A ranking alternative worth consideration

By William Patrick Leonard. What US News and World Report started in the 1980s as an assessment said to be based on objective criteria, has morphed into an international status competition.
The US News’ Best Colleges, Times Higher Education, QS and Shanghai Jiao Tong tertiary education rankings systems attract increasing attention with each autumn.
As with any rankings outcome, there are winners and losers.
Institutions ascending in rank note with muted pride their independently documented quality. After all, if the institution is awarded a higher rank, it must be much better than those of lesser or no rank. Those descending quibble over the validity of the metrics employed, but still draw attention to them.
The media, often the survey sponsors, enjoy additional readership and some seasonal revenue boost with the release of their latest rankings. More...