Who's Ranking the Rankings?

With the two major international rankings having been released in recent days, the perpetual debate surrounding university and college rankings has once again come to the forefront. The Times Higher Education rankings are based too heavily on opinion, critics say, while the Shanghai Jiao Tong University's are said to overemphasize scientific research. And yet everywhere, people acknowledge the significant influence and impact these rankings have.

This debate dates back, of course, to national rankings, like U.S. News and Maclean's. The former was boycotted last year by the Annapolis Group, while many Canadian universities opted out of the Maclean's rankings in 2006. The criticism is familiar, but so is the influence of the rankings. Many people acknowledge that rankings help shape policy, and some argue it increases educational costs for students.

It is therefore not surprising that alternatives are beginning to appear. In part a response to rankings, student sites (such as College Prowler and Students Review) have been around for some time now, but continue to grow. Meanwhile, faculty and administrators are increasingly seeking alternatives of their own. One recent movement attempts to cut the arms-race mentality by taking rank and reputation out of college selection altogether. Another movement, U-CAN, seeks to provide potential students with concise insitutional profiles for easy comparison.

Despite an expanding array of alternatives, it is clear that the major rankings aren't going anywhere soon. But there is still hope that the very presence of options could help universities get back to their purpose and mission, and away from their obsession with reputation.