I strongly recommend the college rankings & college analysis comparisons available at colleges.niche.com. They provide a very thorough category by category analysis with their ranking methodology.
As a parent, back when my daughter was considering various colleges, I did my very best to research all of America’s elite colleges as thoroughly as possible. I of course looked at various college rankings, but I also dug quite a bit deeper into a number of various articles, blogs, alumni statements, etc. To me, and eventually to my daughter, USC (University of Southern California) clearly emerged as a Top Ten program overall. Eventually, I analyzed the methodology used by a number of different college ranking sources, and I found that the one source that most accurately mirrored our own concerns and priorities was the Niche College Rankings. Coincidentally, Niche also concluded that USC is a Top Ten program overall.
https://colleges.niche.com/university-of-southern-california/rankings/
My daughter eventually was accepted by USC and attends there currently. I am surprised though that USC itself does not emphasize the Niche College Rankings, especially as a counter-point to the U.S. News College Rankings. I have noticed that the USC International Office does feature USC’s rank via Niche prominently right next to the U.S. News Ranking, but I have failed to see any USC news reports or Admissions Office features or marketing that also emphasize such. Comparing the two services methodologies side-by-side, I am personally far more impressed with the way that Niche determines its rankings vs U.S. News.
We think that it is a great tool for prospective college-bound juniors and seniors. The bottom line is that a great deal of research should be undertaken, including in-person visits to schools. It would likely be a mistake to too heavily rely on any one specific ranking service, especially just U.S. News. My advice is to compare many. My younger daughter though will certainly be using such as she narrows down her own college wish list.