I agree PurpleTitan, but then what do you make of Michigan’s ARWU ranking? Michigan is #1 or #2 (depending on the method of calculation) globally in research spending and output, so why is it ranked #22 overall according to ARWU?
I think all rankings tweak their methodologies to serve their markets, ARWU included. In East Asia, where ARWU is published, West Coast universities are revered.