Washington Monthly magazine rejects the college classifying system of big stage name polls like U. S. Facts and World Report. For the former eight years, editor - in - chief Paul Glastris has published an alternative adjudjing system that evaluates colleges by different metrics than those used by the traditional rankers.
Glastris argues that the hefty grading systems are based on " exclusivity. " He asserts that high rankings are obstinate by the more a college spends, the more it excludes students through selectivity, and the more boon the school is. Obviously, these metrics really don ' t have much bearing on a college ' s real value, and that ' s exactly why Washington Monthly offers its alternative to the traditional ranking system. A college ' s exclusivity ranking does little more than display its ability to charge high tuition prices. This evaluative metric is exactly why higher education has been under attack lately from all angles in the political sphere. Critics are arguing that the skyrocketing tuition rates are largely a symptom of the administrators ' desire to fluff the school ' s image. In other words, high tuition automatically indicates that the school is exclusive, and therefore somehow better than its cheaper competitors. This toxic system of valuation only serves to perpetuate the existing problems with higher education. And this is why Glastris and Washington Monthly have chosen to challenge the traditional standards.
The magazine instead uses three very different bases for determining a college ' s worth. According to the website, schools are rated " based on their contribution to the public good in three broad categories: Social Mobility ( recruiting and graduating low - income students ), Research ( producing cutting - edge scholarship and PhDs ), and Service ( encouraging students to give something back to their country ). "
These measurement standards leave schools like Harvard, Yale, and Duke dropping much further in the ranks than they have ever been used to. Harvard is slotted in 11th place; Duke is 26th; and Yale is a staggering 41st. The only Ivy that still makes a showing is Stanford at 3rd. The California system does well in the rankings with six of the top twenty. Texas A&M - El Paso and the University of Texas scored high, along with Georgia Tech and the Universities of Michigan and Washington.
If you ' re interested in an alternative to the traditional ranking system, and especially if you place a high value on social mobility, research, and service, be sure to check out the Washington Monthly poll. When used in conjunction with the traditional rankings, it will help college students and parents gain a bigger picture of the school ' s status as a an economical educator.
