In November 1983, as the writers of U.S. News & World Report were looking for content for their weekly magazine, they had an idea. They sent out surveys to more than 1,000 college presidents, asking them to rank other top schools in their respective categories. U.S. News compiled the results they received and published a set of rankings showing the top U.S. colleges. No one at the magazine knew they were onto something huge.
By 1988, these rankings became an annual tradition, incorporating objective data into their list. Today, they remain a powerful tool in the U.S. college landscape. They’ve even outlasted the print edition of U.S. News, which became an online-only production in 2011.
“None of us predicted or even thought at any level that the rankings would evolve to be what they are today,” said Robert Morse, the chief data strategist at U.S. News. “We weren’t even thinking about it at all. We were just thinking about producing a product to fill 20 or 25 pages in a weekly news magazine.” Morse took over the rankings in 1987.
But, the rankings may have become too influential, according to Scott Jaschik, the CEO and Editor of Inside Higher Ed.
“Americans love rankings. People gravitate toward them,” said Jaschik. “It doesn’t mean it’s the best college, but people want to boast about their alma mater, their home state institution.”
Jaschik acknowledges that students and parents — the consumers — do need information about colleges. But, he says it’s a mistake to think that U.S. News and World Report’s rankings perform the same service as the rankings put out by, say, Consumer Reports. While you might be able to determine the best toaster or refrigerator, colleges are far more complicated, and the “best” college may be a terrible fit for many students.
“I flat-out think it doesn’t make sense,” Jaschik said.
Instead, Jaschik says, finding the right school should involve a multi-step process. He recommends that prospective students start visiting schools, both online and in-person. Then, start shrinking your list, according to your own academic and financial needs, as well as other factors like size and location.
“It sounds really scary because there’s so many colleges, but you can keep whittling down your pool so you’re looking at a reasonable number,” he said.
In short, finding the right school has more to do with personal tastes and needs than where it ranks that year. Jaschik also believes that students making these personal decisions would benefit from more college counselors, who can provide quality individual help. This support, however, often goes toward those who already have more advantages in life.
Morse argues that U.S. News helps make crucial data available to everyone, regardless of income or access to college counseling.
“I think the rankings have filled a void, which has evolved over time as public school systems in many states have reduced high school counseling," Morse said. “Many prospective parents and the students themselves have to do it [themselves]."
Though Jaschik and Morse differ in their view of U.S. News’ approach, they share at least one notion: college rankings are just one factor when it comes to picking the right school.
