Why have the U.S. News college rankings sparked controversy and criticism?

Love them or hate them, college rankings have been a pillar of higher education for decades.

While many universities announce where they rank on annual lists, some critics say the lists unfairly favor certain institutions. Meanwhile, students and parents often rely on them to help them decide which school is right for them.

From ranking schools by region and academic major to campus safety and entertainment, there seems to be a ranking system for everything.

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US News & World Report releases 2025 rankings Tuesday also marked the 40th edition of their rankings, which include more than 1,500 four-year colleges and universities nationwide.

The for-profit magazine’s annual rankings have been the target of backlash over the past few years. Critics say the rankings, which began in 1983 and have long been considered the gold standard, are biased toward selective private universities, are easily manipulated by the schools themselves and fail to capture the breadth of a school’s offerings.

Several universities have publicly withdrawn from U.S. News & World Report’s rankings. Columbia University, one of the few undergraduate schools to abstain, said last June that concern about the rankings’ “undue influence” on the undergraduate admissions process was a major factor in their decision.

“Rankings do not accurately reflect the student experience or the institution’s priorities” University officials said in a statement:“A lot is lost in this approach.”

US News and World Report adjusted its methodology for ranking schools last yearincreasing the weight of schools’ success in graduating students from diverse backgrounds and eliminating factors such as alumni donations, class size, and high school achievement.

This year, US News & World Reports has made a few more changesA major methodology change in national college rankings occurred when first-generation students’ six-year undergraduate graduation rates were removed as a ranking factor. This measure was replaced with two indicators of Pell Grant student graduation “aligned with weights in other ranking categories.”

First-generation student graduation rate data was also removed from the 2025 historically Black college rankings and the social mobility rankings of national universities.

“We do not expect this effort to be successful in the short term,” U.S. News & World Report wrote of its methodology changes. “This is the 40th edition of Best Colleges, and we will continue to advocate for more data over the next 40 years.”

Although there were minor changes due to the new algorithm, some things did not change. Princeton University once again took the number 1 spot among national universities, followed by MIT in second place and Harvard in third place.

How do Ohio schools rank according to US News and World Report?

Many schools in Columbus and the surrounding Ohio area have earned spots on U.S. News and World Report’s lists of best national universities, best national liberal arts colleges, best historically black colleges and universities, and best regional universities in the Midwest.

Among Ohio’s national universities, Ohio State University managed to rank in the top 50 this year as well.

Ohio State shares the 41st spot with two universities: Boston University and Rutgers University.

Ohio’s regional colleges and universities also performed well on their respective lists. Ohio Northern University ranked No. 2 for best regional college in the Midwest, while John Carroll University ranked No. 3 for best regional university in the Midwest.

Here are this year’s rankings for other colleges and universities in Ohio:

Ashland University: #37 among regional universities in the Midwest (tie)
Antioch College: Ranked #165 (tie) among national liberal arts universities
Baldwin Wallace University: Ranked 10th among regional universities in the Midwest
Bowling Green State University: #273 among national universities (tied)
Başkent University: 48th among regional universities in the Midwest (tie)
Central State University: #62 among HBCUs (tied)
Cleveland State University: #342 among national universities (tied)
Case Western Reserve University: Ranked 51st among national universities (tied)
Denison University: Ranked 36th among national liberal arts universities (tied)
Hiram College: #9 Midwest among regional colleges (tie)
John Carroll University: Ranked #3 in the Midwest among regional universities
Kent State University: #231 among national universities (tie)
Kenyon College: Ranked 45th among national liberal arts universities (tied)
Marietta College: #17 Midwest among regional colleges (tie)
University of Miami: #136 among national universities (tied)
Mount St. Joseph University: Ranked 342nd among national universities (tied)
Muskingum University: #43 among regional universities in the Midwest (tie)
Oberlin College: Ranked 55th among national liberal arts universities (tied)
Otterbein University: Ranked 13th among regional universities in the Midwest
Ohio Northern University: Ranked #2 among regional colleges in the Midwest
Ohio State University: Ranked 41st among national universities (tied)
Ohio University: #179 among national universities (tied)
Ohio Dominican University: #91 among regional universities in the Midwest (tie)
Ohio Wesleyan University: Ranked 119th among national liberal arts universities (tied)
College of Wooster: Ranked 77th among national liberal arts universities (tied)
University of Akron: #377 among national universities (tie)
University of Cincinnati: #152 among national universities (tied)
University of Dayton: #136 among national universities (tied)
University of Findlay: #359 among national universities (tie)
University of Toledo: #296 among national universities (tie)
Walsh University: Ranked 352nd among national universities (tied)
Wilberforce University: #61 among HBCUs (tied)
Wittenberg University: Ranked 153rd among national liberal arts universities (tied)
Xavier University: #209 among national universities (tie)
Youngstown State University: #98 Midwest among regional universities (tie)

Are there other university rankings?

In response to U.S. News and World Report’s annual best college rankings, a number of other publications have created their own lists. Each uses a slightly different methodology to compile their rankings.

Washington MonthlyFor example, a school’s contribution to the public good is focused on in more than one category. Niche is a school reviews and ratings website. It conducts surveys to measure student satisfaction levels on various topics, such as campus food and university admissions.

Wall Street Journal It evaluates colleges based on three main categories: student outcomes, learning environment and diversity.

New York Times, “Create Your Own University Ranking” Last year, a tool was developed that allowed users to create their own top college lists by shifting variables such as economic mobility, low net worth, athletics, racial diversity and party scene.

Forbes ranks using only six factorsacademic performance, graduate salary, debt, student satisfaction, on-time graduation rate, and American leaders (based on the website’s database of successful individuals, billionaires, and public officials).

Sheridan Hendrix is the higher education reporter for The Columbus Dispatch. Sign up for Extra Credit, the education newsletter, Here.

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