Among the many methods people use to judge colleges and universities, few are as widely used as simple rankings. These lists, usually ordered by numerical scores or letter grades, are inherently appealing because they're easily understood and they tell us exactly where the authors think a given school stands. But they can also be confusing because some magazine, book and online publishers use vastly different criteria when determining academic status. So which ranking is correct, and how are they calculated? What are some common criticisms of college rankings, and can you trust them? In this article, we'll answer these questions and more as we explore the ever-popular system of college rankings. We'll also take a look at some alternatives to college rankings that many schools are pursuing.S. News & World Report. Every year since 1987, it has published its rankings in magazine form, and more recently in accompanying paperback guidebooks. The magazine now ranks graduate schools, too. Many schools use these rankings as part of their promotional materials, trumpeting a rise in standing, hanging celebratory banners or posting the good news on their Web sites.

Some companies simply offer rankings of what they consider the best schools, with a variety of criteria used to calculate an overall score. Others break down lists of top schools into categories like academics, social life, small colleges, big colleges, liberal arts schools, public schools, undergraduate experience and happiest students. Besides U.S. News & World Report, other popular rankings include Princeton Review guidebooks and those produced by the Center for University Rankings, which rates research universities. ­Books like "College Prowler" offer an insider view from current students and recent graduates. These guidebooks present information about topics as varied as a school's party scene. In other countries, newspapers often provide rankings, such as Maclean's annual guide to Canadian colleges and universities. The European Union has also published reports on universities that included rankings. In the next section, we'll take a look at how publications calculate college rankings. Sometimes publishers receive the data directly from schools, as is the case with U.S.

News & World Report. Others rely on data drawn from university Web sites, research foundations or academic organizations. For example, Vanguard's college rankings, which focus on faculty quality, rely on data from the National Research Council. When examining college rankings, it's important to look at what data the publication used and how it used the data. Many publications use other data sources or their own specialized surveys. Although it's clear that ranking methods differ between publications, some use more unusual criteria to determine college standings. The Washington Monthly rankings also focus on how taxpayer money, such as in federal research grants, is used, and whether they consider that money well spent. Of course, the Internet now holds some influence over rankings, both in how they're calculated and how they're publicized. Some companies provide additional college and university information on subscription-only sites. Other organizations collect data from nontraditional sources like a school's number of Google hits and links to the university's Web site from the sites of other universities.

This method of ranking is often called the G-Factor. Any discussion of how rankings are compiled inevitably leads back to U.S. News & World Report. For reasons that will be discussed later in the article, its rankings attract a lot of controversy. Let's look at how they rank schools. U.S. News presents each school with a numerical score and ranks them accordingly, with schools divided into separate categories. The magazine provides further rankings for some categories based on region or if a school awards doctoral degrees. In calculating each score, U.S. News relies on data supplied to them by the schools they're ranking. Each piece of data is measured differently in calculating the overall score. The composition of a score given to a school by U.S. That last part, the peer assessment, is the trickiest bit -- and it's one of the big reasons that U.S. News & World Report is one of the chief targets of the campaign against college rankings.

Costway US $1438.00 72.5 Inch Modern Fabric Loveseat Sofa Couch with Adjustable Headrest Costway US $311.00 Modern Loveseat Sofa Couch with Side Storage Pocket-Light Gray Costway US $184.00 Patio Rocking Bench Double Rocker Chair with Ergonomic Seat 2-Person Loveseat Costway US $218.00 Garden Bench Chair Outdoor Wooden Loveseat with Iron Armrest Costway US $152.00 Swing Glider Chair 48 Inch Loveseat Rocker Lounge Backyard-Brown Costway US $236.00 2 Pieces Patio Loveseat Bench Table Furniture Set with Cushioned Chair-Beige Costway US $1438.00 Modern Loveseat with Comfy Backrest Cushions-Gray Costway US $225.00 2-Person Double Rocking Loveseat with Mesh Fabric and Center Tempered Glass Table-Turquoise Costway US $683.00 4 Pieces Outdoor Patio Rattan Furniture Set with Cushioned Loveseat and Storage Box-Turquoise Costway US $210.00 Modern Loveseat Sofa Upholstered Dutch Velvet Sofa Couch-Gray