<p>I was surprised that Bucknell dropped on the latest US News ranking from #29 to #33</p>
<p>The difference between #29 and #33 is negligible. There is an interesting thread on CC right now that is worth taking a look at … Ten Reasons to Ignore the US News Rankings. Lots of insight about numbers manipulation by both colleges and US News in order to influence the annual rankings.
By the way US News gives no weight to career results/ROI for each school - you may be interested in the Payscale rankings where Bucknell is #14 among all schools and #4 for the LACs :-)</p>
<p>[Top</a> US Colleges ? Graduate Salary Statistics](<a href=“http://www.payscale.com/best-colleges/top-us-colleges-graduate-salary-statistics.asp]Top”>http://www.payscale.com/best-colleges/top-us-colleges-graduate-salary-statistics.asp)</p>
<p>Actually i got it wrong. Bucknell is tied with Holy Cross and Mount Holyoke on US News list for #32 not #33. It is just below Holy Cross on that Pay Scale article</p>
<p>What is so frustrating is that US News Rankings are so flawed and everyone knows. Yet everyone still looks at them and makes decisions based on them.</p>
<p>It is our societies obsession with status. If something is hard to get or very expensive, then that is what we strive for. </p>
<p>Bucknell is both hard to get into and expensive. But not as much as some other schools according to the rankings. Some schools, to get ahead, start to fudge #'s or game the system.</p>
<p>If you think a school is a fit for you and the student profiles are a match to yours, go ahead and apply.</p>
<p>Many schools got “Moved” in the new USN&WR as the criteria they used was changed (seems they change them every other year). A lot of good schools lost some ground (like Holy Cross…2 years ago they were 27th…now they are 32nd) while some schools got some solid recogniton and advancement (Northeastern). While some schools stay put while others rise and fall, USN&WR (while flawed) is probably the best ranking tool as many others are very flawed in that they focus on one key factor, i.e. Forbes (I think the worst as they focus on affordability over academics), Washington Monthly (focus on serving public good) etc. It should be used as a general guide for parents and students and not an absolute and final judgement on a school’s quality and worth.</p>
<p>There are schools who have lied/misreported facts to “Game” their rankings, most recently the elite Emery U was caught, but it was considered a minor error. I think you will hear of more schools “Fudging” stats. Good schools like Bucknell (and ohters in the Patriot League) will not have to resort to these actions and will be judged fairly by those who are thinking of applying.</p>
<p>Who cares about rankings from USNWR? I received a great education at Bucknell that prepared me for medical school-but most of all made great life long friends. Overall, Bucknell ranks highly in placing students on a professional track. No regrets about receiving a superb liberal arts education…</p>