Colleges Boycott--And Tout--U.S. News Rankings

The presidents of 12 liberal arts colleges have signed a letter critical of the U.S.News & World Report rankings, saying that those numbers are "misleading and do not serve well the interest of prospective students in finding a college or university that is well suited to their education beyond high school." The 12 schools have pledged not to complete the "peer assessment" section of the magazine's annual survey, which accounts for 25 percent of an institution's ranking. The letter, which was released to the public on May 5, has been sent to hundreds of liberal arts college presidents, asking them to join in the protest.

The signatories of the letter also agreed to refrain from using U.S. News rankings as part of their schools' promotional efforts. Many schools frequently tout such rankings to entice students, parents, and trustees.

But some of the schools that signed the letter opposing the peer assessment survey still mention the ranking:

• Dickinson College used U.S. News in its promotional materials last year. The school's career center still directs students toward the U.S. News Best Graduate School rankings to help them decide which school is right for them.
• Marlboro quotes U.S. News on its "promotional quotes" Web page.
• Southwestern University touts its rankings twice in its parent's handbook under the "distinguishing moments" section. It also lists various rankings shifts in its institutional history. Southwestern President Jake B. Schrum criticized the U.S. News rankings in an op-ed for Inside Higher Education on Aug. 19, 2005, but touted the rankings in an op-ed for the Austin-American Statesman on Nov. 24, 2005.