Students find rankings useful, most colleges say

Local rankings, for the most part, praise the institutions’ performance.

By HAROLD GWIN

VINDICATOR EDUCATION WRITER

YOUNGSTOWN — There’s been a fair amount of debate recently over the value of college-rating programs.

The rankings done by U.S. News & World Report in particular have been at the center of the controversy.

Some college and university officials have refused to participate in the ranking process, claiming the reports don’t give an accurate representation of their institutions and are based on inconclusive data, often based on information submitted by the institutions themselves rather than by an independent observer.

Despite some schools railing against college rankings, a new survey by Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions of over 300 college admissions officers shows that 97 percent of schools that participated in U.S. News' ranking system plan to do so next year and in the foreseeable future. And a majority of all those surveyed think ranking systems are generally fair and benefit students.

So, the ranking game goes on, and a number of local schools are touting where they stand in the latest versions, but some may be less-than-thrilled with the list they’ve made this summer.

Westminster

Westminster College in New Wilmington scored well in ratings by two groups.

U.S. News & World Report’s 2008 Guide to America’s Best Colleges cited Westminster as one of the nation’s best in enhancing the educational achievement of its students. Westminster is tied for seventh among liberal arts colleges and in the top 10 of all colleges in graduation rate performance, with the college’s graduation rate 15 percent higher than predicted.

“We are pleased to be recognized by the national media for serving our students — Westminster's No. 1 objective. Westminster is a student-centered college and this ranking reflects that commitment,” said Westminster College President R. Thomas Williamson.

Westminster College is also featured in the 2008 edition of The Princeton Review annual college guide, “The Best 366 Colleges.” Only about 15 percent of the four-year colleges in America and two Canadian colleges are included in the book.

The guide’s editors describe Westminster as a place “where personal attention is the norm and students cite the faculty and administrators as one of the school’s greatest assets.”

“We chose schools for this book primarily for their outstanding academics,” said Robert Franek, Princeton Review’s vice president of publishing.

The rankings are based on The Princeton Review’s survey of 120,000 students.

Hiram, Malone

Hiram College in Hiram, Ohio, has also been named one of The Princeton Review’s “Best 366 Colleges.”

Hiram is among those colleges who are repeat choices in the ratings.

In its profile of Hiram, The Princeton Review noted, “Students at Hiram don’t shy away from discussing what most feel to be the best part of the academic experience at their school: the professors.”

One student said that “Hiram is a ‘loving community where students and faculty are encouraged to talk to each other.”

“We consider all 366 schools in our book academically outstanding,” Franek said. “But just as we believe there is not one academically best college, we believe no single ranking list can give students and parents the breadth of info they need to answer the question: ‘Which college is best for me?’ Ideally, visiting a campus is the best way to judge a school’s fit.”

Malone College in Canton has been ranked by U.S. News & World Report among the top colleges and universities in the Midwest under the category, “Universities-Masters.”

Institutions in that category provide a full range of undergraduate and master’s programs.

Malone ranked No. 56 on the list of 150 Midwest schools.

“Another year of great news for Malone College,” said Gary Streit, Malone’s president. “While there are numerous vital signs that signal the health of a college or university, the U.S. News & World Report rankings give helpful insight as to how peers within the academic community perceive one another. Again, Malone College’s serious commitment to the best of Christian higher education has been solidly affirmed.”

Grove City, Ohio University

Grove City College in Grove City, Pa., came in at No. 5 on the “Stone Cold Sober” Schools list put out by The Princeton Review in its “The Best 366 Colleges” edition.

Grove City came in just behind Brigham Young University, Wheaton College in Illinois, Thomas Aquinas College in California and the College of the Ozarks in Missouri.

Grove City also made the Review’s list of “Best Northeastern Colleges.”

Ohio University in Athens scored well on two lists, one a source of pride and other, perhaps, a list it would rather not have made.

The university ranks fourth in the nation among major universities for a key indicator of student success, according to U.S. News & World Report's annual guide to colleges. Its graduation rate performance, at 71 percent, was fourth out of 257 ranked national universities and a full 18 percent higher than predicted. This is the third year in a row the university has made it into the top 10 in this category.

In the overall U.S. News rankings, Ohio University tied at 112 with five other institutions. Among 164 national public universities, Ohio ranking stayed the same at 52nd.

The university also had the dubious distinction of coming in at No. 9 on the list of “Top 20 Party Schools” as determined by The Princeton Review.

West Virginia University came in at No. 1.

Other local schools making The Princeton Review’s “Best Northeastern Colleges” list include: Thiel College in Greenville, Pa., Slippery Rock University in Slippery Rock, Pa., and Allegheny College in Meadville, Pa.

gwin@vindy.com