When trying to pick which college to attend, many incoming freshmen look to rankings made by hundreds of institutions on hundreds of different levels of analysis. The question then becomes, what is the difference between these rankings and what is their real value?

U.S. News & World Report rankings

One of the most prominent college rankings comes from the U.S. News and World Report, which puts out an annual ranking list called “America’s Best Colleges” that lists the best colleges and universities throughout the country — public and private.

This is done through 25 percent peer review and 75 percent subjective data, according to Director of Data Research Bob Morse.

For the objective data, U.S. News and World Report mathematically compares all competing colleges and universities within their categories based on 15 indicators, including academic reputation, freshmen retention and secure graduation rates. Each of these indicators is weighted differently against the other.

This objective data is compiled with the subjective peer review portion of the analysis, where chancellors, provosts and deans of admissions are asked to rate the “academic quality” of the undergraduate programs of hundreds of other colleges and universities across the nation on a scale from “distinguished” to “marginal.”

Together, U.S. News and World Report uses this to compile their list of what they deem to be the best colleges in the nation.

Princeton Review rankings

While U.S. News and World Report bases their report on institutions and mathematical data, the Princeton Review takes a different approach.

“We ask the students,” said Seamus Mullarkey, senior editor of the Princeton Review’s “The Best 371 Colleges.” “Students are the ones consuming the service and would be the ones most of interest for future students to hear.”

Their annual “Best 371 Colleges” book is based on an 80-question survey taken by students across the country asking them to rank their university on a 1-5 scale for 62 different categories, including the social scene, libraries, newspapers, classroom experience and much more. The information is then tabulated and each college and university is given an overall ranking, as well as rankings in other more specific categories.

For the 2010 edition, around 122,000 students contributed to the book via the online survey.

“We present the information to students along with student quotes and information on different aspects on college life, combine all that in a two-page profile and let students decide what the best fit for them is,” Mullarkey said. “It’s all about finding the information, finding the voice of students, passing it onto future students so they can make up their mind which is No. 1 for them.”

What’s the difference between the two?

Each institution goes about their rankings in completely different ways, each appealing to a different audience. With its mathematical and administrative focus, the U.S. News and World Report appeals to the world of academia, whereas the Princeton Review, with its student surveys and all-encompassing categories, looks to target incoming and current college students.

“I think the Princeton Review is not comparable. … They’re measuring students’ views on things — party schools, best dorms — that are totally subjective. There is no quantitative way to compare one school to another,” Morse said. “I think students look at the Princeton Review, and I think U.S. World and News rankings are the ones that are most widely known and have the greatest impact among academics.”

Mullarkey partially agreed with Morse in that the Princeton Review does not target academia, but rather places a large emphasis on reaching out to incoming students.

“We’re trying to capture the user experience,” Mullarkey said. “We could ask the college’s opinion, but students themselves are the most qualified to speak about it. … The administration or other bodies have different criteria that students might feel quite differently about. The students’ voice is the main engine that drives the whole book and provides the information.”

What is the University of Wisconsin’s take on these rankings?

According to Jocelyn Milner, UW associate provost and director of academic planning and analysis, the university takes these rankings with a grain of salt.

One flaw, Milner points out, is the difference in emphasis between different rankings, making it hard to get an overall picture of an institution just through the lens of rankings.

“Users of rankings should remember that, by design, all the various rankings of colleges and universities that are published (there are dozens) give importance to some information and not others,” Milner said in an e-mail to The Badger Herald. “The items that are emphasized in a particular ranking may or may not align with what’s important to the reader of the rankings, whether the reader is a prospective undergraduate or a university administrator.”

She added students must remember that rankings, while sometimes useful, are large moneymakers for publishers, with students consuming a product designed to be sold to them.

Overall, Milner said she and her colleagues do not pay close attention to any ranking, only to the goals and mission of the university.

“UW-Madison’s ranking seems to be much more important to people outside the university than those of us inside… Our goal is to advance the priorities we’ve identified that will contribute to an exemplary educational experience,” Milner said in the e-mail.

The News Explainer column will run every Wednesday, answering the questions and concerns of the student body. If you have any questions regarding a story that you would like to see further explained in this column, e-mail [email protected].