My son is a rising senior. He is interested in Computer Science and colleges around Boston area. A lot of people are saying WPI is very good at computer science. But WPI’s CS ranking is pretty low (90 for CS from USNews) comparing to UMass (25), Northeastern (60), and UConn (82). And WPI requires higher GPA than UMass, Northeastern, and UConn. So why WPI?
Why would you put any faith in the “reporting” of an essentially defunct news magazine that doesn’t publish news anymore? As the more keen members of College Confidential have said time and again, USNWR rankings are essentially meaningless.
That being said, WPI is a STEM college with very good programs. Is it as strong as MIT? Probably not. But it nevertheless attracts strong candidates for admission who know the quality of the school and know that a WPI degree will serve them well in the job market. The students also enjoy the unique academic schedule and the special required student project at WPI.
USNWR does not rank undergraduate CS departments. While I do not disregard USNWR in its entirety as some other posters do, I do not think the application of graduate school rankings to undergraduate departments is generally a useful tool.