<p>posterx,</p>
<p>That is why I like rankings as a starting point. By looking at their methodology you can get behind what the numbers are saying and help formulate your own opinion about the validity of the ranking. Similar to the US News peer assessment these rankings will generate a number of questions about the validity or appropriateness of the methodology. At the end of the day, it is yet another data point in an effort to get a full picture of a university.</p>