U.S. News & World Report released its 2010 college rankings in the wee hours this morning. For those who couldn’t wait to see the latest results, the magazine had posted a clock on its website that informed rankings enthusiasts of how many days, hours and minutes were left until the unveiling.
In the university rankings competition, Harvard and Princeton tied for honors as the No. 1 university. Yawn.
Among liberal arts colleges, Williams College barely inched ahead of Amherst College. Yawn again.
Anyone who has read my book, The College Solution, or spent time poking around my blog, knows why I don’t like US News’ college rankings. The results of the annual higher-ed beauty contest don’t reflect what type of learning is taking place in classrooms. What’s more, the college rankings mania has prompted too many schools to behave badly as they pursue better numbers.
Further reading:
Gaming the College Rankings System
The 10 Secrets of America’s Finest Colleges and Universities