Dive Brief:
- The New York Times profiles the growing influence of postgraduate earnings in the college rankings marketplace, which has grown exponentially in the last decade.
- Many presidents decry the impact of rankings from the federal government, the Wall Street Journal and other outlets, which on average, weigh 60% of rankings on graduation rate and student loan repayment statistics.
- Some outlets, like PayScale, have adapted rankings to reflect more accurate information about college majors and professional jobs which naturally yield lower earnings.
Dive Insight:
The marketplace for college rankings impacts everything from college enrollment to alumni engagement to legislative lobbying; but everyone acknowledges that the rankings do not present an accurate view of the college mission or its outputs.
For college executives, the goal is not so much the race to improve or to maintain standings in rankings, but to communicate to all stakeholders the external factors which influence industrial trends and shape rankings. College endowments suffering from down markets and industries struggling in states are all areas which could change the face of rankings from year to year.