MU ranks 88th in U.S. News
Some liberal arts colleges think the rankings do more harm than good.
Published July 11, 2007
The U.S. News and World Report's annual ranking of America's colleges and universities, which has recently taken criticism for what some consider bias by the publication's list toward the country's more elite institutions. MU was positioned 88th among about 120 other schools in its latest installment.
"It would be a mistake to see that as a terrible ranking," MU Provost Brian Foster said.
Foster said factors such as stringent acceptance rates, high academic credentials for incoming freshmen and institutional funds spent per student weigh heavily for schools that dwell close to the top of the list.
The publication's list is not a hierarchy of the country's schools—a school's rank is determined by calculating several different factors about the institution.
MU is tied with nine other schools at its position.
Foster said although the ranking shouldn't be ignored, the university would not compromise the accessibility of its admissions standards to rise up in the ranks. "Acceptance rate says nothing about MU," Foster said.
Foster said other measures can be taken to bolster MU's numbers, including increasing alumni gifts and faculty compensation and maintaining steady graduation rates and feasible class sizes.
Controversy over the ranking system began in May when the presidents of 12 liberal arts colleges issued a letter to hundreds of colleges, urging administrators not to participate in this year's U.S. News survey, which is used to tabulate the rankings, and to cease the use of the rankings system in their promotional materials.
The rankings were discussed again on June 19 at the annual meeting of the Annapolis Group, an organization of independent liberal arts colleges.
Several presidents of member schools expressed their intent to refuse tos complete the U.S. News survey.
Members of the group also discussed the formation of a common Web-based system that would provide information on institutions for consumers' assessment.
Robert Morse, director of data research for U.S. News, defended the rankings system in a June 22 editorial. He stated that the publication's method of surveying institutions is an effective way of reporting intangibles and finding schools with better reputations.
Lloyd Thacker, founder of the Education Conservancy, an organization that coordinated the May letter denouncing the rankings system, said in a June 22 podcast debate with U.S. News Editor Brian Kelly that the rankings system has motivated colleges to redirect funds from educational purposes to efforts to improve their rankings within the publication.
"The rankings have caused colleges to compete with each other for position and prestige," Thacker said.
Although he is open to ideas for improving it, Kelly said the ratings system is composed of the best conceivable data for comparing colleges.
"The fact that we sell this product is because we have an audience that wants to buy it," Kelly said.
Thacker also criticized the ability of U.S. News as a consumer magazine to make fair assessments of public institutions. He said ranking schools should depend more on external aspects, such as how students' skills have improved while attending an institution.