Monday, November 25, 1996
RANKINGS:
Prospective students should rely on more than what goes into
commercial evaluationsMark Twain said there are three kinds of
lies: "lies, damn lies, and statistics." Twain’s quip underscores
the problem with U.S. News and World Report’s annual ranking of
American colleges. This is not to say the magazine knowingly prints
false information in its college guide; it is that their statistics
can be misleading.
Disturbingly, more and more college hopefuls and their families
are using the rankings as their main source for choosing schools.
Bold, colorful headlines which read "Exclusive Rankings: America’s
Best Colleges" exploit an American public which craves concise
lists and easy, eye-catching bar graphs. The Daily Bruin is asking
that applicants look past lists into more thorough methods of
selection.
U.S. News and World Report cannot define effective education by
looking at alumni contributions, students’ SAT scores, or even
faculty-to-student ratios. Education covers a wider scope than
anything U.S. News could hope to quantify and plug into its
computer programs. Educational success is determined largely by the
students’ overall environment. Therefore, the annual rankings, as
popular as they are, fall short of the mark. To get a truer take on
the "worth" of a college, U.S. News staff should be sent to
campuses for actual student and faculty profiles. (U.S. News has
been capitalizing on the college issues’ immense popularity for 10
years now and can foot the bill for the extra plane tickets and
payroll.) By sending staff directly to the schools for an actual
three-dimensional look at what they have to offer, the magazine can
mend what many critics see as biased methodology.
The only subjective criterion considered is that of academic
reputation, and by quantifying schools’ reputations, the numerical
ranking system favors the old, private mainstays of the East Coast.
Of this year’s top 10 "best national universities," all are private
institutions and only two schools are located on the West Coast.
UCLA is a public school situated on the West Coast and is,
therefore, at a disadvantage. However, despite the fact that our
school is currently ranked 31st, UCLA does not offer a poor
educational experience compared to that of top-ranked Yale. Many
factors such as location, affordability, cultural programs and
ethnic diversity (none of which is accounted for in U.S. News’
methodology) could make UCLA the better pick for many
applicants.
U.S. News has become rather self-assertive, if not cocky. The
publication has set itself up as a public service provider and is
now being touted as an authority on the academic community. Spurred
by the success of their college ranking issues, the editors have
branched out and are now ranking our hospitals. The Bruin, along
with many other concerned student groups nationwide, wonders where
this will end. Journalists should be knowledgeable experts in the
areas they cover, but this is going way too far. After all, a wrong
choice in either category brings more dire consequences than
choosing the wrong bistro from Zagat’s Restaurant Guide.
According to the magazine’s spokespersons, U.S. News set up the
ranking system with the noble intent of informing the public.
However, that same public must not forget that U.S. News is in the
business of selling magazines. The recent 10th annual edition leapt
off the news stands, and the 11th edition is bound for similar
success. If U.S. News is truly intent on informing and aiding its
college-bound audience, it will acknowledge itself as a mere
supplement to more exhaustive campus inspections. The magazine’s
annual college issue can only be helpful if it is viewed as a
starting point and not a bible.