I recently came across a well-thought-out summary of flaws in the US News and World Report college ranking system. It’s longer than most people will read (nine pages), but if you’re choosing a college based on US News and World Report college rankings, you might want to read the summary before you spend $30,000 a year on an education.
As I’ve always said, a college education is only worth what you make of it.
I was just talking about this with some friends yesterday. There’s so much more to a college than what you read in a short magazine article. Each student has different needs and concerns that a top-ranked college may not fit well. Big Universities like Pitt or Penn State are fine, if you don’t mind being just another number. Havard and Yale look good on a resume, but if you’re not comfortable there, is it worth going? There’s an awful lot to be said for smaller universities and niche schools.
And just because you’re intelligent doesn’t mean “college” is right for you. There’s a lot to be said for trade schools, like Penn Tech.