College, Inc.: Rankings


Posted at 10:42 AM ET, 07/11/2012

Five college admissions tips for the A-minus student

By Daniel de Vise
The Ivies aren’t biting, and merit dollars are scarce. But even in the affluent suburbs, there are ways to turn the admission process to your favor.

By Daniel de Vise  |  10:42 AM ET, 07/11/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Admissions, Aid, Finance, Rankings | Tags:  college admissions, college rankings

Posted at 11:03 AM ET, 04/25/2012

Do colleges court those least in need of education?
By Daniel de Vise
Colleges build prestige by admitting the best-educated students. That’s like hospitals admitting the healthiest patients, our guest blogger opines.

By Daniel de Vise  |  11:03 AM ET, 04/25/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Administration, Admissions, Rankings | Tags:  higher education, college rankings, college admissions

Posted at 03:27 PM ET, 04/09/2012

The nationโ€™s 300 best undergraduate professors?
By Daniel de Vise
A new book profiles 300 top undergraduate instructors; no one from Hopkins, U-Va. or U-Md. makes the list.

By Daniel de Vise  |  03:27 PM ET, 04/09/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Pedagogy, Rankings, Students | Tags:  college professors, college rankings

Posted at 11:17 AM ET, 03/27/2012

Six colleges dominate in research stature
By Daniel de Vise
Harvard, Stanford, Cambridge, Oxford, MIT and Berkeley are cited twice as often as any other university as best in various academic fields.

By Daniel de Vise  |  11:17 AM ET, 03/27/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Pedagogy, Rankings, Research

Posted at 12:03 PM ET, 03/05/2012

Grad-rate ranking reveals elite list of small, wealthy schools
By Daniel de Vise
The colleges with the highest four-year graduation rates tend to enroll around 3,000 students and to spend about $200,000 educating each one.

By Daniel de Vise  |  12:03 PM ET, 03/05/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Attainment, Rankings | Tags:  college completion, graduation rates, Chronicle of Higher Education

Posted at 10:47 AM ET, 02/07/2012

Claremont McKenna SAT scandal: More at stake than rankings?
By Daniel de Vise
The school’s admission of falsified SAT scores suggests bad data were sent to regional accreditors and the feds, agencies with real power.

By Daniel de Vise  |  10:47 AM ET, 02/07/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Admissions, Accreditation, Rankings

Posted at 12:41 PM ET, 01/09/2012

Is higher tuition what the public wants?
By Daniel de Vise
Some colleges have had success with highly publicized campaigns to reduce their annual tuition. But the strategy can backfire.

By Daniel de Vise  |  12:41 PM ET, 01/09/2012 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Access, Admissions, Aid, Finance, Marketing, Rankings, Privates

Posted at 01:38 PM ET, 12/30/2011

Naval Academy professor: A veneer of selectivity
By Daniel de Vise
Whistle-blower professor contends the Annapolis service academy’s 7.5-percent admission rate is a sham: the real number, he says, may be over 50 percent.

By Daniel de Vise  |  01:38 PM ET, 12/30/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Access, Admissions, Rankings | Tags:  U.S. Naval Academy

Posted at 05:33 PM ET, 10/24/2011

Five arguments against a University of Maryland merger

By Daniel de Vise
President of the U-Md. campus in Baltimore — the likely junior partner in a proposed merger with the College Park campus — shares his faculty’s concerns.

By Daniel de Vise  |  05:33 PM ET, 10/24/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Administration, Public policy, Publics, Rankings | Tags:  University of Maryland

Posted at 03:37 PM ET, 10/13/2011

10 great college radio stations
By Daniel de Vise
The universe of college radio has become a jumble of Internet, AM and FM stations run by adults. But real, student-run stations endure.

By Daniel de Vise  |  03:37 PM ET, 10/13/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Students, Rankings

Posted at 06:56 PM ET, 10/10/2011

College sticker shock: Is $55,000 the new $50,000?
By Daniel de Vise
Nineteen colleges now charge $55,000 or more in tuition, fees and living expenses, according to one of two new surveys of college sticker price.

By Daniel de Vise  |  06:56 PM ET, 10/10/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Access, Aid, Finance, Rankings | Tags:  George Washington University, Georgetown University, Johns Hopkins University

Posted at 07:00 PM ET, 10/05/2011

Harvard falls from top spot in global college rankings
By Daniel de Vise
CalTech is now regarded as the world’s top university in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings, an influential annual list

By Daniel de Vise  |  07:00 PM ET, 10/05/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Rankings, Publics, Research

Posted at 04:44 PM ET, 09/30/2011

10 colleges with Klout
By Daniel de Vise
Texas A&M has displaced Stanford in a periodic ranking of colleges whose Twitter feeds generate the most interest.

By Daniel de Vise  |  04:44 PM ET, 09/30/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Technology, Rankings | Tags:  Georgetown University, University of Maryland, George Washington University

Posted at 10:37 AM ET, 09/13/2011

At the top of the U.S. News rankings, a five-way tie
By Daniel de Vise
More movement than usual in the annual rankings of national universities; D.C.- area schools fare well.

By Daniel de Vise  |  10:37 AM ET, 09/13/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Admissions, Liberal Arts, Pedagogy, Rankings | Tags:  Washington and Lee University, University of Virginia, University of Maryland, Georgetown University

Posted at 05:47 PM ET, 09/09/2011

The ups and downs of U.S. News rankings
By Daniel de Vise
Think the rankings never change? Ask American University. Or Northwestern. Or Oberlin.

By Daniel de Vise  |  05:47 PM ET, 09/09/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Admissions, Finance, Liberal Arts, Rankings | Tags:  American University, College of William and Mary

Posted at 09:52 AM ET, 09/05/2011

Grad school deans: Donโ€™t be ruled by U.S. News rankings
By Daniel de Vise
Do deans invest in things that will improve their ranking? Sure, as long as the investment also helps students.

By Daniel de Vise  |  09:52 AM ET, 09/05/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Administration, Development, Graduate education, Rankings | Tags:  University of Maryland, George Washington University, Catholic University

Posted at 10:24 AM ET, 08/12/2011

SmartMoney college rankings gauge โ€˜valueโ€™ of public, private schools

By Daniel de Vise
A SmartMoney analysis comparing future earnings to tuition cost finds public universities are a better investment

By Daniel de Vise  |  10:24 AM ET, 08/12/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Access, Aid, Finance, Rankings | Tags:  University of Virginia, University of Richmond

Posted at 03:38 PM ET, 07/03/2011

The bottom line: which top universities have the highest net price?
By Daniel de Vise
Most of the top private national universities charge around $50,000 a year in tuition, fees and living expenses. What the average student actually pays is another story.

By Daniel de Vise  |  03:38 PM ET, 07/03/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Aid, Access, Finance, Rankings, Privates | Tags:  Catholic University

Posted at 03:03 PM ET, 06/21/2011

The most selective test-optional schools
By Daniel de Vise
The test-optional movement has cracked the first tier of national liberal arts schools. A few top national universities are in, as well.

By Daniel de Vise  |  03:03 PM ET, 06/21/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Admissions, Rankings | Tags:  Washington College, George Mason University

Posted at 12:16 PM ET, 04/26/2011

James Madison, Georgetown, William & Mary fare well in RateMyProfessors survey
By Daniel de Vise
All three rank in the top 25 in a national survey that considers professor ratings as well as campus appraisals.

By Daniel de Vise  |  12:16 PM ET, 04/26/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Online, Pedagogy, Rankings | Tags:  James Madison University, College of William and Mary, Georgetown University, Towson University, College of Southern Maryland, George Washington University, Anne Arundel Community College

Posted at 10:53 AM ET, 04/14/2011

Northwestern now a first choice to many, its president says
By Daniel de Vise
NU was never a safety school in the Midwest, but it had that reputation on the East Coast. Today, it’s competing more squarely with the Ivys.

By Daniel de Vise  |  10:53 AM ET, 04/14/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Admissions, Rankings | Tags:  Northwestern University, college admissions, Early Decision, University of Chicago

Posted at 12:42 PM ET, 03/24/2011

How local universities fared in U.S. News grad-school rankings
By Daniel de Vise
U-Va., Georgetown and GWU all have Top 20 law schools, according to the 2011 U.S. News rankings

By Daniel de Vise  |  12:42 PM ET, 03/24/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Rankings, Graduate education | Tags:  Rankings, the University of Virginia, the University of Maryland, Virginia Tech, George Washington University, Georgetown, Johns Hopkins University, College of William and Mary, Washington and Lee University, American University, George Mason University, Virginia Commonwealth University

Posted at 11:05 AM ET, 11/15/2010

Study abroad declines for the first time ever
By Daniel de Vise
The number of college students studying abroad declined in the 2008-09 academic year, the first time the number has dropped in the 25 years it has been tracked by the Institute of International Education. Fewer students studied in the United...

By Daniel de Vise  |  11:05 AM ET, 11/15/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Rankings, Rankings, Rankings, Rankings, Rankings | Tags:  Institute International Education, fewer students going abroad, study abroad, study abroad declines, study abroad trends

Posted at 01:11 PM ET, 10/28/2010

Kiplinger cites 11 area schools for quality, value
By Daniel de Vise
Ever heard of Christendom College? Hood College? Those schools and nine others in Maryland, Virginia and the District appear on this year's ranking of best values in private higher education from Kiplinger's Personal Finance. Kiplinger attempts to single out schools...

By Daniel de Vise  |  01:11 PM ET, 10/28/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Rankings, Rankings, Rankings, Rankings | Tags:  Kiplinger rankings, best value colleges, college rankings

Posted at 11:01 AM ET, 10/12/2010

Virginia U uses U.S. News data in faculty hires
By Daniel de Vise
A report in today's Inside Higher Ed says Christopher Newport University in Virginia's Hampton Roads region is using data from U.S. News & World Report collegiate rankings as a factor in faculty hires. Faculty leaders and administrators are in mild...

By Daniel de Vise  |  11:01 AM ET, 10/12/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Rankings, Rankings, Rankings, Rankings | Tags:  CNU faculty, CNU uses US News rankings, Christopher Newport University, Christopher Newport faculty, U.S. News rankings

Posted at 06:07 PM ET, 10/06/2010

Top doctoral programs in English

By Daniel de Vise
In a recent post, I showed an easy way to boil down the difficult new National Research Council doctoral rankings into a simple top-to-bottom list. The NRC ranked doctoral programs for the first time in 15 years. Because of the...

By Daniel de Vise  |  06:07 PM ET, 10/06/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Rankings, Rankings, Rankings | Tags:  JHU doctoral rankings, NRC rankings, PHD rankings, UMD doctoral rankings, UVA doctoral rankings, doctoral rankings

Posted at 05:48 PM ET, 09/29/2010

Do-it-yourself doctoral rankings
By Daniel de Vise
The higher education community was first elated, then confused, by yesterday's release of definitive but almost indecipherable rankings of doctoral programs by the National Research Council. It's the first time in 15 years the nation's Ph.D. programs have seen themselves...

By Daniel de Vise  |  05:48 PM ET, 09/29/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Rankings, Rankings, Rankings | Tags:  NRC rankings, doctoral education study, doctoral programs, doctoral rankings, phd rankings

Posted at 04:04 PM ET, 09/16/2010

New global rankings: Hopkins high, G'town low
By Daniel de Vise
The last of the high-profile world collegiate rankings, the Times Higher Education World University Rankings, was published Thursday with a new and reportedly improved methodology. The London-based ranking used to publish in collaboration with Quacquarelli Symonds, but the two split...

By Daniel de Vise  |  04:04 PM ET, 09/16/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Rankings, Rankings, Rankings, Rankings | Tags:  Times Higher Education, World University Rankings, college rankings, university rankings

Posted at 11:16 AM ET, 09/13/2010

Northwestern links alumni gifts to rankings
By Daniel de Vise
A piece published over the weekend in the Chronicle of Higher Education directed me to an e-mail I had deleted without reading several days earlier. Northwestern University, an institution I attended, asserted to alumni in an August e-mail that they...

By Daniel de Vise  |  11:16 AM ET, 09/13/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Rankings, Rankings | Tags:  Northwestern U.S. News ranking, Northwestern University e-mail, U.S. News rankings, college rankings

Posted at 12:05 PM ET, 09/09/2010

U.S. schools humbled in world rankings
By Daniel de Vise
The headline in yesterday's release of the QS World University Rankings was that Cambridge displaced Harvard as the best university in the world, at least by one measure. This is apparently the first time in the history of the London-based...

By Daniel de Vise  |  12:05 PM ET, 09/09/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Rankings, Rankings, Rankings | Tags:  Harvard ranking, QS rankings, college rankings, world university rankings

Posted at 06:28 PM ET, 09/08/2010

D.C. displaces Boston as third-best college town
By Daniel de Vise
In collegiate terms, this is almost as big as Los Angeles eclipsing Chicago as Second City: An annual College Destinations Index now posits the District as the nation's third-best college town, behind San Francisco and New York and -- get...

By Daniel de Vise  |  06:28 PM ET, 09/08/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Rankings, Rankings, Rankings, Rankings | Tags:  AIER index, College Destinations Index, D.C. college town, Washington college town, best college towns

Posted at 10:21 AM ET, 08/30/2010

Rating the college rankings
By Daniel de Vise
In a post a few days ago, I discussed the recent proliferation of college rankings and ratings and attempted a brief analysis of how each differs from the others. Today, the Chronicle of Higher Education takes that conversation a step...

By Daniel de Vise  |  10:21 AM ET, 08/30/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Rankings, Rankings, Rankings | Tags:  Forbes rankings, Kiplinger rankings, US News rankings, Washington Monthly rankings, best colleges, college rankings, college ratings

Posted at 12:39 PM ET, 08/23/2010

Washington Monthly's take on college rankings
By Daniel de Vise
Washington Monthly, a magazine with unusually robust higher education coverage, today released its own attempt at a ranking of colleges and universities. The magazine is a relatively new entrant to the rankings field, which has become very crowded in recent...

By Daniel de Vise  |  12:39 PM ET, 08/23/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Rankings, Rankings, Rankings, Rankings, Rankings | Tags:  ACTA rankings, Forbes rankings, US News rankings, Washington Monthly rankings, college rankings

Posted at 12:00 AM ET, 08/17/2010

Local colleges gain ground in U.S. News rankings
By Daniel de Vise
The 2011 U.S. News & World Report college rankings came out at midnight Tuesday, and the news is mostly good for universities in the D.C. region.

By Daniel de Vise  |  12:00 AM ET, 08/17/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Rankings, Rankings, Rankings | Tags:  America's Best Colleges, Georgetown ranking, Hopkins ranking, U.S. News rankings, William Mary ranking, college rankings