The Illusion of College Rankings
There are several books for sale and a number of college websites that rank and rate colleges on different standards. I've seen colleges ranked on such factors as best all-around, cheapest, best liberal arts colleges, teacher-student ratio, percentage of foreign students, percentage of mature students, average academic marks, drop-out rate, male-female ratio, ethnic composition, etc. There's even a rating scale that ranks colleges as party schools.
My advice is to go to #378 in both the loan and reference section of your local library, see what books they have and look them over if you're looking to rate and rank the colleges for your own personal preferences but if you're like me, a college is a college is a college.
It's about what you, the individual, make of your college experience. The college itself is a generic institution. It's just background for what you do. All accredited colleges are the same to someone like me.
The Ivy League colleges have an overrated reputation as elite schools because all accredited colleges have to meet a specific academic standard so they're all at roughly the same level.
Besides, you forget most of what you learn in college and learn on the job so every accredited college offers virtually the same degree in terms of what it actually teaches you.
A degree from one of the elite colleges with a good reputation might help you get a job over a degree from another college but in this day and age, most employers look at the individual not what college he or she graduated from.
Many colleges have an open admission policy. They'll take you as long as you pay the tuition. The ones with a reputation like Harvard get more applications than they have seats available so they have to reject a number of applicants for undergraduate degrees.
Ultimately, it comes down to saving money on your tuition. You can usually take some online courses towards your degree and transfer up to 1/2 of the credits towards a degree to a different college if you want so you can get half of your credits online from any accredited college then transfer to one near where you live or you could sign up at a local college and do as many courses as possible online so you can work a job and don't have to waste time commuting back and forth.
A lot of young people want the social experience of going to college but if you want to socialize, you can socialize anywhere by joining local clubs and going out into the community.
It's the same with college. If you want a social life, you have to get out there and circulate. It doesn't just happen because you're there with several thousand other young people. When you go to college, most people are generic. There's nothin' special goin' on. You have to find your own type of people and cavort with them regardless of whether you're at college or not.
For a lot of people, college is not like some silly college movie. It's hard work and a hard time financially. They have to work a job to pay their college bills.
There are studies around that say a lot of college students are depressed. That's because it's a bureaucracy. You're reduced to a college number on a screen and you're trying to measure up to these artificial standards somebody else created. It's massive insecurity. You get caught up in this little system of college grades. Life is not about grades. Education is about the love of knowledge, not playing some silly game of academic marks.
It's a stupid game. Don't go unless you have a specific field all picked out that fills a real practical need and can get you a job on graduation.
Watch the movie The Paper Chase before you commit yourself to something you don't feel strongly about.
U.S. News puts out an annual college ranking issue of their magazine, publishes it as a book and also has a lot of free information on their website. They analyze specific fields too.
Major College Ranking Websites/ Major College Rating Websites
princetonreview.com/college/research/rankings.asp
nces.ed.gov/edstats, lots of college statistics.
library.uiuc.edu/edx/rankings.htm, college and university rankings
usnews/edu/college/corank.htm, college rankings
universityreviewsonline.com, they rate online colleges.
geteducated.com
library.uiuc.edu/edx/rankings.htm
usnewsuniversitydirectory.com
usnews.com/usnews.edu, 800-836-6397, books america's best colleges, america's best graduate schools.
usnews.com/usnews/edu/grad/rankings/rankindex_brief.php, graduate school rankings
usnews.com/usnews/edu/grad/rankings/hea/brief/nmp_brief.php, health schools.
usnews.com/usnews/edu/beyond/bchome.htm, graduate school rankings.
usnews.com/usnews/edu/beyond/bcrank.htm, u.s. news world report rankings: best graduate schools.
usnews.com/usnews/edu/college/cohome.htm, america's best colleges.
usnews.com/usnews/edu/college/rankings/about.htm
usnews.com/usnews/edu/college/rankings/rankindex_brief.php
nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cool, the united states federal government's database of 9000 colleges.
College Rankings For Specific Majors
bestcollegesonline.com/rankings/business
bestcollegesonline.com/rankings/criminal-justice
bestcollegesonline.com/rankings/design
bestcollegesonline.com/rankings/education
bestcollegesonline.com/rankings/general-studies
bestcollegesonline.com/rankings/healthcare-and-medicine
bestcollegesonline.com/rankings/information-technology
bestcollegesonline.com/rankings/liberal-arts
bestcollegesonline.com/rankings/medical-billing
bestcollegesonline.com/rankings/nursing Nursing
bestcollegesonline.com/rankings/psychology
bestcollegesonline.com/rankings/science
College Ranking Websites/ College Rating Websites/ College Review Websites
usnews.com/usnews/edu/college/corank.htm, u.s. news and world report
american-school-search.com/review
artschoolsdigital.com/art_school_rankings.html
barronseduc.com, profiles of american colleges
bestcollegesonline.com getdegrees.com/reviews
bestcollegesonline.net/rankings
collegegrader.com/college-reviews
collegeprowler.com
colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com
businessweek.com/bschools/rankings, rankings of the best business schools.
cappex.com/colleges
cms.library.uiuc.edu/cms/edx/rankings/
collegeadmissions.tripod.com
collegeboard.com
collegeboard.org, the college handbook
collegebound.net
collegeconfidential.com/college_rankings
collegelife.about.com/od/reviewsrecommendations/reviews_recommendations.htm
collegeprowler.com
collegeprowler.com
collegeprowler.com/rankings
collegeprowler.com/rankings
colleges.com
colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com
colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com
colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges
colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/college
collegespeaks.com
geteducated.com
graduate-school.phds.org
ilrg.com/rankings.html
kiplinger.com/reports/best-college-values
library.illinois.eduedx/rankings
mycollegeguide.org
mynextcollege.com
oedb.org/rankings
collegetennisonline.com
collegetimes.tv
collegeview.com
collegeview.com/college_ranking_by_major.html
communitycollegereview.com
consumerreports.org
education.yahoo.com/college/essentials/school_rankings/
usnews.com/sections/rankings
educator.com/college-reviews
eduinreview.com
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/college_and_university_rankings
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/engineering_college_rankings_in_india
encarta.msn.com/encnet/departments/college/default.aspx?page=rankings
espn.go.com
findthebest.com
findyourartschool.com
forbes.com, list of public and private colleges and universities.
galttech.com/research/education/best-dental-school.php
getdegrees.com/reviews
glassdoor.com/reviews
go4ivy.com/college_rankings.asp
golfweekrankings.com
greatcollegeadvice.com/college-ratings-a-global-approach/
guidetocareereducation.com/career-college-reviews
guidetohealthcareschools.com/healthcare-school-reviews
institutiondata.com, graduation rates at colleges.
isi.org, intercollegiate studies institute, book called choosing the right college.
kiplinger.com/personalfinance/tools/colleges/
kiplinger.com/tools/colleges, kiplinger 100 best values in public colleges
kiplinger.com/tools/colleges, kiplinger's 100 best values in public colleges
kiplinger.com/tools/privatecolleges, kiplinger's 100 best values in private colleges
library.illinois.edu/edx/rankings.htm
library.illinois.edu/edx/rankings/rankgen.html, undergraduate.
library.uiuc.edu/edx/rankings.htm
library.uiuc.edu/edx/rankings.htm
library.uiuc.edu/edx/rankings.htm, college and university rankings
library.uiuc.edu/edx/rankings.htm, college and university rankings.
library.uiuc.edu/edx/rankings.htm, college and university rankings
mup.asu.edu, center for measuring university performance.
mup.asu.edu/research.html, top american research universities
mup.asu.edu/research_data.html, american research university data.
nextadvisor.com
oedb.org/rankings
petersons.com
petersons.com/about/ranking.html, ranking colleges
phds.org/graduate-school/graduate-school-listings-and-rankings
phds.org/rankings
phds.org/ratings, get customized rankings, or search by discipline, for graduate and doctoral programs based on national research council data.
princetonreview.com
princetonreview.com
princetonreview.com/college/research/rankings/rankings.asp, best colleges rankings.
princetonreview.com/college/research/rankings/rankings_press_bystate.asp, by state.
princetonreview.com/college/research/rankings/rankingsbest.asp, by name.
princetonreview.com/college-rankings.aspx
princetonreview.com/college-rankings.aspx
princetonreview.com/college-rankings.aspx
raritanval.edu/transfer-careers/collegeselection-ratings.html
ratedcolleges.com
rateitall.com/c-3-education.aspx
ratemycollegedorm.com
ratemycollegelife.net
review.com, princeton review rankings of
review.com, princeton review, provides a list of the best colleges rankings
reviews.collegetimes.us
reviews.collegetimes.us
reviews.planetc1.com, chiropractic school reviews?
rivals.com
ruggsrecommendations.com
stateuniversity.com
studentadvisor.com
studentadvisor.com
studentsreview.com
stuvu.com
talk.collegeconfidential.com
teens.aol.com/college/best-colleges-universities
templeton.org/character/honor_roll.asp, templeton foundation honor roll for character-building colleges.
thebestcolleges.org
theu.com/admissions_ratings/
theu.com/reviews
theuniversityreview.com
topcollege.us
topcollegerankings.com
topuniversities.com
undergraduate/graduate, business, law and medical schools
unigo.com
unigo.com
unigo.com
unixl.com
uscollegereviews.org
uscollegereviews.org
usnews.com/sections/rankings
usnews.com/usnews/edu/college/cohome.htm, america's best colleges
usnews.com/usnews/edu/college/corank.htm
usnews.com/usnews/edu/eduhome.htm, u.s. news education site, list of u.s. colleges and universities; undergraduate and graduate school rankings.
uspharmd.com, pharmacy school rankings.
vault.com/collegeeducation
washingtonmonthly.com, college rankings.
washingtonmonthly.com/college_guide
webometrics.info
yollege.com
4icu.org/reviews rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges studentsreview.com
whichuniversitybest.blogspot.com
whichuniversitybest.blogspot.com
worldranking.blogspot.com
youniversitytv.com
Student College Review Websites/ What Students Say About Colleges
studentadvisor.com/reviews
studentsreview.com/college_rankings.html
studentsreview.com
campuscompare.com/college-resources/admissions/tag/students-rate-colleges
campusdirt.com
career.studentsreview.com
collegegrader.com/college-reviews
collegenews.com/index.php?/article/web_site_allows_students_to_rate_their_colleges_19283
collegeprowler.com
collegestudentreviews.com
collegetimes.tv
csuchico.edu/lref/guides/misc/colran.html, students report on their colleges.
forbes.com, forbes' list of public and private colleges and universities ranks the best schools--from the students' point of view.
mynextcollege.com/college-reviews, college reviews by students. a college forum dedicated to exposing the truth of what you'll really find at your college.
studentsreview.com
studentsreview.com
studentsreview.com
studentsreview.com
studentuniverse.com
theu.com/college_reviews
theuniversityreview.com
Unigo.com, College Reviews by College Students
Professors Rate Students
Professors rate students as a group to compare different colleges.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/rate_your_students
rateyourstudents.blogspot.com, professors share information about students.
Students Rate Professors/ Professor Ratings Websites
Search the website of the college you're attending to see if they have a section where students rate their professors. Try the key term "professor ratings".
If all you care about is marks, you can look for the professors who are the easiest and give the highest marks.
campushopper.com/professor, the grades students are giving their professors.
campusreform.org
collegeuniversity.suite101.com/article.cfm/college_professor_ratings_website
freestudentedu.com
freshman101.com/classes/professorratings/professorratings.html
knowyourprofessor.com
myedu.com
myprofessorsucks.com
pickaprof.com
pick-a-prof.com
prawfsblawg.blogs.com
professorperformance.com, keep track of where the best professors are
profeval.com
rateaprof.com
ratemyprofessors.com, rate my professors; find out what other students at your school think of a professor before you take a class with them.
rateyourprof.com, read about the kinds of professors at different colleges and universities.
rateyourprofessor.net
ratingsonline.com
reviewum.com
reviewum.com
whototake.com
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