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<p>To a great extent, this is precisely Leiter’s point. Personally, I think U Va, for example, has climbed the rankings largely due to its proximity to NYC (within a day’s drive) and the resulting number of apps - leading to higher selectivity. </p>
<p>If you look at scholarly inputs and outputs, UTexas is a pretty good place, as are a whole bunch of other places that just happen to not fit USNWR rankings so well.</p>
<p>Another thought on USNWR rankings: They remind me of bond (investment) grading by S%P and others. Bond grades tend to follow pricing, not lead. This means, for example, that a drop in bond grade tends to occur AFTER the price of the bond has already dropped, so the grading change has no price effect. </p>
<p>What does this have to do with college rankings? It is interesting to note how much the rankings seem to follow the layperson’s (i.e typical parent’s) preconceived notions of “quality” and prestige, including changes in such. Why? Because if the rankings were too out of line, they would have no credibility, and not sell. So USNWR, who’s ranking formulas are completely arbitrary, tinkers with the formula to get the answers it wants. </p>
<p>Byerly, Rebuttal??</p>