The Flaws and Merits of the College Ranking System

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 deprioritize ranking lists. According to the New York Times, Harvard, Berkeley, Georgetown, Columbia, Stanford, Michigan, and Yale law schools also stopped participating in the U.S. News and World Report rankings in 2022. While Davidson still participates in these ranking systems, this shifting paradigm means that the college must look beyond its rankings when promoting itself.

“The Admission and Financial Aid Team employs a host of strategies to help students and families understand what the rankings do not capture,” said Director of Media Relations Jay Pfeifer. “[These approaches include] traditional and digital marketing, partnerships with community-based organizations, hundreds of in-person and virtual meetings across the country and a year-round schedule of on-campus and virtual programming for prospective students.”

The college embraces technology to connect with prospective students through the

My Davidson blog and Davidson social media accounts.

“The college’s website and other digital platforms are focused on sharing stories about the rich education experience that is available to Davidson students,” Pfeifer said. “[The college hopes to] elevate student voices to offer an authentic, first-hand look at life on campus.”

Davidson’s Admissions Office also provides guidance on how students can interpret ranking systems. The college provides an alphabetical list of popular rankings on its website and it also offers descriptions of these publications’ strengths, weaknesses, and methodologies. This data allows students to engage critically with college rankings instead of embracing them wholesale — a crucial part of being an informed applicant.

“No ranking can possibly convey the character of any school, especially one like Davidson that is defined by our shared sense of community,” Pfeifer said.