Category: college rankings

College presidents ponder a ‘rankings revolt’

Some college presidents are mad as hell about the U.S. News & World Report rankings racket and they’re not going to take it anymore. That is, if they can get enough other college presidents to join them in a boycott of the annual U.S. News rankings.

This week’s issue of a U.S. News rival — Time magazine — reports on a move by some college presidents to withdraw from the annual rankings game (see The College Rankings Revolt). But as Time reports, the revolt hasn’t exactly reached critical mass yet.

This year … a small but growing number of schools are starting to fight back. Or preparing to fight back. O.K., contemplating fighting back. The heads of a dozen private colleges are waiting for the final draft of a letter they will probably sign and send within the next few weeks to their counterparts at 570 or so small to midsize schools asking whether they would be willing to pull out of the U.S. News survey, stop filling out part of it, stop advertising their ranking or, most important, help come up with more relevant data to provide as an alternative. Says an early draft: “By acting collectively, we intend to minimize institutional risk and maximize public benefit.” Translation: We can’t afford to go solo.

The article notes that Reed College dropped out of the ratings game back in 1995 and, while U.S. News dropped Reed from the second to the fourth quartile, “the iconoclastic school has suffered no shortage of qualified applicants.” In fact, the school reports that its applications have reached an all-time high, so perhaps turning its back to the rankers was a smart move.

It will be interesting to see how this latest rankings revolt turns out. If it turns out at all.

Survey: For high-achieving students, strong majors and financial aid outrank rankings

Good news, maybe, for schools that don’t fly in the rarefied air of U.S. News‘ top-ranked colleges and universities. According to a new report from My College Guide, high-achieving students see “strength in my intended major” and “financial aid availability” as more important than a school’s ranking.

My College Guide’s news release reports that more than 90 percent of the high-achieving (median GPA: 3.8) high school students surveyed indicated that strength of majorand availability of financial aid “would be ‘most important’ or ‘very important’ factors when making a decision to attend a particular college. Other factors included location (such as distance from home, 64%) and size (55%).”

Good news for colleges and universities that thought they couldn’t compete with the high-ranking institutions? Maybe. But the report goes on to say that “academic ranking or reputation” is still considered to be important by 89 percent of respondents.

(Source: UBdaily.)

P.S. – Lest you think we in higher ed are the only victims of U.S. News‘ rankingsmania, consider the plight of poor James Buchanan and 10 other presidents.