Criticism of the U. S. News and World Report college rankings is beginning to get attention, as in this May 20 article
from the Washington Post. The rankings tend to measure inputs (e.g.,
selectivity of admissions, amounts of money spent), not outcomes. A
number of college presidents are boycotting some of the ranking
measures ? especially the ?reputational? test in which they are asked
to rank the reputation of their peer institutions. George Leef of the
Pope Center weighed in last  month with his sardonic Clarion Call, ?What if the U.S. News Rankings went bye-bye?? and Richard Vedder, in a May 25 blog, has just offered some ideas for a revised set of rankings, focused more on results, not inputs. These are signs of progress!