@Chembiodad while that may be good in principal, i think it gets fuzzy on the edges (say 18-22, for example). the reason why this is may be due to the arbitrariness of the US news rankings. By that definition, Cal has been in between tier 1 and tier 2 for many years, where as other lists rate it much higher and others lower. Or even Georgetown, I mean sure they have been number 20 for a while but can you really argue that Georgetown is in the same category equal to Harvard? Id rather not base it off USN at all.
@chembiodad,
Forbes America’s Top Colleges 2017 ranking combines universities and LACs. I separated them to resemble US News.
Not really. They are entirely different rankings. The Forbes best LAC values of uses a very different methodology than Forbes America’s top colleges ranking. The best value ranking is measuring affordability and value vs cost. The Forbes America’s top colleges ranking is measuring output results as quoted in post # 16
- Ratio of quality to price
- Need-based aid
- Average discount
https://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/articles/best-value-schools-methodology
@CrewDad, there are many different rankings - USNWR, Forbes, Business Week amongst others.
Here’s another one for your dining pleasure (top-50 included) https://www.timeshighereducation.com/student/best-universities/best-liberal-arts-colleges-united-states
Top 100 liberal arts colleges in the United States 2018
Liberal arts rank 2018 University State City WSJ/THE College Rank 2018
1 Williams College Massachusetts Williamstown 22
2 Amherst College Massachusetts Amherst 23
3 Pomona College California Claremont 26
4 Wellesley College Massachusetts Wellesley 28
5 Swarthmore College Pennsylvania Swarthmore 30
6 Claremont McKenna College California Claremont 35
7 Middlebury College Vermont Middlebury 36
8 Smith College Massachusetts Northampton 37
9 Carleton College Minnesota Northfield 38
10 Bowdoin College Maine Brunswick 39
11 Haverford College Pennsylvania Haverford 42
12 Wesleyan University Connecticut Middletown 45
13 Bryn Mawr College Pennsylvania Bryn Mawr 49
14 Davidson College North Carolina Davidson 54
15 Colgate University New York Hamilton 55
16 Bucknell University Pennsylvania Lewisburg 59
17 Hamilton College New York Clinton 61
18 Oberlin College Ohio Oberlin 63
19 Colby College Maine Waterville 65
=20 Bates College Maine Lewiston 66
=20 Vassar College New York Poughkeepsie 66
22 Lafayette College Pennsylvania Easton 70
23 Washington and Lee University Virginia Lexington 73
24 Barnard College New York New York 74
25 Grinnell College Iowa Grinnell 75
26 Mount Holyoke College Massachusetts South Hadley 77
27 Macalester College Minnesota Saint Paul 78
28 Trinity University Texas San Antonio 79
=29 Denison University Ohio Granville 84
=29 College of the Holy Cross Massachusetts Worcester 84
31 Franklin & Marshall College Pennsylvania Lancaster 89
32 Occidental College California Los Angeles 91
33 Union College New York Schenectady 92
=34 Scripps College California Claremont 93
=34 Trinity College Connecticut Hartford 93
36 Kenyon College Ohio Gambier 96
37 Spelman College Georgia Atlanta 101
38 Connecticut College Connecticut New London 102
39 The College of Wooster Ohio Wooster 105
40 DePauw University Indiana Greencastle 109
41 Gettysburg College Pennsylvania Gettysburg 110
42 Dickinson College Pennsylvania Carlisle 113
=43 Pitzer College California Claremont 115
=43 Wheaton College (Massachusetts) Massachusetts Norton 115
45 Colorado College Colorado Colorado Springs 120
46 Seattle University Washington Seattle 127
47 Allegheny College Pennsylvania Meadville 128
=48 Furman University South Carolina Greenville 130
=48 Reed College Oregon Portland 130
50 Willamette University Oregon Salem 136
OP, not certain what your goal is as they all seem to measure different things so rankings are all over the place - that said, everyone seems to include same schools in top-20/25 Tier I, top-50 Tier II, etc…
I am tired of all of these meaningless lists.
^^ And useless.
I’d like to see Berkeley and Pomona in the top 10, but this ranking is closer to my experience than most rankings I’ve seen. Agree with Chicago and JHU should be behind Pomona and Brown IMHO.
@ANormalSeniorGuy i agree, arguing that Georgetown is a real peer to Harvard is a stretch. But i think USnews is influential to an extent. I believe USNews is influential when it comes to which schools it includes it its top 10 and top 11-20. Managing to sustain a the top 10 or top 11- 20 over time can make a huge difference for the standing of a college.
However, once you are in the top 10 or the top 11-20 the specific ranking matters little if at all, there are other factors at play. This is why you see a school like Princeton which has been ranked number 1 for ages now lose most of its cross-admits to Harvard or Stanford. Or you see non-HYPSM schools that have been ranked in the top 5 for several years over the past couple of decades not being able to register as true peers to HYPSM in public perception.
@Penn95 I agree that USN is influential, but im arguing this influence is bad (for undergrad). Preferably, I would want a blend of the world and US ranking requirements for a list. Personally, I believe that some LACs which main claim to fame is mind-molding and an “atmosphere” of scholarship (such as Pomona) and that should not be as highly touted as they have not produced much research or any tangible evidence of a good education. While I believe things like a balanced undergraduate education are important, I believe USN has established that an intangible (often random) assertion that certain colleges have better clout in an academic environment is paramount in the rankings and perceptions. For example, Cal and UMich have are indeed premier institutions (imo similar in perception to JHU or Duke) if one takes advantage of the All-star faculty, but because one has to take an extra step it is seen as much worse. This is my main issue with the idea of perception and certain colleges being protected as a top school, as those are often no better than others but because it seems more scholarly it is perceived as better.