U.S. News’ Yearly College Rankings

Re “Colleges Flunk the Trendy Ratings Game,” Commentary, Oct. 25: We believe that with the annual cost of attending some top-ranked colleges now exceeding $30,000, parents and prospective students need--and should have--all the information possible to help them make the most informed decisions about where to go to school. We believe--and state openly--that “America’s Best Colleges” is one--but only one--of the most useful of the information tools that consumers need.

Nick Thompson’s premise that many high school students take the rankings as “dogma” is not borne out by the evidence. A study done by the Arts & Science Group, a higher education consulting group, found that rankings play a relatively modest role in college choice. That study, along with our own conversations with students and administrators, persuades us that rankings generally come into play in building a list of schools or winnowing it down. We had never heard of an example of a student choosing a school strictly on the basis of our rankings until Thompson made such claims.

Thompson’s contention that our rankings are “arbitrary,” “absurdly counterintuitive” and “subjective” is without merit. Our methodology has been developed in cooperation with college authorities and research experts. Each year we welcome to our offices scores of college presidents and deans who are not shy about suggesting ways to change the way we determine our rankings. As a matter of fundamental policy, we have always taken suggestions like these seriously and if they prove relevant and “doable,” they are incorporated into the methodology.

In short, we are willing to listen to our critics and to make changes if we find that their suggestions are practical as well as sound. That goes for the ideas of students like Thompson, as well as those of college presidents.

MEL ELFIN, Executive Editor

“America’s Best Colleges”

U.S. News & World Report

Washington