The article analyzes the existing definitions of effectiveness in the context of higher education, both those provided by the English dictionary, and domestic and foreign researchers, based on which the types of effectiveness are grouped. In addition, this article shows the differences between given definitions – efficiency and effectiveness. Also, the article indicates some areas of reforming higher education, both domestic and foreign experience. According to the author and reviewed literature, there should be a motivational system for the teaching staff in university, which should not be formal. In addition, author compares numbers of the higher-educational institutions in Ukraine and some other European countries – such as Germany, Poland, Czech Republic, Spain, Italy, Hungary and Poland and analysed its effectiveness. Ukraine has a large number of universities, around 281. The lagers numbers have only Poland and Germany. The effectiveness of higher-educational universities is being varied from its scientific activities. In addition, approaches to assessing the activities of higher educational institutions in the "TOP-200 Ukraine" and foreign rankings, in particular, uniRank, QS, NatureIndex, have been analyzed. For example, uniRank ranking system refers to Ukrainian Higher Education-related Organizations those, which is not related to a higher-educational process, such as Ministry of a Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Culture, but does not refer National Agency for Higher Education Quality Assurance, which gives an accreditation to an educational programs of Hugher Education Universities. The orientation of these ratings to the scientific process is revealed, without focusing on student-centrism and education. In the author’s opinion, there should be criteria, which shows the feedback from the students about educational process and which reveals the quality of educational process. The substantiation of the possibilities for improving the efficiency of Ukrainian higher educational institutions with an orientation on student-centrism is provided.