<p>If you think the NRC ranking is some obscure survey you know nothing about college rankings. It is THE most important ranking of department faculty in the US. The results of the last one was published in the NYT over several full pages. That means it is important. It is done every 10 years or so with the new one due soon. It is used extensively in awarding federal research funding and for students selecting PhD programs. It ranks the faculty in most departments that grant a doctorate so it does not cover LAC's.</p>