Questionable Science Behind Academic Rankings
1–10 of 17 posts
Re: Questionable Science Behind Academic Rankings
#2While these publications try to rank universities, I engage in the smaller task of trying to rank undergraduate colleges: http://college.mychances.net/college-rankings.php
The decision to rank them based on students' decisions of where to attend may be questionable, but at least the "science" is straightforward.
Re: Questionable Science Behind Academic Rankings
#3While these publications try to rank universities, I engage in the smaller task of trying to rank undergraduate colleges: http://college.mychances.net/college-rankings.php The decision to rank them based on students' decisions of where to attend may be questionable, but at least the "science" is straightforward.
Seems like a nice system, my only question is how do you get this data? Just students self-reporting?
Re: Questionable Science Behind Academic Rankings
#4While these publications try to rank universities, I engage in the smaller task of trying to rank undergraduate colleges: http://college.mychances.net/college-rankings.php The decision to rank them based on students' decisions of where to attend may be questionable, but at least the "science" is straightforward.
Seems like a nice system, my only question is how do you get this data? Just students self-reporting?
Thank you. Yes, this is based on student self-reporting. The overall reporting quality appears to be quite good. The overall feedback rate (% of students who tell us their acceptances/rejections after the admissions cycle is over) is lower than I'd like, but higher than I'd expect.
Re: Questionable Science Behind Academic Rankings
#5My last startup was in higher ed, and the stories about manipulating ranking are amazing. Everybody knows what goes into the rankings, and everybody manipulates the inputs.
As an example, one of the inputs is percentage of alumni who donate. So one large school has a gigantic push every year to get just one dollar from every alumni that they can. I actually sat in on a seminar where somebody from the university broke down all the bizarre things they were doing with admission, freshman retention, alumni relations, and so-on, just to game US News and World Reports.
Re: Questionable Science Behind Academic Rankings
#6While these publications try to rank universities, I engage in the smaller task of trying to rank undergraduate colleges: http://college.mychances.net/college-rankings.php The decision to rank them based on students' decisions of where to attend may be questionable, but at least the "science" is straightforward.
It seems like most of the things that make a university "good" are things that a prospective undergrad, with no college experience, would be least likely to know.
I'm not implying that the current system is a a good one.
Re: Questionable Science Behind Academic Rankings
#7While these publications try to rank universities, I engage in the smaller task of trying to rank undergraduate colleges: http://college.mychances.net/college-rankings.php The decision to rank them based on students' decisions of where to attend may be questionable, but at least the "science" is straightforward.
It seems like most of the things that make a university "good" are things that a prospective undergrad, with no college experience, would be least likely to know. I'm not implying that the current system is a a good one.
I agree, and this is why I distinguish college, which is a place that undergrads go for 4 years, from university, which is the larger institution as a whole.
For certain characteristics of colleges, I believe it is fair to see students and parents as informed consumers; e.g., when considering cost and prestige, they probably do a good job. Without anything to substantiate this, I would also guess that students do a reasonably good job of selecting institutions that will make them employable (we're getting into fuzzy territory so I don't want to make too strong of a claim).
But I agree that this method of ranking colleges would not translate into a ranking of universities as greater entities. If Kenyon suddenly made tuition free for everyone, they might lure away enough students to become the "Best" in my rankings, but it would not therefore follow that Kenyon's academic output trumps that of Princeton.
Re: Questionable Science Behind Academic Rankings
#8The rankings are not completely worthless, but they certainly are overrated. But you ask for them.
Re: Questionable Science Behind Academic Rankings
#9Earlier quoted context omitted.
It seems like most of the things that make a university "good" are things that a prospective undergrad, with no college experience, would be least likely to know. I'm not implying that the current system is a a good one.
I agree, and this is why I distinguish college, which is a place that undergrads go for 4 years, from university, which is the larger institution as a whole. For certain characteristics of colleges, I believe it is fair to see students and parents as informed consumers; e.g., when considering cost and prestige, they probably do a good job. Without anything to substantiate this, I would also guess that students do a r…
I think GP was referring to the undergrad program. For what it's worth, I haven't met many students who knew much about their degree program's curricula or their general education requirements. Not knowing this makes them seem ineffective at evaluating the college. Given all the stories I hear of, for example, art students surprised that they cannot find jobs, I'm not sure I trust incoming students as estimators of employability either. The only things I really would trust them to evaluate are the school's reputation and the first year's tuition.
Re: Questionable Science Behind Academic Rankings
#10Earlier quoted context omitted.
It seems like most of the things that make a university "good" are things that a prospective undergrad, with no college experience, would be least likely to know. I'm not implying that the current system is a a good one.
I agree, and this is why I distinguish college, which is a place that undergrads go for 4 years, from university, which is the larger institution as a whole. For certain characteristics of colleges, I believe it is fair to see students and parents as informed consumers; e.g., when considering cost and prestige, they probably do a good job. Without anything to substantiate this, I would also guess that students do a r…
I agree with what you said, although I actually meant that students themselves probably don't know what makes a college good for them, education-wise and in the long run.
I really don't know the answer either. Being surrounded by other smart students, class size, specific teachers, research opportunities, campus culture, student body diversity, etc?
I think the biggest thing about going to college is that it's totally different than what you've experienced before. A prospective student will necessarily be deciding on very incomplete information. Unfortunately, you probably need about a semester's worth of experience before knowing if a given school were truly a good fit...