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U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges rankings: Which institutional metrics contribute to sustained stratification?

Author

Listed:
  • Izzat Alsmadi

    (Texas A&M University-San Antonio)

  • Z. W. Taylor

    (University of Texas at Austin)

  • Joshua Childs

    (University of Texas at Austin)

Abstract

Universities compete to improve their ranking in the different ranking systems and expend resources toward this goal. Higher rankings attract elite students, research funds, government and public support, among other benefits. However, perhaps the most influential ranking system in U.S. contexts—the U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges rankings—has largely remained unchanged for decades, leading researchers to question how highly-ranked institutions remain atop the rankings. As a result, the focus of this study was to examine all institutions reporting complete statistics to U.S. News in 2018 (n = 228) and develop experimental algorithms to learn which ranking criteria most contribute to an institution’s overall ranking. Of the 28 major ranking metrics, most algorithms demonstrated that predicted graduation rate, six-year graduation rate, and peer assessment best predicted overall U.S. News ranking. However, predicted graduation rate and peer assessment are highly subjective and speculative in nature, possibly contributing to the sustained stratification of U.S. News rankings.

Suggested Citation

  • Izzat Alsmadi & Z. W. Taylor & Joshua Childs, 2020. "U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges rankings: Which institutional metrics contribute to sustained stratification?," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 124(3), pages 1851-1869, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:scient:v:124:y:2020:i:3:d:10.1007_s11192-020-03560-z
    DOI: 10.1007/s11192-020-03560-z
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Griffith, Amanda & Rask, Kevin, 2007. "The influence of the US News and World Report collegiate rankings on the matriculation decision of high-ability students: 1995-2004," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 26(2), pages 244-255, April.
    2. Ellen Hazelkorn, 2007. "The Impact of League Tables and Ranking Systems on Higher Education Decision Making," Higher Education Management and Policy, OECD Publishing, vol. 19(2), pages 1-24.
    3. Luis L. Martins, 2005. "A Model of the Effects of Reputational Rankings on Organizational Change," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 16(6), pages 701-720, December.
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    1. Masaru Kuno & Mary Prorok & Shubin Zhang & Huy Huynh & Thurston Miller, 2022. "Deciphering the US News and World Report Ranking of US Chemistry Graduate Programs," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 127(5), pages 2131-2150, May.
    2. Catarina Alexandra Neves Proença & Maria Elisabete Duarte Neves & Maria Castelo Baptista Gouveia & Mara Teresa Silva Madaleno, 2023. "Technological, healthcare and consumer funds efficiency: influence of COVID-19," Operational Research, Springer, vol. 23(2), pages 1-42, June.

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