My beloved UChicago ranked the dead last in most measures among the top 12...Ouch.

Colleges & Universities University of Chicago
21

@Chrchill at #19: Not sure what exact issue you have a problem with, so I’ll help with some references:

College education and longevity of Marriage:

http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/12/04/education-and-marriage/

https://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/2013/article/marriage-and-divorce-patterns-by-gender-race-and-educational-attainment.htm

Gaming the Rankings System:

http://www.bostonmagazine.com/news/article/2014/08/26/how-northeastern-gamed-the-college-rankings/3/

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/01/education/gaming-the-college-rankings.html

As for UChicago’s underlying reason for the rapid rise, I think you and I agree that it should be in the top 10 (and probably top 5). How it went from USNWR #15 to #3 in just 12 years is a separate issue. When you change admissions policies to help with selectivity and rankings, that’s playing to the rankings.