<p>US News rankings (for what they’re worth) are generally pretty static year to year. Unless their evaluation formula changes, I wouldn’t expect any earthshattering changes.</p>
<p>In the last decade the average rankings have shaken out:</p>
<ol>
<li>Amherst</li>
<li>Williams</li>
<li>Swarthmore</li>
<li>Wellesley</li>
<li>Pomona</li>
<li>Carleton</li>
<li>Middlebury</li>
<li>Haverford</li>
<li>Bowdoin</li>
</ol>
<p>Amherst-Williams-Swarthmore have been jumping back and forth between #1-3 LAC positions for years.</p>
<p>The #5-9 positions alternate between Pomona-Carleton-Middlebury-Haverford-Bowdoin. </p>
<p>Bowdoin and Middlebury are SAT optional schools so their median reported scores don’t represent the entire class (one would presume unsubmitted scores are lower). Middlebury also admits some freshman mid-year that are not included in US News data (again, these stats tend to be lower than fall admits). These factors probably have a minor inflationary impact on rankings. </p>
<p>But I would emphasize - as I have many times - one would be hard pressed to argue ANY measurable difference in overall academic quality between all these schools. This is certainly not to say they are clones - social life, setting, etc. can be remarkably different one to the next. Use rankings like US News as a guide, then move on to more important considerations.</p>