may set a cookie when you are logged into their service. QS has no control or liability over these cookies set, so you should check the relevant third party's cookie policy for more information.
QS will not use cookies to collect personally identifiable information about you. However, should you choose to disable, reject or block our cookies, some parts of our websites will not function fully, or in some cases, our website will not be accessible at all.
For more information on how to control your cookie settings and browser settings, or how to delete cookies on your hard drive, please visit www.allaboutcookies.org.
More information about the individual cookies we use and the purposes for which we use them can be found below.
If you have any questions or concerns about our use of cookies, please send us an email at[email protected]
