<p>An exerpt from a 1997 speech by the Pres. of Stanford U. You can find the whole speech at <a href="http://www.stanford.edu/dept/pres-provost/president/speeches/970418rankings.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.stanford.edu/dept/pres-provost/president/speeches/970418rankings.html</a></p>
<p>"I also urge U.S. News to reform its annual college survey practices. Several changes are needed. </p>
<p>U.S. News should eliminate its attempt to rank colleges and universities like automobiles or toasters. The fact that the rankings of many institutions change dramatically from year to year says more about inconsistent scoring methods than actual changes in quality. Such movement is entirely misleading.
U.S. News should stop drawing inappropriate conclusions from the data. For example, last year the magazine introduced a "value-added" score based on "predicted" vs. actual graduation rates. As a result, some of the most rigorous programs in the country were penalized precisely because they do not make college so easy that everyone graduates.
U.S. News should stop making "statistical estimates" to substitute for data not provided by a college or university or otherwise available in exactly the defined form. It is surely a violation of the standards of journalism to invent "facts."
The strength of the American system of higher education lies in the diversity of institutions available to students, from small colleges to large research universities, publics to privates, liberal arts colleges to church-affiliated schools. Each has something to offer, and no standardized lists of "best colleges" can begin to do justice to what is best for a given student. With full, accurate and complete information, students and families can make the choice of the institutions best for them. Stanford will continue to provide such information on its own and in cooperation with independent college guides. We urge U.S. News to attempt to become a more reliable and credible participant in this effort. "</p>