U.S. News Rankings Are Here To Stay
Over the past number of months, we have posted several blogs about various schools pulling out of the U.S. News and World Report rankings. It started with Columbia’s undergraduate school last year. This past December, several law schools joined in leaving the rankings. And earlier this year, a number of medical schools have also left the ranking system behind. But just because these schools are pulling out of the rankings, that doesn’t mean they aren’t ranked. So, where does U.S. News get their data if not directly from the school? According to the publication, they are getting the data from public sources. For example, each year, law schools are required to submit certain data to the American Bar Association. This data is often published and available to the public. U.S. News then uses this data to rank the school.
Each year, the U.S. News releases its list of school rankings. Elite colleges and universities yearn for a place toward the top of the list, at least historically. After all, the list is used by students and their parents to determine which schools a student should apply to.
The rankings are determined by a number of factors submitted by the university itself, such as class size, amount of alumni donations, and selectivity. And while these factors are no doubt important to some, critics argue that these factors don’t represent the quality of the education itself. Instead, these rankings keep the schools competing with each other over factors that aren’t as important as the quality of the education.
On the other hand, the rankings give students a chance to attend an elite university thereby enhancing their chances of employment after graduation. After all, the list is also used by employers who are looking to hire graduates of these elite universities. Furthermore, proponents argue that since so much of the data is now coming from public sources rather than the schools themselves, it gives students a more accurate depiction of the school. Remember, Columbia pulled out of the rankings because it was discovered, by one of their own professors, that the data they were submitting was inaccurate.
But while this continues to unfold and schools continue to pull out, there are two important things to remember:
U.S. News rankings aren’t going anywhere. Just because schools continue to pull out of the system doesn't mean the system will fail. On the contrary. As we’ve seen, the rankings are going strong and will continue to be published for the benefit of students, parents, and employers alike.
Rankings aren’t everything! We’ve said this before and we will continue to say it. Rankings are one factor to consider when applying to college, but they shouldn’t be the only thing you consider. You also need to consider important factors such as what school will be a good fit for you. Or, what school has the program you want to attend.
So, when it comes to the rankings, keep these things in mind. We will continue to update if and when more schools pull out of the ranking system, or if any new information comes forth.
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