Yeah, that is one of the differences. (obviously, also location)
I like that Top 20. 
With respect to Amherst and Williams, I’d say that beyond economics, in which both of these schools offer top-notch programs, Amherst may be most recognized for its strength in neuroscience, a research-intensive field, while Williams may be more associated with its superb art history program. In a subjective evaluation, this might suffice to separate these schools in a ranking pertaining to research opportunities. Nonetheless, both of these schools appear in the posted site, as does UChicago, which represents a positive recognition irrespective of particular placement. As another school to consider, it seems someone has been paying attention for Wooster to place so highly (tied for 8th). Support for undergraduate research seems to represent the self-definition of that school.
More list fun:
Just for giggles I looked up the 3 global university rankings the UK refers to for their visas, and UChicago is ranked #10 globally, out of ~1000-1600 universities, on all 3 lists:
The Times Higher Education World University Rankings:
Quacquarelli Symonds World University Rankings:
The Academy of Ranking World Universities:
https://www.shanghairanking.com/rankings/arwu/2021
I’m genuinely curious - why do UChicago students and parents bring up rankings all the time?
Haven’t seen this with any other top ranked schools.
Is this wide spread on campus? Or is there a feeling the school isn’t as well known?
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My guess is OP saw it as a chance to boast. Schools boast when they can. UF has banners all over campus. Top 5 public. When I walk through the Nash airport, Vandy MBA had digital ads listing 6 or 8 rankings, by different categories such as overall, family friendly, for execs, etc.
People like to think they went to the ‘top’ school. Like the schools, they advertise themselves.
It’s just natural.
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Yes, I get that. But I work with people from lots of top ranked universities and I’ve genuinely never heard graduates of Columbia or Harvard or UPenn (to name a few) bring up rankings. It seems to be a Chicago thing, at least in my experience.
I should add, I also work with (and hire) lots of people from far lower ranked schools and there does not seem to be an observable correlation between school ranking and career success. It’s hardly unusual to see, for example, that the manager of a high performing group of quants with degrees from Princeton, Chicago, etc is from Baruch.
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Collective narcissism is characterized by the members of a group holding an inflated view of their ingroup which requires external validation.
I’m not sure what it is about Chicago’s “culture” in particular that fosters this. Perhaps the institution’s insecurities and the insecurities of some of those it attracts feed off each other?
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Doubtful that anyone else cares except for maybe a few people. I love that school so much.
My son does care at all. He’s living his best life, and I’m on the internet looking up lists for giggles, lol. It’s really not that serious.
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Yes, I think lots of CC members notice the same thing.
Maybe I should start a thread about Michigan being ranked #1 by Money Magazine for value? 
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On this forum, I think there are a small number of posters who bring up rankings frequently, and more of those few posters seem to connected to Chicago than most other schools. I’ve also seen posters who are big on rankings that are connected to Duke, JHU, Princeton, and many other highly ranked colleges. It’s not just Chicago.
The larger portion connected to Chicago than average could simply be random chance with a small sample. Or there could be some kind correlation. For example, kids who are big on rankings might be more likely to choose Chicago than other similarly selective alternatives colleges, particularly when it was ranked as high as #3 in USNWR, so you get more Chicago students/alumni/parents who are big on rankings than average. Some persons connected to Chicago might also be more likely to have a chip on their shoulder about needing to confirm that their colleges just as good as Ivy-type colleges that may be more well known in certain circles.
These rankings are more for the average Joe on the street. Academics probably would not take USNWR seriously, but may give weight to the NRC rankings (come out something like once every decade or two). Chicago is often confused with state schools (analogous to Penn vs Penn State), so maybe there is a “Chicago Syndrome” that might explain this phenomenon partly?
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The giggles continue. On the CWUR rankings UChicago is actually ranked #8:
Congrats to your son, UoC! Is he graduating this weekend?
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While it certainly doesn’t apply in every case, in my limited perspective it seems like Chicago attracts a lot of kids who place a high priority on going to a highly rated school but are unlikely to gain admission to other top ranked schools. Thus the chip about the other highly ranked schools.
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But at the end of the day, your son needs to get a job. Isn’t it about outcomes?
My kid who just graduated from Brown was lucky enough to have been accepted at several of these schools including UC. I don’t think his “outcome” is better having gone to Brown vs Chicago nor do I think he cared less about the relative prestige of Chicago in the USNW rankings.
Ultimately these rankings are all nonsense. All of these top 25 schools are peers in terms of many if not most resources and opportunities and any advantage is very narrow in nature.
My kids decision was based on discussions with faculty and was specific in nature and had absolutely nothing to do with rankings. Upon reflection last week I asked if he had any regrets (having declined a top 5) and he said absolutely not. His decision was not based on generalizations, the views of others or perceived prestige but instead focused on personal fit and his unique ambitions.
With that in mind I believe any of these top tier schools afford students similar outcomes and experiences rendering rankings irrelevant.
Congratulations to the U Chicago crowd particularly those whose kids just graduated!!
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LOL I’m not worried about outcomes for my son.
This is how my 3rd year looks at it.
There are often large differences in likelyhood of different outcomes at different colleges, but this isn’t captured well or often at all by college rankings. For example, suppose there are 3 students with the following post-college goals. Some colleges will be far more likely to help the described students achieve the listed goals than others, and the most likely to assist in goals colleges often will have little correlation with USNWR or other rankings.
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Thinking about majoring in classics and hopes to pursue a career in academia. Gets discouraged easily. Good faculty mentors and research opportunities are beneficial.
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Hopes to work at a SV company in tech, undecided about CS vs engineering. Loves math/science/tech and gifted in field, but may need some extra help in 1st year math classes due to weaker HS background than many.
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Wants to stay near family in Florida, thinking about accounting or finance. Cost is critical, as is support for lower income students. Special first gen resources may increase chance of graduating.