“… While the U.S. News rankings still loom large among colleges that try anything to improve their position — just see the recent controversy at Mount St. Mary’s University — there are signs that the list is beginning to show its age in an era of changing consumer behavior about picking colleges.” …
Good.
Only a small percentage of students is shopping for colleges across a broad, interstate market.
After all, only 18% of SAT testers score ~1810 or higher. I bet many of the rest are not doing very aggressive college comparison-shopping. They are choosing more or less local colleges.
Apparently about 2.2 million register in colleges right after high school graduation and there are only 40,000 seats in USNews ranked top 20 colleges, giving about 2% of the students entry into those colleges. 18% is close to 400,000 or 10 times the number who can get into the top 20 schools. Ultimately those who care fill up to top 100 or so out of 2600+ colleges out there?
The number of seats goes up much faster when you go somewhat beyond the USNWR top 20 list, but still in selective to highly selective territory. I’m not sure if any of the state flagships are in the most recent top 20, but within the top 100, you’ve probably got 10-15 or more state flagships, that are in many cases MUCH larger than Harvard, Yale, etc, yet still rather selective, and often with a strong appeal outside of their home state.
It would be an interesting exercise to show the number of seats available, cumulatively, through different points on the USNWR list or a similar list (in the case of USNWR, a better list would integrate the separate liberal arts list and maybe some of the regional lists). I would guess that the number of seats at <50% acceptance rate schools is relatively substantial, and at <75% acceptance schools, even more so…
This is a little rough and probably a few years old, but it’s what I have handy.
Total # freshmen seats top 5 USNWR national universities: 7.5K
Total # freshmen seats top 15 USNWR national universities: 22K
Total # freshmen seats top 25 USNWR national universities: 45K
Total # freshmen seats top 50 USNWR national universities: 130K
Total # freshmen seats top 5 USNWR national LAC's: 2.6K
Total # freshmen seats top 15 USNWR national LAC's: 7.5K
Once you’re out of the top 50 USNWR national universities the acceptance rates are generally over 40%.
Most college students go to the local school or realize they aren’t getting into to a school that is ranked. Not surprising that only 18% said rank matters.
That being said, a better system is good. But I don’t see that HYPS have all that much to worry about. Maybe a school like Northeastern that has done a good job of raising its rank by focusing on the factors that matter to USNWR.
A build-your-own-ranking system would be ideal IMO. This would allow unique strengths/interests/talents to influence the list of best options.
The current one-size-fits-all system is a joke. It’s too political, and arguably, promotes corruption within academia.
@fractalmstr Political??
^As in colleges promoting themselves, being opportunistic, and/or influencing people (parents/students) for power (rankings)
A college promoting itself!!! Scandalous!
A college taking advantage of opportunities!!! Equally scandalous!
Not to mention it cannot not take into account the individualized pricing colleges charge their students based on a variety of opaque reasons.
“The current one-size-fits-all system is a joke. It’s too political, and arguably, promotes corruption within academia.”
Who says you have to make it fit you? No one holds a gun to you and says you have to use the rankings. Any more than you’re required to use Consumer Reports to buy your next car or grill. It’s a tool. Use it or don’t. It only has the power you give it.
Agree Pizzagirl.
^^ Yep. A college ranking is just a tool. It’s an imperfect one at that. The cited alternatives to the US News rankings (like Money magazine’s rankings) aren’t necessarily much better.
If there are signs that the US News (or Forbes) ranking " is beginning to show its age", that 18% number isn’t one of them. 18% of 2.2M students is a lot of students trying to identify “good” colleges besides the Ivies and other most famous options (which may be too selective or expensive). Most of the measurements US News uses are not meaningless if you want to separate 20 or 100 sheep from 2000 goats. Until someone comes up with a better way to measure college “treatment effects”, those unfortunately are among the best metrics we have.
I think there is a risk that, out of frustration with high college costs, we over-emphasize measurements that focus heavily on financial ROI (which have their own issues). Maybe for ~82% of college students, that needs to be far and away the most important consideration. But, we look to the nation’s best students (maybe 15-20% of the total) to become leaders in many fields (government, business, academia, the arts). The best education for the best students can’t be characterized solely in terms of jobs, salaries, and debt. There ought to be a better way than how US News does it … but I don’t think anyone has completely figured that out yet.
You know, if some suburbanite feels compelled to hang their head in shame in front of all the other get-a-life parents who are busily sniffing that this kid got into this ranking and that kid got only into that ranking, that’s not USNWR’s fault or problem.
This article makes me happy and reinforces what I have been feeling about the rankings, that they mean very little in the big picture. We have visited about 30 college campuses with our twins the past 2 years and I can say that there are some colleges with less-than-stellar rankings that made the most positive impressions, with both our students and ourselves, as parents. I took careful note of those colleges that described in detail their professional relationships with companies that hire their students, those that discussed their alumni networking and support with internships and job placement. These are the factors that I, as a parent, am much more interested in than the stats listed under a college’s ranking. And those that have taken great lengths to simply increase their standing make me skeptical of the quality of education my child will receive.
IMO, They could get rid of every ranking system and people would still continue to know which colleges are at the top of the heap.
We certainly knew way back when I was applying in the early 70’s.
Nothing is changed to me. Reputation is still a big factor. Magazine ranking is more important than advices from adults around students. After all, magazines are ranking colleges combining “very important” factors here for their readers.
The following reasons were “Very Important” in deciding to go to this particular college:
My parents wanted me to come here 17.2
:
My teacher advised me 7.2
:
This college has a very good academic reputation 65.4
This college has a good reputation for its social activities 42.8
:
I was offered financial assistance 46.9
The cost of attending this college 44.9
High school counselor advised me 10.4
Not offered aid by first choice 10.6
Could not afford first choice 14.1
This college’s graduates gain admission to top graduate/professional schools 32.9
This college’s graduates get good jobs 53.4
:
Rankings in national magazines 18.0
:
And good academic reputation is relative.