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

Asked by: Irma Crona PhD  |  Last update: December 1, 2023
Score: 4.1/5 (8 votes)

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.

Why are schools dropping out of U.S. News rankings?

So, for example, the law schools you mentioned, they dropped out. A number of them decided not to cooperate with U.S. News, and one of their complaints was that the rankings formula depends a lot on the employment rates of graduates, which you can totally understand why you would want that in your rankings.

What law schools are pulling out of the U.S. News ranking?

Yale Law School was the first to announce its decision to no longer participate in the rankings, followed by Harvard, UC Berkeley, Georgetown, Columbia, and Stanford, among others.

Why are law schools opting out of rankings?

For instance, in opting out, Northwestern Pritzker School of Law stated that “by over-valuing median LSAT and UGPA, it incentivizes law schools to provide scholarships to students at their medians and above rather than to students with the greatest need.” Likewise, UC Berkeley chose to opt out because the US News “ ...

Why are medical schools leaving US News and World Report?

Five of the nation's top-ranking medical schools have publicly announced they will no longer be participating in U.S. News & World Report's “Best Medical Schools” survey over concerns of the “perverse incentives” and “harmful impact" the annual rankings may have on higher learning priorities.

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

17 related questions found

What is the controversy with the US news and world report medical school rankings?

Background: Many top schools have boycotted U.S. News.

After criticizing U.S. News's rankings for years, many elite law and medical schools decided to boycott the 2023-24 rankings by refusing to hand over data, saying that the rankings were unreliable and unfair, skewing education priorities.

What is causing the physician shortage in the United States?

Why is there a physician shortage? While the driving force of the doctor shortage in the US can't be tied to one specific cause, there are a number of contributing factors. Primary among them is the fact that human life expectancy is longer than ever before—and as the population ages, healthcare needs increase.

Why did Yale drop out of rankings?

Yale and Harvard universities' law schools will no longer participate in U.S. News & World Report's influential Best Law Schools rankings, saying Wednesday they disincentivize support for low-income students and those entering public-interest careers.

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.

Will Northwestern law school no longer participate in U.S. News rankings?

Northwestern's Pritzker School of Law announced in November it would no longer participate in the U.S. News and World Report Rankings. In 2022, the law school ranked 13th from 192 schools.

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.

What is the hardest law school to get into in the US?

Yale University

With an acceptance rate of just 6.9%, it's no wonder that Yale is the hardest law school to get into. Only around 1 in 15 of their highly qualified applicants makes it through. The median GPA score of a student enrolled at Yale University is 3.92, while the median LSAT score is 173.

What is the No 1 law University in USA?

Best law schools in the U.S. in 2023

Yale University. Stanford University. Harvard University. Columbia University.

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.

Are U.S. News rankings biased?

US News college rankings are accurate if the methodology used and details provided by schools alone are considered. However, rankings can be influenced by what participating schools disclose. By making strategic responses or manipulating figures, schools can have control over their rankings.

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.

Who ranks better Yale or Harvard Law?

Yale has long held the top spot in the U.S. News & World Report law school rankings. Harvard is tied for No. 4.

Why is Yale law better than Harvard?

Many say that YLS is more interested in the philosophy of the laws, while Harvard's approach is to examine the application of the law. "Yale is definitely a more 'academic' law school than Harvard," Ahsan says.

Why is Harvard ranked higher than Yale?

Harvard Scores Higher than Yale in Major Subject Ratings

When broken down into subject strengths, Harvard reveals its upper hand over its rival. It is 1st for life sciences & medicine and social sciences where Yale is 12th and 8th, respectively. It also ranks second for arts & humanities while Yale is sixth.

Why did Columbia drop in college rankings?

Columbia University dropped to the #18 from the #2 spot in the U.S. News & World Report's annual college rankings after admitting it had submitted inaccurate data in earlier years — the university has not ranked as low as #18 since 1988.

Is Yale more prestigious than Princeton?

As two of the most recognizable names and prestigious universities in the world, Yale and Princeton both offer top-notch educations with outstanding outcomes for graduates. When you're deciding between the two, it really comes down to your personal preferences.

Is Duke or Yale harder to get into?

Admissions at Duke University are less selective as compared to Yale University with lower score requirements for SAT, GMAT, TOEFL, etc. According to both Forbes and US News and World Reports, Yale ranks better than Duke for Best Value Colleges in USA.

Is there a shortage of doctors in Canada?

Among the provinces, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and British Columbia have the fewest family physicians per 100 000 persons in the population. Among the provinces that offer medical education, British Columbia and Ontario have the fewest medical school seats per population, while Quebec has the most.

Which country has the most shortage of doctors?

With a glaring domestic shortage of healthcare professionals, the United Kingdom has always strived to address it with foreign professionals. 15% of the healthcare workforce is comprised of professionals from other countries.

What medical specialty has the most shortage?

Here's the projected shortage of physicians by specialty through 2025:
  • Cardiology: 7,080.
  • Ophthalmology: 6,180.
  • Orthopedic surgery: 5,050.
  • Urology: 3,630.
  • General surgery: 2,970.
  • Cardiothoracic surgery: 1,800.
  • Gastroenterology: 1,630.
  • Hematology/Oncology: 1,400.