I can start to see why some people are looking outside USNWR for another opinion if they are looking for college rankings (faux). University of California–Santa Barbara and University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill are tied at #30 in USNWR National Universities ranking. If you look at WSJ/THE, UNC is ranked at #33 and UC Santa Barbara is ranked at #99. Remember that WSJ/THE rankings include LACs.
I don’t have USNWR compass so if someone has access, please let me know why they are ranked at the same place.
I have WSJ/THE access. I can tell you why they are ranked so differently in WSJ/THE rankings — (read its methodology for explanation of each metric)
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill >>>>> University of California, Santa Barbara
Rank 33 >>>>> 99
Overall Score 80.2/100 >>>>> 68.1/100
Outcomes score 37.6/40 (#14) >>>>> 30.0/40 (#66)
Resources score 20.7/30 (#89) >>>>> 14.0/30 (#383)
Engagement score 16.5/20 (#222) >>>>> 16.5/20 (#222)
Environment score 5.3/10 (#439) >>>>> 7.6/10 (#82)
Enrollment 18,123 >>>>> 20,699
Student-Faculty Ratio 14:1 >>>>> 17:1
Academic Spending Per Student $34,760 >>>>> $14,240
Salary 10 years after entering college $51,000 >>>>> $52,000
Default Rate 1.5% >>>>> 2.4%
Survey Results: Results are on a scale of zero to 10, with 10 representing strongest agreement.
Right Choice (If you could start over, would you still choose this college?) 8.25/10 >>>>> 8.3/10
Inspiring (Does your college provide an environment where you feel you are surrounded by exceptional students who inspire and motivate you?) 7.92/10 >>>>> 7.54/10
Career Preparation(Is your college effective in helping you to secure valuable internships that prepare you for your chosen career?) 7.35/10 >>>>> 7.23/10