Why are schools dropping out of US news rankings?

Asked by: Esperanza Kuvalis I  |  Last update: December 11, 2023
Score: 4.3/5 (4 votes)

They stressed how U.S. News is biased against programs meant to increase socioeconomic diversity, support lower-income students, and encourage the pursuit of public service. In a statement, Yale Law School Dean Heather Gerken said the rankings are “profoundly flawed” and they “stand squarely in the way of progress”.

Why are schools withdrawing from U.S. News rankings?

The recent withdrawals come after decades of complaints about the value of the rankings. Critics say the rankings rely too much on the grades and test scores of accepted students, and the reputation of schools among academicians, all of which reward the privileges of certain applicants.

What will happen to U.S. News rankings?

U.S. News & World Report announced changes to its college rankings methodology for 2024. The magazine will add measures related to diversity in place of factors such as class rank and alumni giving. Top law and medical schools have boycotted U.S. News, though the undergraduate rankings remain largely unaffected.

Which law schools have pulled out of U.S. News rankings?

As you may be aware, a significant number of law schools are opting out of the US News Law School Rankings. At the time of writing, nine of the “T-14” (Top 14) law schools—Yale, Stanford, Harvard, Columbia, UC Berkeley, Georgetown, Michigan, Duke, and Northwestern—have explicitly opted out.

Why is U.S. News ranking bad?

US News lists unranked schools, but they are put in alphabetical order at the end of each college category without any value judgment. This means that if you're interested in very small colleges or colleges that only loosely participate in the US News survey, the rankings may not help you much.

Why some top schools are opting out of U.S. News’ college rankings list

15 related questions found

What is more reliable niche or U.S. News?

The Niche college rankings are less well-known than those of U.S. News and Forbes. However, the Niche college rankings list does provide some information and advantages that the other ranking lists don't have. Niche rankings are based on the overall experience at traditional 4-year colleges and universities.

Why did Columbia drop in the rankings?

Dr. Thaddeus said he had found discrepancies in the data that Columbia supplied to U.S. News, involving class size and percentage of faculty with terminal degrees — two of the metrics that U.S. News announced it was eliminating from its calculations.

Why are law schools boycotting U.S. News?

It may be a case of be careful what you wish for. Seven months ago, dozens of elite law schools and medical schools announced that they were boycotting the U.S. News & World Report rankings and refusing to give the publication any data. The rankings, they said, were unreliable and skewed educational priorities.

Which law schools are boycotting U.S. News and World Report?

Nearly a third of U.S. law schools this year declined to provide U.S. News with any internal data for its rankings, including 12 of the top 14 schools, which said the publication's methodology hurt student diversity and affordability.

Why did Harvard law drop in rankings?

(Yale Law School announced a similar decision earlier today). We at HLS have made this decision because it has become impossible to reconcile our principles and commitments with the methodology and incentives the U.S. News rankings reflect.

Why some top schools are opting out of US News College rankings list?

The move is the latest blow to the influential rankings system after Harvard and Yale law schools withdrew in November 2022 because its "profoundly flawed" methodology disincentivized schools from helping disadvantaged students.

Does U.S. News ranking matter?

Each year, U.S. News & World Report releases its ranking of colleges in the United States, which are seen by some as a premier arbiter of academic prestige. Publicly, college administrators around the country say the rankings do not matter.

Is U.S. News World ranking reliable?

Overview. Ad Fontes Media rates US News and World Report in the Middle category of bias and as Reliable, Analysis/Fact Reporting in terms of reliability.

Who has the worst public school system in the United States?

The ten states in the U.S. that rank the lowest for education are Alabama, Mississippi, Oregon, Oklahoma, South Carolina, West Virginia, Arizona, Louisiana, Alaska, and New Mexico. Within these states, there are particular districts that are especially struggling.

Are big US school systems losing students?

A Wall Street Journal analysis found "enrollment fell in roughly 85 of the nation's largest 100 public-school districts." Enrollment in New York City's public schools, the country's largest school district, dropped by 8.3% from 2020 to 2022, according to a fiscal watchdog funded by the city.

How many schools are failing in the US?

Education Secretary Arne Duncan estimated that 82% of this country's public schools are not passing the test in educating our children.

Which law schools have dropped U.S. News?

Within just a week this fall, Yale, Harvard, UC Berkley, Columbia, Georgetown and Stanford all opted out of U.S. News & World Report's best law schools rankings. After some of the nation's most prestigious institutions dropped out of its best law schools rankings, U.S. News is making changes to its 2023-2024 list.

What are U.S. News law rankings based on?

The rankings only assess academic quality and graduate success – factors that are universally important to prospective students. But personal considerations involving location, campus culture, strength in specific programs, and cost after tuition and financial aid are also very important.

What percent of people regret law school?

A substantial majority of vocational and technical students (60 percent) wish they'd gone for more schooling, while less than 40 percent of law, life science and engineering students believe the same. The burgeoning regret among humanities and arts majors may help explain why humanities graduates are a dying breed.

Is law school mentally draining?

Law students struggle with their mental health. As I write this essay, many are stressed out, burned out, depressed, and anxious. Even before Covid, rates of depression among law students were high: 8-9% before the start of law school, 27% after the first semester, 34% after 1L year, and 40% after 3L year.

Why is the LSAT being removed?

Those who want to get rid of the test requirement have argued that the LSAT is a barrier for minority would-be lawyers because on average they score below white test-takers, and because law schools rely too heavily on those scores.

Is Yale losing its status?

QS ranked Yale at #3 in the world in 2010. Yale has noticeably declined in the QS rankings in less than a decade, dropping from 3rd to 15th. A drop of more than one place per year, and probably the sharpest drop of any elite university in the world in that time period. Yale just isn't what it used to be.

What is the lowest GPA admitted to Columbia?

Is there a minimum test score, class rank or GPA required for admission to Columbia? No. Columbia is test-optional and does not have a "cut-off" GPA or test score for applicants.

Is Columbia as prestigious as Harvard?

Though both the universities are prestigious and are considered to be offering world class higher education in USA, the choice will depend on factors like exam score obtained, budget, interests, and academic excellence of a student.