Grappling with External College/University Rankings
In addition to the crisp fall air, the release of college rankings is another marker of the season or for prospective college students. With multiple publications evaluating colleges and universities on a variety of standards, from dorms to dining halls to sustainability, it is a lot to take in for families looking for the best match. Rather than getting bogged down by who’s #1 vs #50, here are some ways to incorporate these external evaluations into your college search.
Focus on the more general numbers
When speaking with families and schools, I stress the importance of three general metrics when beginning the college search process: graduation rate (six and four-year), first-year retention rate, and admit rates. These numbers offer a glimpse into how smoothly students complete the degree requirements of the college/university, student satisfaction, and the difficulty of getting in, respectively. Sometimes these numbers are not easily discoverable on the college/university’s website, but the Common Data Set within the school’s Institutional Research webpage offers a wealth of information including these percentages. Also, keep in mind that a school’s acceptance rate is often presented in the aggregate, and rates across different admission rounds (Early Decision, Early Action, Regular Decision) and applicant types (First-Year, Transfer, Domestic, International) fluctuate, sometimes drastically.
Contemplate what matters most to you and then narrow down your options
Once you have these three introductory numbers, think about what are deal breakers in finding a college or university for you. School location (in-state vs out-of-state; rural, urban, or suburban), enrollment size, and academic concentration/major are a few general parameters you can use to narrow the list of thousands of schools to a more manageable number. Additionally, if you value certain aspects of the academic/social experience of campus more than others (i.e. student body and faculty/staff diversity, commitment to sustainability, emphasis on research, robust Greek life), this is where you can consult ranking lists to see which schools are excelling and which are falling short.
Interact with the school itself and learn from its community members
Ultimately, the most effective way to understand what a college/university values most is to engage with its community members directly (either in-person or virtually). Guidebooks, websites, and external rankings only provide so much insight, and oftentimes these are surface-level in nature. Instead, current students, alumni, and faculty are valuable resources to learn more about what they like and dislike about their school.
As of this writing, we just finished the second full week of the college football season. Oftentimes, college/university rankings are compared to matchups on the gridiron where a #1 ranking is vastly superior to #50. I tend to look at college rankings the same way as barbeque joints in my native Central Texas. There are plenty of great options out there, and what you like will be different than what your classmates or neighbors like. At the end of the day, what truly matters is how you feel about your school choice and how you will contribute to your campus community.
