Here Come the Rankings

The 2014 U.S. News Best Colleges Rankings are out. A sample of the headlines the rankings have sparked:

Do college rankings matter?
Princeton declared best college in America
Why some of the most expensive colleges are the best value
Why U.S. News' college rankings hurt students
College rankings reflect change in emphasis

 
Mixed opinion abounds. Our advice is to review the rankings, understand how they are created and their potential benefits and limitations, and use them as an introduction to new institutions and questions to consider during your college search.

The updated 2014 methodology reflects a greater focus on outcome measures (e.g. graduation rates) rather than input factors (e.g. high school class rank.)

Top 10 National Universities

1. Princeton University
2. Harvard University
3. Yale University
4. Columbia University
5. Stanford University
5. University of Chicago
7. Duke University
7. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
7. University of Pennsylvania
10. California Institute of Technology
10. Dartmouth College

2014 Top 10 Liberal Arts Colleges

1. Williams College
2. Amherst College
3. Swarthmore College
4. Bowdoin College
4. Middlebury College
4. Pomona College
7. Carleton College
7. Wellesley College
9. Claremont McKenna College
9. Davidson College
9. Haverford College

For those looking for a more individualized, hands-on option, College Factual has an online tool (currently in beta) that allows students to customize rankings based on the importance they place on different factors. The drag-and-drop tool is really easy to use, and it's a good reminder that any rankings list falls short with a one-size-fits-all approach.