<p>^^ The most damning part of the Clemson allegations in my opinion is not what it says about PA, but what it says about the utter bankruptcy of the so-called “objective” data US News uses in its rankings. Most of these data are highly manipulable, and most of the methods schools can use to improve their US News ranking do not require outright lying. Schools can and do make cosmetic changes that reflect no real improvement in educational quality but show them in a more attractive light in the US News rankings. The whole enterprise is pretty much a sham.</p>