<p>One of the bizarre factors in the US News ratings is the percentage of alums who contribute to the college. That factor helps privates with wealth alums. Many alums of publics are less likely to contribute because they feel their tax dollars are funding the college. </p>
<p>To game this part of the ranking, I wonder if colleges are requiring that people have to first make an annual donation to the college before they are eligible to buy football or basketball tickets?</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Knowing my Alma mater, the annual “donation”, that has to be paid when you buy your football season tickets, has nothing to do with rankings and everything to do with the $$$. >:P </p>
<p>But your right, it may be included in the “Alumni giving” metric.</p>
<p>2015 Rankings are out…</p>
<p>Northeastern is ranked…42, they moved up 7 spots from 49.</p>
<p>I should note that NEU is now tied with Boston University (at 42). :)</p>
<p>It appears that Northeastern is winning the “game”. And they are not shy about promoting themselves. </p>
<p><a href=“An Exemplary Community - YouTube”>An Exemplary Community - YouTube;
<p>I got a text this morning from my son he just typed We are 42! So yeah people pay attention-and it matters if nothing else than for marketing-and campus morale?</p>
<p>@TomSrOfBoston you are right this school annoys some people to no end-which is kind of entertaining when you step back and look at it-I mean really there are schools on this US News list who have been caught cheating outright-I hope people are all over them too.</p>
<p>Meanwhile the kids are happy. I did ask him just now since he has materialized about the tenure denial-he knows all about it-doesn’t think it isn’t part of some large sinister plot.</p>
<p>The President should get his well deserved bonus-that guy is amazing. He came from USC so he learned his lessons well.</p>
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<p>Are you assuming the CDS is a federal government form? It was created by USNews, Petersons, et al to go … beyond the de minimis government surveys. </p>
<p>There are no justifiable reasons why data should not be collected and used for deferred applicants. And VERY dood reasons why adjustments should be made. </p>
<p>If you are annoyed by NEU marketing, you would be livid by the endless crowing in West Texas and New Mexico. UTEP and NMSU are repeating BEST in the NATION over and over. Admins are lining up for pay raises. Yet, they are temples of planned mediocrity. </p>
<p>@Xiggi No, I wasn’t assuming the CDS is a federal government form. In fact, US News could ask any questions on the survey, but the schools do not have to reply (however, the schools don’t have that option with the federal government). </p>
<p>Gator, schools CANNOT be forced to answer the questions they do not like, but most are trying to be responsive to the questions. In this case, it is the LANGUAGE of the questionaire --just as the moronic and simplistic PA survey-- that causes the problem. The USNews specifically asks for “Provide the number of degree-seeking, first-time, first-year students who applied, were admitted, and enrolled (full- or part-time) in Fall 2013.”</p>
<p>It would be a cinch to add a line for students admitted to Spring. A line that should be … instructive to applicants, don’t you think? </p>
<p>This year’s USNWR list of Up and Coming Schools:
<a href=“http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/rankings/national-universities/up-and-coming?src=stats”>http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/rankings/national-universities/up-and-coming?src=stats</a>
</h1>
<p>There’s that pesky Northeastern at #4</p>
<p>Two co-op schools in the “up and coming” list. Hmm.</p>
<p>What the Boston Magazine article failed to mention is that Northeastern has doubled its research funding under President Aoun. The new ISEC building under construction will be primarily a research facility and the university is planning a $50 million research building at its Marine Sciences campus in suburban Nahant. Since these initiatives have nothing to do with the USNews rankings the author decided not to mention them. </p>
<p>Maybe NEU should heed the following before embarking on any construction spree:</p>
<p><a href=“U.S. Science Suffering From Booms And Busts In Funding : Shots - Health News : NPR”>U.S. Science Suffering From Booms And Busts In Funding : Shots - Health News : NPR;
<p>I listened to this segment this morning. It was very interesting.</p>
<p>I heard that segment as well. As a student planning a science research career, it’s anxiety-inducing. I’m preparing myself for a career of grant-writing.</p>
<p>The universities which have moved up the USNWR ranking the most places in the last 4 years:</p>
<p>sorted by ranking:
# 33 | + 5 | University of Rochester
** # 42 | + 20 | Northeastern University **
# 42 | + 15 | Boston University<br>
# 42 | + 6 | University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign
# 48 | + 10 | Pennsylvania State University<br>
# 58 | + 12 | University of Connecticut<br>
# 62 | + 13 | Brigham Young University-Provo<br>
# 76 | + 17 | Texas Christian University<br>
# 76 | + 11 | Clark University<br>
# 76 | + 8 | University of Massachusetts-Amherst
# 85 | + 12 | University of Vermont<br>
# 85 | + 6 | Michigan State University<br>
# 88 | + 17 | Stony Brook-State University of New York<br>
# 88 | + 7 | University of Tulsa
# 95 | + 13 | Florida State University<br>
# 95 | + 10 | North Carolina State University-Raleigh
# 99 | + 7 | University of New Hampshire
# 103 | + 11 | University at Buffalo-SUNY<br>
# 106 | + 16 | Loyola University Chicago<br>
# 106 | + 10 | University of Oklahoma<br>
# 113 | + 12 | University of St. Thomas<br>
# 121 | + 15 | DePaul University<br>
# 121 | + 11 | Temple University<br>
# 126 | + 15 | University at Albany-SUNY<br>
# 126 | + 8 | Seton Hall University<br>
# 129 | + 21 | University of Cincinnati<br>
# 129 | + 10 | University of Kentucky<br>
# 129 | + 8 | University of Utah<br>
# 149 | + 31 | San Diego State University<br>
# 149 | + 15 | University of Illinois-Chicago<br>
# 149 | + 7 | Adelphi University </p>
<p>sorted by how many places moved up since 2010:
# 149 | + 31 | San Diego State University<br>
# 129 | + 21 | University of Cincinnati<br>
** # 42 | + 20 | Northeastern University **
# 76 | + 17 | Texas Christian University<br>
# 88 | + 17 | Stony Brook-State University of New York<br>
# 106 | + 16 | Loyola University Chicago<br>
# 42 | + 15 | Boston University<br>
# 121 | + 15 | DePaul University<br>
# 126 | + 15 | University at Albany-SUNY<br>
# 149 | + 15 | University of Illinois-Chicago<br>
# 62 | + 13 | Brigham Young University-Provo<br>
# 95 | + 13 | Florida State University<br>
# 58 | + 12 | University of Connecticut<br>
# 85 | + 12 | University of Vermont<br>
# 113 | + 12 | University of St. Thomas<br>
# 76 | + 11 | Clark University<br>
# 103 | + 11 | University at Buffalo-SUNY<br>
# 121 | + 11 | Temple University<br>
# 48 | + 10 | Pennsylvania State University<br>
# 95 | + 10 | North Carolina State University-Raleigh
# 106 | + 10 | University of Oklahoma<br>
# 129 | + 10 | University of Kentucky<br>
# 76 | + 8 | University of Massachusetts-Amherst
# 126 | + 8 | Seton Hall University<br>
# 129 | + 8 | University of Utah<br>
# 88 | + 7 | University of Tulsa
# 99 | + 7 | University of New Hampshire
# 149 | + 7 | Adelphi University<br>
# 42 | + 6 | University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign
# 85 | + 6 | Michigan State University<br>
# 33 | + 5 | University of Rochester </p>
<p>
</h1>
<p>Two schools known for co-op…</p>
<p>Notice that most of the schools that have moved up greatly in the last 4 years are public? </p>
<p>I think one of the criteria in the USNWR rankings is admit rate. Why should a school get a higher ranking because it turns more kids away? I can see that using quality of the student body as a criteria makes sense. But the admit rate criteria has created a lot of gaming. As a taxpayer I do not want my state schools, which my taxes help fund, spending money just to lure more applicants for the sake of getting a lower admit rate to up its rankings. Plus secondarily then more admissions officers are needed for processing all those applications. Smart, cost effective recruiting of high quality students makes sense, but trying to get the number of applicants up regardless of quality does not. Public schools also have the mission to educate kids from their state, not turn down as many kids as possible. </p>
<p>The other criteria which is used in the rankings is alumni giving. This is also being gamed. A top 15 USNWR university is currently asking for donations of any amount which will be rewarded with a university logo water bottle. So their deep pockets are allowing them to buy their way up in the rankings in a way which does not increase the quality of the education the school provides. </p>
<p>Here’s the rest of the list:</p>
<p>sorted by how many places moved up since 2010:
# 149 | + 31 | San Diego State University<br>
# 129 | + 21 | University of Cincinnati<br>
** # 42 | + 20 | Northeastern University **
# 76 | + 17 | Texas Christian University<br>
# 88 | + 17 | Stony Brook-State University of New York<br>
# 106 | + 16 | Loyola University Chicago<br>
# 42 | + 15 | Boston University<br>
# 121 | + 15 | DePaul University<br>
# 126 | + 15 | University at Albany-SUNY<br>
# 149 | + 15 | University of Illinois-Chicago<br>
# 62 | + 13 | Brigham Young University-Provo<br>
# 95 | + 13 | Florida State University<br>
# 58 | + 12 | University of Connecticut<br>
# 85 | + 12 | University of Vermont<br>
# 113 | + 12 | University of St. Thomas<br>
# 76 | + 11 | Clark University<br>
# 103 | + 11 | University at Buffalo-SUNY<br>
# 121 | + 11 | Temple University<br>
# 48 | + 10 | Pennsylvania State University<br>
# 95 | + 10 | North Carolina State University-Raleigh
# 106 | + 10 | University of Oklahoma<br>
# 129 | + 10 | University of Kentucky<br>
# 76 | + 8 | University of Massachusetts-Amherst
# 126 | + 8 | Seton Hall University<br>
# 129 | + 8 | University of Utah<br>
# 88 | + 7 | University of Tulsa
# 99 | + 7 | University of New Hampshire
# 149 | + 7 | Adelphi University<br>
# 42 | + 6 | University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign
# 85 | + 6 | Michigan State University<br>
# 33 | + 5 | University of Rochester
# 4 | + 4 | University of Chicago<br>
# 38 | + 4 | Case Western University
# 47 | + 4 | University of Wisconsin-Madison
# 48 | + 4 | University of Florida<br>
# 54 | + 4 | Ohio State University<br>
# 71 | + 4 | American University
# 71 | + 4 | Baylor University<br>
# 76 | + 4 | Miami University-Oxford (Ohio)<br>
# 76 | + 4 | Stevens Institute of Technology
# 135 | + 4 | Hofstra University<br>
# 135 | + 4 | New School<br>
# 135 | + 4 | University of Arkansas<br>
# 142 | + 4 | Illinois State University<br>
# 48 | + 3 | Yeshiva University<br>
# 95 | + 3 | University of San Diego
# 99 | + 3 | University of Nebraska-Lincoln<br>
# 106 | + 3 | University of Kansas<br>
# 106 | + 3 | University of Tennessee
# 121 | + 3 | Clarkson University
# 121 | + 3 | Colorado State University<br>
# 8 | + 2 | Duke University
# 20 | + 2 | University of California-Berkeley<br>
# 23 | + 2 | University of California-Los Angeles<br>
# 23 | + 2 | University of Virginia<br>
# 27 | + 2 | Wake Forest University<br>
# 35 | + 2 | Brandeis University
# 62 | + 2 | Clemson University<br>
# 62 | + 2 | University of Pittsburgh<br>
# 68 | + 2 | Worcester Polytechnic Institute
# 106 | + 2 | University of Oregon<br>
# 116 | + 2 | Illinois Institute of Technology<br>
# 138 | + 2 | George Mason University
# 1 | + 1 | Princeton University<br>
# 12 | + 1 | Johns Hopkins University<br>
# 16 | + 1 | Brown University<br>
# 16 | + 1 | University of Notre Dame<br>
# 21 | + 1 | Georgetown University<br>
# 29 | + 1 | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor<br>
# 32 | + 1 | New York University
# 121 | + 1 | University of Arizona<br>
# 126 | + 1 | Rutgers-Newark<br>
# 129 | + 1 | Arizona State University<br>
# 138 | + 1 | Missouri University of Science and Technology<br>
# 145 | + 1 | University of Texas-Dallas<br>
# 149 | + 1 | University of Maryland Baltimore County
# 3 | 0 | Yale University
# 4 | 0 | Columbia University
# 4 | 0 | Stanford University
# 7 | 0 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology<br>
# 13 | 0 | Northwestern University
# 16 | 0 | Vanderbilt University<br>
# 21 | 0 | Emory University<br>
# 25 | 0 | Carnegie Mellon University<br>
# 25 | 0 | University of Southern California<br>
# 27 | 0 | Tufts University<br>
# 30 | 0 | University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill<br>
# 31 | 0 | Boston College<br>
# 38 | 0 | University of California-Davis<br>
# 42 | 0 | Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute<br>
# 48 | 0 | University of Miami
# 71 | 0 | Virginia Tech<br>
# 76 | 0 | Indiana University-Bloomington<br>
# 76 | 0 | Marquette University<br>
# 76 | 0 | University of Delaware<br>
# 88 | 0 | University of Colorado-Boulder<br>
# 106 | 0 | University of San Francisco
# 116 | 0 | Michigan Technological University<br>
# 2 | -1 | Harvard University<br>
# 11 | -1 | Dartmouth College<br>
# 14 | -1 | Washington University in St. Louis<br>
# 15 | -1 | Cornell University<br>
# 19 | -1 | Rice University
# 33 | -1 | College of William and Mary
# 35 | -1 | Georgia Institute of Technology
# 54 | -1 | George Washington University<br>
# 54 | -1 | Tulane University<br>
# 58 | -1 | Fordham University<br>
# 71 | -1 | University of Iowa<br>
# 113 | -1 | University of South Carolina<br>
# 116 | -1 | Catholic University of America<br>
# 116 | -1 | Duquesne University
# 149 | -1 | University of Alabama-Birmingham<br>
# 8 | -2 | University of Pennsylvania<br>
# 40 | -2 | University of California-Santa Barbara<br>
# 10 | -3 | California Institute of Technology<br>
# 99 | -3 | University of Missouri<br>
# 138 | -3 | Oregon State University
# 142 | -3 | Kansas State University
# 37 | -4 | University of California-San Diego<br>
# 40 | -4 | Lehigh University<br>
# 54 | -4 | Pepperdine University<br>
# 58 | -4 | Southern Methodist Unviersity<br>
# 62 | -4 | University of Georgia<br>
# 70 | -5 | Rutgers-New Brunswick<br>
# 71 | -5 | University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
# 88 | -5 | University of Denver<br>
# 62 | -6 | University of Maryland at College Park<br>
# 68 | -6 | Texas A&M University-College Station<br>
# 103 | -6 | Auburn University<br>
# 53 | -7 | University of Texas-Austin<br>
# 58 | -7 | Syracuse University
# 76 | -7 | SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry<br>
# 88 | -7 | University of Alabama<br>
# 106 | -7 | Iowa State University<br>
# 149 | -7 | University of Mississippi<br>
# 42 | -8 | University of California-Irvine
# 145 | -9 | St. John’s University (NY)<br>
# 145 | -10 | Oklahoma State University<br>
# 48 | -11 | University of Washington<br>
# 88 | -11 | Binghamton University-SUNY<br>
# 95 | -11 | Drexel University<br>
# 129 | -11 | Louisiana State University-Baton Rouge<br>
# 129 | -11 | Ohio University
# 149 | -11 | New Jersey Institute of Technology<br>
# 62 | -12 | Purdue University-West Lafayette<br>
# 103 | -13 | University of Dayton<br>
# 116 | -13 | University of the Pacific<br>
# 85 | -14 | University of California-Santa Cruz
# 99 | -15 | St. Louis University<br>
# 138 | -17 | Washington State University
# 113 | -18 | University of California-Riverside<br>
# 88 | -19 | Colorado School of Mines<br>
# 145 | -38 | Howard University </p>