Forbes best colleges in america-UConn still rocketing higher. In 2008 #428, UConn in 2013 #140

[Rumrunner]

http://www.forbes.com/sites/carolinehoward/2013/07/24/americas-top-colleges-2013/

This ranking includes all colleges, including liberal arts schools like amherst, wellesley, swarthmore, service academies, tech schools, etc.

In 2007 UConn was ranked #429.

In 2009 UConn was ranked #388.

In 2010, UConn was ranked #275.

Forbes has their 2013 new rankings out.

UConn is now #140.

Notwithstanding skepticism towards rankings in general, of which there are heaps, UConn's trajectory looks like a rocket ship taking off.

 

[Sea Goat]

These lists are somewhat subjective and faulty, but it is a great accomplishment.

BTW, Louisville is #445 - WOW - The ACC must really be counting on them for football!

 

[Adios]

This should settle any concern that UConn has a small future. Time to become like Rutgers fans, be delusional and dream B1G.

There's no way I'd be accepted into UConn now, with the grades I had and with the super high admissions standards.

 

[PRHusky]

No way there are 100 colleges or universities better than UConn in the US.

 

[UPitt]

Do you really have faith in rankings that have BC ranked 105 schools ahead of Uconn? I agree with PRHusky, that there is no way that 100 schools are better than Uconn.

Secondly, do you really think that 425 schools were better than Uconn 5 years ago?

 

[huskymedic]

Methodology is whacked...

Compiling the 2013 Forbes/CCAP Rankings By the Staff of the Center for College Affordability and Productivity

Ranking Factors and Weights

The Center for College Affordability and Productivity (CCAP), in conjunction with Forbes, compiled its college rankings using five general categories, with several component factors within each category.
The weightings for each category and component are listed in parentheses:

1. Student Satisfaction (25%)

Student Evaluations from RateMyProfessor.com(15%)

Actual Freshman-to-Sophomore Retention Rates(5%)

Predicted vs. Actual Freshman-to-Sophomore Retention Rates(5%)

2. Post-Graduate Success (35%)

Salary of Alumni from Payscale.com(15%)

American Leaders List(20%)

3. Student Debt (17.5%)

Average Federal Student Loan Debt Load(10%)

Student Loan Default Rates(5%)

Predicted vs. Actual Percent of Students Taking Federal Loans(2.5%)

4. Four-year Graduation Rate (11.25%)

Actual Four-year Graduation Rate(8.75%)

Predicted vs. Actual Four-year Graduation Rate(2.5%)

5. Academic Success (11.25%)

Student Nationally Competitive Awards(7.5%)

Alumni Receiving PhDs (3.75%)

 

[junglehusky]

Woo hoo! I played a small role in UConn's ascent up the Forbes rankings by getting my PhD from... er... another school....

 

[J187Money]

A guy at work showed me this yesterday and bragged about how Pomona (where he went) is #2.

Never heard of Pomona.

 

[Srqhusky]

They just take the football rankings and reverse them I think

 

[coachcap]

A guy at work showed me this yesterday and bragged about how Pomona (where he went) is #2.

Never heard of Pomona.

LOL The only way that I've heard about that institution is back in the 70's or 80's while watching the Tournament of Roses Parade on New Years Day with the parents. Betty White would introduce each float entry. On one such entry, she stated that the float was built by the "Cal Poly Colleges with campuses in Pomona & San Luis Obispo." Think Worcester Poly in this area & you get the idea.

 

[CL82]

All rankings are BS to a degree as they all are subjective based upon what factors they choose to emphasize/deemphasize. That said, perception is reality. And the perception, as noted by the OP, is that UConn is a school on a significant upward trajectory.

 

[tzznandrew]

A guy at work showed me this yesterday and bragged about how Pomona (where he went) is #2.

Never heard of Pomona.

Just because you've never heard of Pomona doesn't mean its not a really really really good school. It's absolutely one of the best liberal arts colleges out there, up there with Williams, Amherst, Swarthmore, Middlebury, etc. Very well regarded. Not the second best college in the US, but certainly one that can and should be ranked in a different eschelon than UConn--and it also is of a higher order than Worcester Poly, I would say. In the engineering world, it would be more like Carnegie Melon in esteem.

 

[J187Money]

Just because you've never heard of Pomona doesn't mean its not a really really really good school. It's absolutely one of the best liberal arts colleges out there, up there with Williams, Amherst, Swarthmore, Middlebury, etc. Very well regarded. Not the second best college in the US, but certainly one that can and should be ranked in a different eschelon than UConn--and it also is of a higher order than Worcester Poly, I would say. In the engineering world, it would be more like Carnegie Melon in esteem.

I never said that. And he is a really smart guy. I just find it interesting how many highly ranked schools are places that I've never heard of (and I'm not generally ignorant of higher education).

BUT - it also underscores the point I make often. Most of the country doesn't realize (or care) that UCONN even plays football. Regardless of how great WE think we are. Ask the guy from Pomona what he thinks about UCONN football...

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

These rankings have always been screwy, Syracuse is ranked 123rd. Say what you want about them, but they are not the 123rd best school in the country. Pitt is ranked 193rd. They may be ranked there in home attendance, but academically, not a chance. There are also not seven schools better than Harvard, and nine better than MIT. Not to mention, my guys are 85th, and in my 100% unbiased opinion there is no way in the world there are 84 schools better than them. Hell, Business Week just today ranked BU's law school ahead of Penn and Northwestern.

 

[Fishy]

A guy at work showed me this yesterday and bragged about how Pomona (where he went) is #2.

Never heard of Pomona.

There is a shocking number of people on this board associated in one way or another with Pomona - seriously.

(And by shocking, I mean about five....which is still shocking.)

 

[woomba]

These rankings have always been screwy, Syracuse is ranked 123rd. Say what you want about them, but they are not the 123rd best school in the country. Pitt is ranked 193rd. They may be ranked there in home attendance, but academically, not a chance. There are also not seven schools better than Harvard, and nine better than MIT. Not to mention, my guys are 85th, and in my 100% unbiased opinion there is no way in the world there are 84 schools better than them. Hell, Business Week just today ranked BU's law school ahead of Penn and Northwestern.

I generally agree with your points here but Business Week doesn't rank law schools.

Pretty much all the rankings agree on the top tier of law schools (The so called T14) which include Penn and Northwestern and not BU. US News remains the standard bearer for the better or for worse, and Above The Law also has a pretty legit ranking if you want to look at an alternative.

 

[Gurleyman]

LOL The only way that I've heard about that institution is back in the 70's or 80's while watching the Tournament of Roses Parade on New Years Day with the parents. Betty White would introduce each float entry. On one such entry, she stated that the float was built by the "Cal Poly Colleges with campuses in Pomona & San Luis Obispo." Think Worcester Poly in this area & you get the idea.

There's actually two different schools: Cal Poly Pomona and Pomona College. The former is a large commuter school of about 20,000 students in the Cal State system - the latter is a small private liberal arts college of about 1500 students.

I did not know that either until I moved to SoCal.

 

[itgoeslike]

The Forbes ranking methodology is a little suspect in my opinion. But, assuming that it is applied consistently, it does show a continued improvement for UCONN. It's not unreasonable to assume this year-over-year improvement will also be reflected in the USN&WR rankings, which could result in UCONN passing two more B1G schools. Will that prove that UCONN is better school than Ohio State? No. But, it is strong evidence that UCONN is good fit academically for any major conference, including the Big Ten.

 

[junglehusky]

Yeah Pomona College is part of the Claremont colleges which is sort of a Five Colleges of the west (if you have an east coast bias).