Your Guide to Understanding College Rankings
- Many college rankings lists lack consistency and transparency in how they are curated, making it difficult for prospective students to determine whether rankings are objective and accurate.
- It’s only through understanding the how and why behind a list that rankings become a useful college research tool.
- When reviewing a ranking, be aware of where the data comes from, how recently it was collected, and if there is a clear methodology for the list.
- Reputable resources to use in your own rankings research include the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), College Scorecard, and Student Achievement Measure (SAM).
In our 2020 Online Education Trends Report, prospective students like you listed college rankings as among their top three preferred methods for researching online programs (along with contacting schools directly and reading online reviews from students).
Our editorial team maintains over 500 pages of rankings, and we estimate an annual investment of nearly 4,000 hours of work reviewing and analyzing school data, assessing our methodology, and planning for and developing our school lists. We believe this is time well spent.
The Benefits and Challenges of College Rankings
Many of you are juggling the demands of work and raising a family in addition to pursuing a degree. 51% of undergraduate and 70% of graduate students are employed full time while completing their degrees, according to Learning House’s 2019 Online College Students report. You need quick, reliable information about the subjects and potential programs that interest you, and rankings fill this need well.
But demand aside, there is an ongoing national debate around the usefulness and accuracy of college rankings. In 2018, this conversation caught the attention of the government when U.S. senators urged U.S. News & World Report to adjust their methodology for added inclusiveness of social mobility and economic diversity factors.
Part of the problem with college rankings is the vast number and variety of lists available today online and in print. Over a dozen major websites alone produce college rankings each year and their rankings can range in focus from subject/major, study location, and learning format (campus vs. online).
BestColleges offers all three. There is little consistency among publishers in the approach, the data used to compare schools, or the calculations driving a list. In some cases, this information isn’t clearly cited or available. This lack of transparency makes it difficult for prospective students to determine whether rankings are objective and accurate.
At BestColleges, we believe that a college education is one of the most important investments a person will make, and we hope this guide provides concrete next steps to help you find the school that’s best for you.
Take a Look Under the Hood
We think you may benefit from a walkthrough of the approaches commonly used by the major publishers of college rankings, including our own. For as much time as our team spends developing and improving our own rankings, we spend several of those hours just understanding and refining the sources available to us and the best way to objectively assess the quality of schools invested in online learning.
Our intention is to combat the confusion around rankings and give you some practical tips to take with you as you research schools. We hope this “look under the hood” helps you better use rankings as you begin your student journey. We’ve pulled together tips, best practices, and the things we’ve learned along the way to help you get started. We’ve also included many of the same resources we use so that you can not only make better use of our content, but also create your own discerning lists of “Best Colleges” based on your needs and preferences.
Using Rankings in Your College Search
So you’ve decided to go back to school. Congratulations! Maybe you want to earn an RN-to-BSN degree to be more competitive at work, or use your employer’s tuition reimbursement to finally get that MBA.
No matter what degree you want to earn, you may not know how to select the right program. Below, you can read our tips for understanding college rankings, which will help you make an informed and personalized academic decision.
Understand the Methodology
A ranking’s methodology expresses certain value statements. It sorts, rates, and ranks institutions and programs based on a set of criteria defined and grouped by the publisher. At BestColleges, we built our methodology around a philosophy that rewards overall student success in online learning.
This philosophy acts as our guiding principle in developing our methodology, and we’ve chosen to illustrate this in three categories: Academics and Learner Support (50%), Affordability (25%), and Online Programming (25%). The factors included are those that we think best reflect this philosophy. For example, our “Best Online Colleges and Universities” ranking uses the following criteria to rank schools offering 10 or more online programs:
Our academics criteria evaluates student success and learner support. To do this, we compare how well schools are admitting, retaining, and graduating students.
- Admissions rate
- Enrollment rate
- Retention rate
- Graduation rate
It’s important to get acquainted with the philosophy and factors used for any ranking you’re looking at. We use admissions, enrollment, retention, and graduation rates as the four factors that make up Academics, but are these the very best data points to use in this category? Well, we think so, but ultimately that decision is subjective and so focusing on the context may be the better approach.
Another site could consider other meaningful factors with substantially different results. In fact, Niche.com weights academics as 40% of their overall “Best Online Colleges” ranking and “incorporates factors such as acceptance rate, quality of professors, as well as student and alumni surveys regarding academics at the school.” This very different mix of factors naturally produces different results, but understanding the components of the methodology as well as the guiding principles the publisher uses is ultimately what matters when it comes to making the list relevant and meaningful for you.
Student Success
Student success rankings often focus on how well colleges facilitate the student journey from admissions through graduation and beyond.
Common factors used: Graduation rate, faculty quality, student borrowing, student-to-faculty ratio
Upward Mobility
Upward mobility actively assesses how the least financially stable students fare academically and if a school truly improves a student’s socioeconomic position.
Common factors used: Graduation rates for Pell Grant recipients, alumni salaries and gains for 5-10 years post-graduation, alumni giving
ROI
Outcomes-based rankings measure how well colleges prepare students for the workforce and typically focus on some combination of graduation/completion metrics and post-graduation earnings.
Common factors used: Student borrowing, median salary 5-10 years post-graduation, alumni earnings
Cost
A cost-centric ranking will generally narrow in on tuition, net price, and student borrowing to deliver the most affordable schools by geography, degree-level, and subject.
Common factors used: Average net price, instate tuition, student borrowing
An Interview with an Educational Psychologist
Dr. Elisa Robyn has a bachelor’s and master’s degree in geology, a Ph.D. in educational psychology, and a second master’s degree in Jewish studies. She has over 20 years of experience as a professor and academic dean in various institutions. She has expertise in advising students on undergraduate and graduate academic and career pathways. Dr. Robyn also has an active blog, is the author of two books and several academic article. She can be connected through her website: elisarobyn.com
The data can be useful but only if a student understands how it is obtained. Completion rates are based on the “average” student who starts either as a freshman (undergraduate) or at the beginning of a graduate program. The rankings that show average GPA of students admitted are gathered in a similar manner. The amount of money an institution has raised from alumni is interesting but does not mean anything about an online student experience. A large endowment is good since it means the institution is fiscally stable, but again does not address the student experience. So students need to first understand what they need and then look at that data.
For example, often libraries are ranked based size of collection. However an online student needs to know about the online access, online journals and access to a research librarian 24/7.
Some of the rankings are very subjective. For example, university presidents are asked to rank institutions. Clearly they will put theirs at the top. Institutions are also ranked based on types of programs. So universities that offer doctorates are ranked in a different category. This is actually good, however institutions play with this. They might refrain from adding a Ph.D. and create an Ed.D. so that they stay in the same category.
Data is obviously always collected from the past. This means that all the data reflects what happened two years ago, and may not be relevant today.
The biggest issue is that many of these ratings address traditional students and are not useful for the returning adult.
Understand the Data
Along with understanding how a publisher is calculating and weighting school information (i.e., what data points they’re using and how data is grouped and calculated), it’s equally important to understand what data sources they are using to make calculations.
Federal data sources are those that are regulated and maintained by the federal government. The U.S. Department of Education (ED) and specifically the Institute for Education Sciences (IES) collects and analyzes data for K-12 and higher education in the U.S. through annual school surveys. Collected data is fully public domain and is accessible through both the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and the Integrated Postsecondary Educational Data Center (IPEDS). IPEDS allows you to pull data in bulk through a self-service portal with filters like state, school type, and any number of data points of your choosing. Typically, these reports are methodically reviewed for quality and thus the most recent publication tends to run 2-3 years behind the current academic year.
The ED also oversees Federal Student Aid, which tracks loan default rates and provides information and instruction regarding borrowing and financial loans.
To access more recent data sets, College Navigator provides access to the most current set of data reported by a school. Similarly, College Scorecard was launched in 2015 with the goal of giving consumers better access to data related to the value and return on investment of a degree. The “Compare” tool allows users to compare multiple schools to better estimate the value and cost of the degree.
The ED also oversees Federal Student Aid, which tracks loan default rates and provides information and instruction regarding borrowing and financial loans.
The Common Data Set Initiative (CDS) is a well-known source of data collected and used by a group of rankings publishers including U.S. News & World Report, Peterson’s, and College Board. While the definitions of data mostly adhere to those of IPEDS, its focus is on accurate definition and standardization of college data points and not on analyzing postsecondary education trends as a whole. Many schools publish copies of these surveys to their school websites for reference by prospective students.
Still other sites aggregate data from both IPEDS and the CDS to publish their rankings lists. BestColleges falls into this category: Although we use NCES data when it is available, we will reference school websites as needed to fill in gaps and for the purpose of quality assurance. We also used school surveys in 2019 to round out our online data at the bachelor’s level.
Sites like Niche.com and Unigo.com layer in student reviews, which could be considered an additional data ‘source.’ It’s important to note that only data collected by the NCES/IPEDS is federally maintained and regulated.
When reviewing a ranking, make sure to look at not only where the data comes from but also how recently it was collected. School statistics change year over year and it’s helpful to have an accurate, current understanding of what a school has to offer.
Avoiding Spammy Rankings Lists
Not sure if a ranking is trustworthy? Well-researched college rankings should contain (at the very least):
A clear link to or breakdown of the methodology used- An indication of the ranking’s year, the data source(s), and source year
- If lists are sponsored by site partners versus editorially created, this should be listed clearly with “Sponsored” or “Advertisement” (Disclaimer: all BestColleges rankings are 100% editorially curated. Schools can’t “pay to play”)
- An explanation of which schools are eligible for inclusion and how schools are gated or excluded
An Interview with a Director of Distance Education
A native of Virginia, Kathy Saville holds both a BS and M.Ed. from James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia. She is currently the director of instructional technology and distance education at Saint Mary’s College in Notre Dame, Indiana. She has held this position for over six years.
Schools are looking for the “best and the brightest” but the student needs to look for the best fit for themselves. Which institution do you find exciting and worth your time, dedication, and financial investment? Which schools will offer financial aid? How long has the program at that institution been accredited? How many faculty in the program and how long have each professor been there?
Number 1: Is there a published telephone number for the online school and if you call the number, does someone answer or do you get an automated directory? If you have to leave a message, how long does it take to get a call back? Understanding admissions offices are not open 24/7, if you do not get a reply by the next business day, be concerned!
Number 2: Search the schools’ websites for comments from current students and alumni. Email them for their insight.
Number 3: Are there any requirements to come to campus? Some online programs are really hybrids and require you come to campus periodically. If that is the case, can you afford to do that? Can you afford the airfare, hotel, etc.?
Use the Data
Additionally, it’s important to understand what the data is telling you and who it represents. For example, is the tuition rate used in a ranking instate tuition or average net price? Is the data looking only at full-time incoming freshman or does it also include graduate students? Below we’ve included the most frequently discussed data points used to assess academic institutions to help alleviate some of this confusion.
Make Rankings Work for You
Hopefully this information gives some insights into how rankings can be a helpful tool in finding a school. Often, rankings are organized by themes that provide additional opportunities to self-select by your interest area. For example, if you know you want to study locally, start with a ranking of your state’s two- and four-year schools.
This is your process. You are more than a college t-shirt or a letter. You are more than a GPA and a standardized test score. You are not defined by where you ‘got in’ or where you ‘didn’t get into’ college. You need to make the decision that is right for you based on what is best for you.
At BestColleges, we added a filter to our rankings landing page that allows users to drill down by degree level, format, and subject to more quickly find what you’re looking for. You can also browse through subjects to narrow in on the specific program that is most appealing to you. At the least, jot down schools you see on our lists that you want to investigate further; we hope this approach helps you narrow your search.
5 Steps to Using College Rankings
- Write down your top academic needs and goals: where you want to study, what degree you’re seeking, and/or what school or program qualities are most important to you.
- Quickly walk the site to get a sense of how the rankings are organized and housed. Start with what is most relevant — state/city, degree, or subject — and open a few pages that stand out to you.
- Scan the methodology to make sure you understand how the ranking was compiled. As you read through the list, jot down schools and program names that look interesting to you.
- Repeat this process as needed a couple more times until you have a working list of schools and programs that are worth a second look.
- Now you can really get into the details and find your program. Look through the most important data points about your schools to narrow your list even further, until you have just one left!
An Interview with a Director of University Admissions
Jody Glassman is director of university admissions at Florida International University (FIU). Jody has worked the last 23 years in higher education, specifically university admissions and enrollment management. Prior to her work at FIU, she was an associate director for admission software services at the College Board.
My advice is very simple: This is your process. You are more than a college t-shirt or a letter. You are more than a GPA and a standardized test score. You are not defined by where you “got in” or where you “didn’t get into” college. You need to make the decision that is right for you based on what is best for you.
I recommend two websites to start, CollegeBoard’s Big Future and Raise.Me. Big Future allows a student and family to create accounts. The available resources start with middle school. They really help a student and family see that the process is not a sprint but a marathon. The student doesn’t become “college bound” in their senior year, but rather they need to be preparing all through high school by challenging themselves academically, finding areas of interests, learning how to manage their time and practicing critical thinking. In addition there are pathways to not just four-years degrees, but careers and licenses or two-year programs. Raise.Me is a micro-scholarship program where a student earns money for college throughout high school. The activities associated with the dollar amounts are for things they already do, “earn an A in an academic class,” “attend a university event,” “participate in community service,” and so on.
Common Ranking Concerns
Reviewing published rankings are just a starting point. Below are some common concerns prospective students experience as they’re beginning their academic search. Use these recommendations to build your own rankings list based on the criteria that matter most to you. We’ve included several resources to help you get started.
College rankings are ubiquitous and vary in both quality and intent, and we believe it’s only through understanding the how and why behind a list that it becomes a useful research tool. Wherever you are in your student journey, we hope that this guide provides the guidance you’re looking for to better arm you in your search. Above all, we hope it helps you find the program and school that’s best for you.
College Ranking Resources
National Center for Education Statistics
NCES is a branch of the U.S. Department of Education and the Institute of Education Sciences and is the primary federal entity for collecting and analyzing data related to education in the U.S. Users can pull and compare data points across several institutions using the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data Center (IPEDS) (typically 2-3 academic years behind), or search for a specific institution to see the most recently collected statistics. Reference their complete Glossary for added clarity.
College Scorecard
The College Scorecard is maintained by the U.S. Department of Education and allows prospective students to compare the cost and value of colleges and universities. Like IPEDS, this data set typically runs 2 or more years behind the current academic year. The Compare feature allows consumers to directly compare multiple institutions by specific data points.
Student Achievement Measure
SAM tracks student completions for bachelor’s and associate/certificate students within a six-year period, and breaks out institutional data by both graduation and transfer rates, offering a fuller picture of student outcomes. To date, they have data on over 600 schools.
Bureau of Labor Statistics
The BLS is a federal program operating under the U.S. Department of Labor whose mandate is to collect and analyze data related to the economy — specifically labor market activity, working conditions, and price changes in the public and private sector. Included in this dataset are Employment Predictions including median salary and project employment growth (or decline) broken out by both location and industry.
Council for Higher Education Accreditation
CHEA is a collection of 60 institutional and programmatic accrediting agencies that oversee over 3,000 accredited schools. The agency is governed by a board of college presidents and other leaders in higher education.
School Websites
Most school websites today have a page or section of their site dedicated to online learning that lists their currently available online programs. This can be a helpful next step in finding the best school contact to reach out to for additional information.
Commercial Resources
There are many commercial websites that generate rankings and/or aggregate student reviews and school data. Here are a few to get you started:
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