This yr’s U.S. Information and World Report Finest Schools listing, launched final week, modified the college-ranking sport. A shift in methodology shook up many DC-area faculties’ positions from final yr. Whereas some space faculties maintained their rank or rose, others fell greater than 30 rungs.
Georgetown College stays the world’s top-ranked college, designated for the second consecutive yr as quantity 22 on the listing, and tied this yr with the College of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. College of Maryland, School Park rose from final yr’s rank of 55 to this yr’s 46. George Mason College in Fairfax made the biggest leap, rising from 137 on final yr’s listing to 105 this yr, sharing that spot with eight different faculties, together with American College in DC.
In the meantime, a number of space schools fell, some fairly dramatically. George Washington College dropped in its rating for the primary time since 2018, transferring from 62 to 67. American College’s shared rank at 105 is a 33-rung dip from its former slot at 72. Howard College noticed a setback as effectively, rating at 115 in comparison with final yr’s 89, but retaining its quantity 2 place within the listing of greatest traditionally Black schools and universities. Catholic College of America slipped two spots from 176 to 178. Gallaudet College dropped a lot additional, from 127 to 236. Marymount College in Arlington secured a spot on the highest Nationwide Universities listing this yr for the second time, although it fell from 299 to 320.
Rises and drops had been anticipated this yr due to U.S. Information’ new system. The group assesses practically 1,500 faculties, producing rankings in a number of classes however is most identified for its Nationwide Universities Record.
5 longstanding elements within the analysis course of had been nixed this yr, together with alumni giving, class measurement, highschool class standing, proportion of tutorial school with terminal levels, and proportion of graduates with federal loans. These measures had been dropped in favor of college information that’s extra universally obtainable. With a watch on outcomes and social mobility, U.S. News additionally launched new elements based mostly on first-generation pupil commencement charges and college analysis.
This yr’s new rankings comply with an onslaught of skepticism that questioned the credibility and significance of the U.S. Information rankings. Notable establishments throughout the US introduced plans to cease sending information to U.S. Information up to now yr. Whereas many of those had been legislation and medical faculties, Columbia College’s undergraduate program declined to ship information as effectively.
DC-area faculties diverse of their response to their new rankings. George Mason College President Gregory Washington launched an announcement selling the college’s placement on the listing, which had gone up. In the meantime, American College’s assertion shared their disappointment in U.S. Information’ newest listing and dismissed its methodology as “unrepresentative.” Equally, George Washington College’s pupil newspaper, The GW Hatchet, ran a pupil op-ed questioning the importance of a faculty’s rating, elevating different measures of analysis as a substitute.
“Schools are feeling a bit of bit extra emboldened to push again in opposition to the rating in a method that they hadn’t within the final couple of years,” says GWU Assistant Professor of Greater Schooling Administration Dwayne Wright.
After the Supreme Courtroom determination undermining affirmative motion, rating formulation will in all probability proceed to evolve. Wright predicts college-ranking options to U.S. Information that weigh variety extra closely will proliferate in future years.
