How College Rankings Work

Choosing the right college can often be confusing. With so many choices, it is hard to know which institution will provide you with the best education for your individual needs. There are many publications that provide college rankings on an annual basis. These rankings are based on a number of factors, and can help tremendously while searching for a school. In order for college rankings to be beneficial to you, you should take a minute to familiarize yourself with how they work.

Popular Publications

Although there are many different organizations that publish college rankings, there are a couple that standout from the rest. The annual report published by U.S. News and World Report is perhaps the most popular set of college rankings, and has been for some time. This set of rankings has always been available in magazine form, and just recently became available as a paperback guidebook as well. Since this is the most popular published set of college rankings, many well-rated schools use their high marks as a way to promote their college. Another popular college ranking publication is Princeton Review, which is also published annually in guidebook form. Colleges that receive good rankings from this publication often use them for promotional use as well.

Determining Rankings

Publishers use a multitude of factors when determining how a college should be ranked. Some use these factors as a way to create an overall score. They then rank colleges in numerical order as they score. Other publications break down these factors and rank a college in many categories, instead of one overall score. To compile the information used to rank colleges, publishing companies use various methods. Some of them get the information from the colleges themselves. Information that comes directly from schools is usually gathered through statistical figures and through surveys completed by students and faculty. Other companies get their information from outside companies or academic organizations that research educational institutions.

After publishers gather their information, they break it down in order to calculate rankings. Since every publication does things differently, it is difficult to know how each one breaks down the information they have compiled. In the case of U.S. News and World Report, the information is broken down into categories. These categories are given percentages, which each contribute to the school’s overall score. For example, the graduation rate of a college holds 5% of their total score. U.S. News and World Report then ranks schools based on their score. The rankings are not cut and dry, though. The publication breaks down schools into categories that are based on the different types of schools, such as liberal arts colleges and business programs. The schools are then ranked in their respective category. This practice is helpful for students that are looking for a certain type of school.

Controversy Surrounding Rankings

Since all publications do not use the same standards for compiling information and ranking schools, there is often controversy that surrounds college rankings. Some colleges believe certain publications may fabricate rankings in order to sell their product. Other times, schools end up spending a large sum of money on things that may improve their score or ranking, but not the actual quality of their school. It is for these reasons that discretion is recommended when researching college rankings. Do not rely on only one publication when choosing a college. Research several publications and other information surrounding colleges before making a decision. 

This information should help with the understanding of how college rankings work. They can be very useful to people wishing to research a school’s potential for providing a quality education. Just remember to use caution, as well as multiple resources, before choosing a college.

Guest post from Taylor Harris. Taylorwrites about the best online colleges for BestOnlineColleges.com.

Image: Flickr.com/GDS Infographics