<p>hawkette...
The poster child for your thesis is Rice. Rated way below where it should be based upon both wealth and student quality. I am ready to believe that there is some prejudice operating there. The northeast elites aren't fond of Texas.
Rice would help itself in the ratings (if it cares) by increasing the size of the student body (which I think it has plans to do ), and getting the percentage of instate students below 40%.</p>