<p>pennsylvania state university better than University of Virginia and UCSD, come on, this ranking is a joke.</p>
<p>we call know that, let's just stop posting and let this thread die.</p>
<p>My take on the rankings: If you're an undergraduate student who's really, really concerned about research, the rankings may be for you. If you're worried about quality of education, then it doesn't shed much light on that (or on the quality of undergraduates that enter the school). Then again, many students at top research universities graduated from liberal arts colleges: Students at LACs get involved in research early in their undergraduate careers because there are no graduate students to compete with for the attention and time of professors. In fact, if graduate school is your thing, you should probably be aware of schools like Reed College, which has one of the highest proportions of students going on to receive PhDs in the world.</p>
<p>If you're a graduate student, I like the NRC (National Research Council) rankings more. They're a bit old, but they are totally objective (all based on figures, which are published by the NRC) and include quite a few measures. You can sort them based on your own preferences as well.</p>
<p>PSU is in the same group as UVa. UCSD only slips due to low endowment.</p>
<p>Interesting to see UCSF ranked at a lowly 23rd place... :rolleyes:</p>
<p>I love threads like these. Reminds me why I hate this website. If any ranking shatters the notion of "elite" that the hyper-privileged students on this website already have, mostly through US News, then it's immediately dismissed. Why is the US methodology so much better? Small tweaks can dramatically change the ranking. WashU shot up over 10 spots in 97 when cost of living was added into one of the numerous statistics. If they added 2% for research and dropped 2% for selectivity, public universities would all jump several spots. The whole game is rigged and the CC pawns paying 40K a year are <em>forced</em> into the game, otherwise they've made a pretty bad investment.</p>
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No, it promotes Michigan.
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<p>Thanks, friend. </p>
<p>That's just what we needed, another pro-Michigan thread so that I can now look forward to a half-dozen new retaliatory threads, all asking supposedly-philosophical questions about higher education but with the aim of putting Michigan and its supporters, administrators, alumni, and other unsavory hqangers-on in their place ONCE AND FOR ALL! :)</p>
<p>Just remember this thread wasn't started by the Michigan Cabal. And any rumors that we slipped barrons a ten-spot to have him post it are completely untrue. As if barrons would work that cheaply!</p>
<p>LOL Transfer. I guess I am more or less neutral on this latest ranking. I really don't care for most rankings, as my CC cohorts know. But the antagonistic replies to this post seem to be of 'methinks the lady doth protesteth too much' quality. And why all the catcalls about a school like Penn State? I don't care for the place and wouldn't recommend it for Lake Jr., but I don't dispute it's strength as a institution.</p>
<p>Go Blue! errr...Go Badgers!</p>