What’s the Deal With College Rankings?

The U.S. News & World Report’s annual college rankings were recently published, and, lo and behold, Princeton University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) are No. 1 and No. 2. Harvard University, Stanford University and Yale University are all tied at No. 3. Yes, these are great institutions, but can anyone really say that MIT is better than California Institute of Technology (No. 9) or that Northwestern University (No. 10) is better than Tufts (No. 32)? 

 

The answer is simply no. U.S. News claims that they use detailed methodology, but the bottom line is that colleges manipulate their rankings in all kinds of ways. Most colleges submit the data themselves, and it is simple for colleges to focus too much on the items that go into the rankings rather than the overall learning experience. Measures of wealth (endowment), exclusivity (number of applications vs. admittance rates) and prestige are general factors included in the rankings report. It is important to state that the acceptance rate does not influence or accurately reflect the quality of instruction or the worth of a degree from that institution. The focus should be on “What are you looking for?” Many colleges offer similar academic programs, living experiences, extracurricular opportunities, global experiences and career development. We can find more similarities in colleges than not, but subjective factors—like how students perform and thrive, retention and graduation rates, hireability and overall satisfaction—are better indicators of how well a student will perform at a specific institution. 

 

Looking at what college is the best fit for the individual student and crafting the process of meeting students where they are is a better predictor of overall happiness and guaranteed success.

 

As we move forward in this post-pandemic world, more scrutiny is being given to the data and output of college ranking lists. For an in-depth look and listen, Malcolm Gladwell’s podcast episode, Lord of the Rankings, is a credible resource and offers a deep dive into the world of college rankings. In addition, his 2011 article in The New Yorker, The Order of Things, is still relevant and worth the read.