college rankings

Do college rankings really matter? The truth is, there is no possible way to measure the overall value of an educational experience. The factors crunched into the computer to compile college ranking lists are usually things like academic reputation, peer evaluations, distinguished alumni, admissions selectivity, application rates, test scores, tuition, faculty salaries, and library and computer facilities. However, the formulas that have been set up in order to “rank” schools are usually based on numbers given by the schools themselves. And because these rankings determine the perceived prestige of a school, they all but force the schools to “bend” the numbers a bit to move up the list. Drastic shifts in the college rankings (usually caused by a change in ranking methodology) also tend to benefit the people selling the magazines and books with the rankings in them. Rankings can be very helpful as a way to narrow down your choices, but try to take them with a grain of salt, since you might not know the motivation behind the numbers.