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Video related to this article is available below.Issue date: 9/13/07 Section: News
Quantifying Quality: Dozens of spots from the top, universities stay nonchalant
For the most part, colleges low in 'U.S. News' remain indifferent to the rankings
Heather Schwedel
Part four in a four-part series
When the latest U.S. News & World Report college rankings were released in August, University City buzzed: Up from seventh, Penn was in the top five once again.
Just a trip down I-95, the new rankings were met with little fanfare at Widener University. Just like last year, Widener held steady in U.S. News's third tier - the group below the top 50 percent.
Each year, discussing the shuffles and shifts at the top of the rankings - Vanderbilt overtaking Emory, Princeton retaining the top spot - is a national event.
But for universities like Widener with regional rather than national reputations, it's hard to care about what U.S. News has to say.
Widener University, in Chester, Pa., accepted 66 percent of students in its most recent class, according to Director of Admissions Edwin Wright. Their average high-school grade-point-average was a 3.4, and their average SAT score was 1030 out of 1600 (they don't count the writing section).
Quantifying Quality
This week, the 'DP' looks at the history and impact of the 'U.S. News' rankings
- Monday: Penn's rise through the rankings
- Tuesday: An analysis of ranking criteria
- Yesterday: The history of the rankings
- Today: 'U.S. News' and lesser-ranked schools
When the latest U.S. News & World Report college rankings were released in August, University City buzzed: Up from seventh, Penn was in the top five once again.
Just a trip down I-95, the new rankings were met with little fanfare at Widener University. Just like last year, Widener held steady in U.S. News's third tier - the group below the top 50 percent.
Each year, discussing the shuffles and shifts at the top of the rankings - Vanderbilt overtaking Emory, Princeton retaining the top spot - is a national event.
But for universities like Widener with regional rather than national reputations, it's hard to care about what U.S. News has to say.
Widener University, in Chester, Pa., accepted 66 percent of students in its most recent class, according to Director of Admissions Edwin Wright. Their average high-school grade-point-average was a 3.4, and their average SAT score was 1030 out of 1600 (they don't count the writing section).
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