College Rankings: What They Mean and How to Interpret Them

If your student is researching colleges, you've probably perused some of the well-known college rankings by U.S. News and World Report, Princeton Review and Forbes, to name a few. In fact, many students look to these popular lists first to determine the stature and quality of their target schools. But Eileen Huntington of Huntington Learning Center urges students and their parents to understand what a ranking means before giving weight to it. "Rankings are made up of a variety of factors, and while a ranked college may enjoy an elevated reputation, no student or parent should form his or her opinion of a school based solely on a ranking," says Huntington. "The right college for your student is the one that best meets his or her needs and will help him or her achieve his or her goals. If a school's ranking helps you understand those attributes as compared to another institution, all the better, but remember that a ranking is just one piece of the puzzle."

So what exactly is a ranking? What factors is it based on? Here is a summary of the calculations of two of the most popular college ranking institutions:

U.S. News and World Report's Best Colleges Ranking

• Schools are categorized into 1) national universities, 2) national liberal arts colleges, 3) regional universities and 4) regional colleges.
• Academic reputation (from a survey of other college presidents, provosts and deans) - 22.5 percent of the overall score for the national universities and national liberal arts colleges (25 percent for regional universities and regional colleges).
• Survey of high school guidance counselors - 7.5 percent for the national universities and national liberal arts colleges.
• Graduation and freshman retention - 20 percent for the national universities and national liberal arts colleges (25 percent for the regional universities and regional colleges).
• Faculty resources - 20 percent of all four college categories.
• Student selectivity - 15 percent of all four college categories.
• Financial resources - 10 percent of all four college categories.
• Alumni giving - 5 percent of all four college categories.

Forbes College Rankings

• Student satisfaction accounts for 27.5 percent of the ranking, comprising:
  - 17.5 percent - Student evaluations from ratemyprofessor.com
  - 5 percent - Freshman-to-sophomore retention rates
  - 5 percent - Student evaluations from myplan.com
• Postgraduate success accounts for 30 percent of the ranking, comprising:
  - 15 percent - Salary of alumni from payscale.com
  - 10 percent - Listings of alumni in Who's Who in America
  - 5 percent - Alumni in Forbes/CCAP corporate officers list
• Student debt - 17.5 percent
• Four-year graduation rate - 17.5 percent
• Competitive awards - 7.5 percent

"When looking at the methodology behind a ranking, you can easily see if those criteria match your and your student's priorities, and even pull out those components that matter to you most," says Huntington. "The most important thing to consider when looking at colleges is fit—will your student succeed at this school? Does the school offer the academics and the resources your student is seeking? Rankings can be helpful, but parents and students should always view them as one consideration among many factors when evaluating a school."