Ranking colleges

Some of this week’s readings centered on the task of ranking colleges. Like the Bloomberg article states, many trusted rankings available now, like the US World News Report, consider mainly the wealth, selectivity, and reputation of a college. However, it would be beyond helpful to have another ranking system available: one that focuses on affordability and value of a college, which is what the Obama ranking system aims to achieve. If attending college weren’t such an expensive and ‘risky’ investment (in terms of financial returns and career success), then the proposed ranking system would be irrelevant. But to many, factors like a college’s wealth, selectivity, and reputation are beneath affordability and payoff. That’s why this system is would be so helpful.

Also, as stated in the ACE report, the proposed system would pressure colleges to keep their costs low and to widen their access to more ‘high-risk’ students. I think this ties in well to the Dee article about accountability of higher-ed institutions. Though as Dee explains, with increased accountability comes less autonomy. If the government too tightly regulates and mandates universities, then there can be a loss of uniqueness to colleges. This is where the idea of ‘loose-coupling’ comes in.

I actually think a government-made ranking system of colleges would be an effective example of loose coupling, though Dee may argue that it wouldn’t be considered so. Dee suggests that schools should assess themselves through capacity-building audits instead. Though I understand the arguments against school ranking systems (mainly that students attending low-ranking colleges will feel ‘punished’), it seems like the Obama proposal would be a comprehensive way of rating colleges based on factors that won’t make students feel ‘punished.’ This is because the ranking wouldn’t exactly be listing what schools are better than others. Take for example, a college that ranks low because of low affordability ratings. A student attending said college wouldn’t necessarily feel like they’re attending an unworthy school. I think Obama’s proposal for college rankings would be an effective tool for guiding students through the college process and would still give colleges enough autonomy. The emphasis on affordability, outcome, and accessibility would provide a much-needed lens for college applicants.