By Emily Curtsinger–
Every year, the U.S. News & World Report puts out an updated college ranking list for the best colleges in the United States. Rankings are determined by factors including employment ratio and national merit. For the 2015 national university ranking, Princeton took the top spot, with other elite schools like Harvard and Yale following behind. While the rankings are done to help future students pick a college, do they really matter? Will attending a higher-ranked school guarantee one of receiving a job over someone that attended a state school?
The answer is no.
With the rankings being determined by subjective factors such as faculty resources, student selectivity and alumni giving rate, how can one truly say which school is the best?
“The reliance on this is out of hand,” said Jon Boeckenstedt, the associate vice president who oversees admissions at DePaul University in Chicago. “It’s a nebulous thing, comparing the value of a college education at one institution to another, so parents and students and counselors focus on things that give them the illusion of precision.”
U of L students were asked if these rankings were a factor in their college making decision.
“It was more about location for me than rankings. I wanted to be closer to home,” said junior Natalie Brown. “Just because the University of Louisville isn’t ranked higher doesn’t mean I won’t still be getting a great education. U of L is a great school.”
“I never looked at rankings while deciding which college to go to,” said sophomore Christina Dominique. “I determined where I was going to go to school by taking campus tours at different universities. Once I came on a campus tour at the University of Louisville, I knew I was in love with the university.”
There have also been multiple studies stating that where you go to school does not matter to employers. Employers tend to focus on what was done by the person while in college, such as campus involvement, volunteer work and internships.
College rankings do not matter. Just because a school is ranked highly does not mean it will be the best fit for everyone. As long as you work hard and stay involved, you are guaranteed to have a great college education.
