IU Bloomington So Underrated

College Search & Lists
3

<p>Look at the USNWR ranking methodology:
[Methodology:</a> Undergraduate Ranking Criteria and Weights - US News and World Report](<a href=“http://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/articles/2012/09/11/methodology-undergraduate-ranking-criteria-and-weights-2]Methodology:”>http://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/articles/2012/09/11/methodology-undergraduate-ranking-criteria-and-weights-2)
Then consider how IU stacks up against those criteria.</p>

<p>Undergraduate academic reputation:
IU has scored around 3.6 in recent years, which would put it at the lower end of the top 50 or so national universities. (<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-search-selection/851132-peer-reputation-skews-rankings-ok-here-usnwr-rankings-w-peer-assessment-removed.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-search-selection/851132-peer-reputation-skews-rankings-ok-here-usnwr-rankings-w-peer-assessment-removed.html&lt;/a&gt;)</p>

<p>Class size:
With ~18% of classes >= 50 students, I think IU would be well outside the top 50 by this criterion (<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-search-selection/781194-college-comparison-ix-class-sizes-classes-50-students.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-search-selection/781194-college-comparison-ix-class-sizes-classes-50-students.html&lt;/a&gt;)</p>

<p>Selectivity:
IU is not one of the ~75 most selective colleges (<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-search-selection/687793-selectivity-ranking-national-us-lacs-combined-usnews-method.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-search-selection/687793-selectivity-ranking-national-us-lacs-combined-usnews-method.html&lt;/a&gt;) Compare IU to #51 national university Boston University by this criterion:</p>

<p>…Admit rate … Avg Scores … Avg GPA
BU … 49% … 620CR/657M … 3.5
IU … 72% … 573CR/597M … 3.6</p>

<p>Graduation & retention:
IU’s 4-year graduation rate of 50% would be well outside the top 50. The USNWR #51 national university (Boston U.) has a 4 year graduation rate of 80%.</p>

<p>“Great social scene” would be hard to measure objectively, and is not among the USNWR criteria.</p>