Colleges that want to game the USNWR rankings are likely to overemphasize test scores over other academic criteria, due to the importance of test scores in the selectivity measures of the USNWR rankings:
https://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/articles/ranking-criteria-and-weights
08.125% SAT/ACT scores
03.125% percentage in top 10% of HS class
01.250% admission rate
Other factors correlated to general admission selectivity:
18.000% graduation rate
04.500% frosh retention rate
Note that raw graduation rate at 18% is more important than graduation rate performance (relative to predicted graduation rate based on entering class characteristics) at 7.5%, even though graduation rate performance may be more reflective of the quality of the college, rather than the quality of its students.