When you’re navigating the college application process, rankings often appear as a guiding compass. From glossy magazine covers to online lists, college rankings promise a straightforward hierarchy of institutions. But have you ever paused to consider where these rankings originate and what they truly measure?
The concept of ranking colleges isn’t new. In fact, the earliest attempts date back to the early 20th century, focusing on the prominence of alumni and faculty. Over time, methodologies evolved, incorporating factors like peer assessments, research output, and more recently, metrics such as social mobility and student outcomes .
Understanding the history and methodology behind college rankings can empower you to make more informed decisions. It’s essential to recognize that while rankings can provide a snapshot, they don’t capture the full picture of what a college experience entails. Factors like campus culture, support services, and alignment with your personal and academic goals are equally, if not more, important.
In this article, we present an in-depth infographic that dives into the evolution of college rankings, examining their origins, the changes over the decades, and how they influence perceptions today. By gaining insight into the mechanics of these rankings, you’ll be better equipped to interpret them critically and choose a college path that’s truly right for you.
Outcome-Based Rankings History
The first college rankings were developed in the U.S. due to a preoccupation with the origins of famous or prominent leaders in society. Initial college rankings were solely outcome-based, focused on the number of eminent men who attended, graduated from, or taught at specific institutions.
1900 – Where We Get Our Best Men
Published by Englishman, Alick Maclean, who was studying eminent men of the day.
Compiled list of universities and ranked them by how many prominent men attended.
Looked at nationality, birthplace, family, and university attended.
The first academic origins study ever published.
1904 – A Study of British Genius
Published by British physician and writer, Havelock Ellis, studying nature vs. nurture.
Compiled list of universities and ranked them by how many geniuses attended.
Neither Alick nor Ellis suggested that such ranking be used to rank school quality.
1906 – American Men of Science: A Biographical Directory
Published by distinguished American psychologist, James McKeen Cattell.
Compiled short biographies of 4,000 men he deemed accomplished scientists.
Looked at degrees earned, honors received, and places of employment.
Still published today as American Men and Women of Science.
Founding member of the Psychological Review and American Psychological Association (APA).
1910 – American Men of Science: Second Edition
Compiled Biographies on 1,000 prominent scientists, including 269 new men from the first edition.
Looked at where they attended and which institutions they taught at post-graduation.
Ranked institutions based on how many scientists were associated with them.
The first published academic quality ranking of American universities.
Top Five leading institutions listed: Harvard, Chicago, Columbia, Hopkins, and Yale.
1910 – Bureau of Education Study as requested by The American Association of Universities (AAU)
The only time the federal government has attempted to rank college quality.
AAU request so institutions could select the best undergrads for their graduate programs.
AAU believed impartial rankings would be more widely accepted.
A draft was leaked to newspapers creating a backlash from colleges who were ranked lowest.
President Taft issued an executive order prohibiting the study’s official release.
President Wilson also refused to release the study when he entered office in 1913.
1931 – American Journal of Sociology: The Comparative Rank of the American States
Published by geographer, Stephen Visher, studying geographical origins of notable scientists.
Visher noticed an unusually high number of notable scientist being born in New England states.
Compiled ranking of 17 institutions by the ratio of young scientist in total student enrollment.
Looked at scientists listed in American Men of Science and Who’s Who in America.
Suggested that these universities were better able to inspire and stimulate students.
1930-1951 – Beverly Waugh Kunkel and Donald B. Prentice Studies
Ranked universities based on the number of alumni listed in Who’s Who in America.
Reputational Based Rankings History
Reputational rankings are based on peer-review opinion. These grew in popularity as the importance of institution reputation replaced that of the prominence of students they produced. Reputational rankings have become the predominant method for producing academic quality rankings.
1924 – North Central Association of Schools and Colleges
Published by Raymond Hughes, chemistry professor at Miami University in Ohio.
Compiled list of graduate schools and departments ranked on a 1 to 5 scale of quality.
Hughes ask for faculty opinion instead of using popular outcome-based methodologies.
Looked at 20 fields of study: 19 liberal arts disciplines and 1 in professional education.
Faculty rated instructors from 36 institutions who taught in their same discipline.
The first list ranking a department’s quality based solely on reputation by selected raters.
1934 – American Council of Education
Published by Hughes, now serving as the council’s chairman.
Conducted a study on graduate school quality with a wider scope and improved methodologies.
National societies provide list of 100 scholars in each field to be surveyed for study.
Looked at 35 disciplines and gathered opinions from a more diverse field of respondents.
Compiled alphabetical list of departments receiving an adequate rating by at least 50% of raters.
The study helped refine the reputational methodology, but it was not a ranking.
1959 – Graduate Study and Research in the Arts and Sciences at the University of Pennsylvania
Published in the appendix by UPenn humanities professor, Hayward Keniston.
Only focused on comprehensive American research universities comparable to UPenn.
Marks the beginning of the end of outcome rankings and the rise of reputational rankings.
Relied solely on the opinions of 24 department chairpersons at each of 25 top universities.
Compiled list of 15 strongest departments in their discipline at the 25 universities.
Aggregated data into institution-wide rankings, becoming the first determined by reputation.
1966 – The Cartter Report: Assessment of Quality in Graduate Education
Published by American Council on Education vice president, Allan Cartter.
Polled 4,000 student scholars and department chairpersons in 29 disciplines at 106 institutions.
Resulted in the largest and most diverse body of opinions ever published.
Looked at two criteria: quality of graduate faculty and quality of the doctoral training program.
Rated each department on a 1 to 5 scale of quality, resulting in a 2 decimal ranking system.
4.01+ were distinguished, 3.01+ were strong, and 2.01+ were adequate to good.
Most comprehensive methodology to date, receiving approval of higher education officials.
The national press praised study, 26,000 copies sold, and reputational rankings became the norm.
1970 – A Rating of Graduate Programs
Published by Kenneth Roose and Charles Andersen for the American Council on Education.
Rounded ratings to a one decimal system, resulting in more ties, but scores not published.
Expanded Cartter Report to 36 disciplines at 130 institutions with 6, 100 raters surveyed.
Did not receive the same popular reception as Cartter Report and was criticized by academics.
1981 – The Assessment of Research-Doctorate Programs in the U.S.
Published by the National Academy of Sciences with the National Research Council.
Rated 2,699 programs at 228 institutions and provided detailed data about programs.
Largest academic quality ranking project ever, but not presented in easy to understand terms.
First major reputational study to include non-reputational measures, including program size, graduate characteristics, library size, research support, and publication records.
1995 – Research-Doctorate Programs in the United States: Continuity and Change
Published by the National Research Council using same Assessment data with increased scope.
Ranked 41 disciplines at 274 institutions resulting in data on 3,634 programs.
Listed institutions in rank order for each discipline, but it did not identify its numerical rank.
Different quantitative measures reported, but reputational measures received most attention.
Undergraduate Rankings History
With the rise of reputational rankings in graduate studies, an interest in ranking undergraduate programs began to increase as more high school students entered college.
1957 – Chicago Sunday Tribune article by Chesly Manly
First undergraduate ranking using reputational methodology.
First reputational ranking to rate whole institutions, not just departments/disciplines.
Listed top 10 universities, coeducational colleges, men’s colleges, and women’s colleges by undergraduate quality.
Rankings based on opinions of a few dozen anonymous consultants and quantitative date.
1967 – The Gourman Report by Jack Gourman
Began evaluating colleges in 1955, but started publishing results in 1967 (thru 1997).
Focused on undergraduate and graduate rankings using unknown, questionable methodology.
Score calculated on 10 factors of administration policy, not reputation or student success.
Critics claim the hundredth of a point difference between schools is statistically impossible.
Used by economists interested in college quality based on alumni earnings and student choice.
1981 – Change magazine study by Lewis Solmon and Alexander Astin.
Provided raters in four states (CA, IL, NC, NY) list of 80-150 departments in 7 fields: biology, business, chemistry, economics, English, history, and sociology.
Quality based on 6 criteria: overall quality of education, preparation for graduation, preparation for job, faculty commitment, faculty accomplishments, and innovativeness of curriculum.
Some typically highly-regarded colleges were only ranked in fewer than five disciplines.
U.S. News and World Report Ratings Popularity
1983 – U.S. News and World Report: America’s Best Colleges
Published first undergraduate reputational ranking, revolutionizing academic quality rankings
Researchers believed most high school students were not influenced by rankings until now.
Before then, only published in educational journals and difficult to understand by laymen.
Compiled by editors and highly circulated, it became the most widely read ranking in history.
1983/1985/1987 issues were entirely reputational, broken into categories according to Carnegie Classification. Surveyed college presidents asked to name top undergraduate institutions.
1983 – 1,308 presidents sent surveys, 50% responded.
1985 – Presidents select top five undergraduate institutions.
1987 – Presidents select top 10 undergraduate institutions. 60% responded, but many presidents refuse to respond because they feel outsiders cannot judge academic quality.
1988 – As a result of criticism, expanded raters to include academic deans, admissions officers,