US News Rankings: UConn ties with Maryland

[Gus Mahler]

http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandr...kings/national-universities/top-public/page+2

 

[FASTEDDY]

Nice!

UCONN is tied for #19 in Public Universities and #57 in National Universities Overall.

Let's keep up the move upward. Would love to crack the Top 10.

 

[BigBird]

I've never been a big fan of these kinds of ratings. Many of the criteria (e.g. size of library rare books collection) have little or nothing to do with how and how much one learns, or what they do with their education after graduation. Obviously, being highly rated is, in the moment at least, better than being rated dead last. But as with standardized testing of students, that something was measured is a given. Knowing exactly WHAT was being measured is often much more illusive.

 

[CL82]

I like the neighborhood.

#16Tie
Ohio State University—Columbus
Columbus, OH

#16Tie
University of Texas—Austin
Austin, TX

#19Tie
University of Connecticut
Storrs, CT

#19Tie
University of Maryland—College Park
College Park, MD

#21Tie
Clemson University
Clemson, SC

#21Tie
Purdue University—West Lafayette
West Lafayette, IN

 

[UcMiami]

I've never been a big fan of these kinds of ratings. Many of the criteria (e.g. size of library rare books collection) have little or nothing to do with how and how much one learns, or what they do with their education after graduation. Obviously, being highly rated is, in the moment at least, better than being rated dead last. But as with standardized testing of students, that something was measured is a given. Knowing exactly WHAT was being measured is often much more illusive.

US News is actually one of the better rating systems as it focuses on peer ratings, top HS guidance counselor rating, class size, student faculty ratio, student retention and graduation rates, etc. And it uses some logical weightings to grade results vs. 'expected results' for retention and graduation rates - a very selective, very excellent academic entering class for an Ivy league school is expected to have better outcomes than a state school that is admitting less qualified students and that is taken into account.
None of the rating systems is going to be perfect and ultimately the individual student is going to determine their own experience, but this rating I think is pretty good.

 

[Gus Mahler]

US News is actually one of the better rating systems as it focuses on peer ratings, top HS guidance counselor rating, class size, student faculty ratio, student retention and graduation rates, etc. And it uses some logical weightings to grade results vs. 'expected results' for retention and graduation rates - a very selective, very excellent academic entering class for an Ivy league school is expected to have better outcomes than a state school that is admitting less qualified students and that is taken into account.
None of the rating systems is going to be perfect and ultimately the individual student is going to determine their own experience, but this rating I think is pretty good.

That's the salient point. It's an impossible task in the first place. One positive of this system is that they've been doing it for a while now which suggests reliability over time. Following on CL82, it ought to be a decent indicator of neighborhood.

 

[nan linds]

North Carolin at #5?

 

[TDiNozzo]

You give CA only one school for the state and Uconn is really 14 th.....in state rankings....

 

[BigBird]

US News is actually one of the better rating systems as it focuses on peer ratings, top HS guidance counselor rating.

Guidance counselors? Yikes. I think you just made my point. At my HS, the average custodian had more on the ball than the counselors. Believe as you please, of course. But I continue to be skeptical of measurement that is oddly parsed or overly subjective.

 

[cockhrnleghrn]

North Carolin at #5?

I think that shows how much these popularity contests mean.

 

[mhshuskies]

North Carolin at #5?

Indicative of all the EXTRA assistance student athletes receive at NC. A very involved faculty!

 

[huskyharry]

North Carolin at #5?

That is disgusting!

 

[huskyd]

http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandr...kings/national-universities/top-public/page+2

Gus, I expect your pointing these ratings out has something to do with the ease or difficulty of recruiting players. If my assumption is correct, let me say again that academics has less to do with Maryland's appeal than its location in DC. Traditionally, UM has had a well regarded dental school. But the attractions of the nation's capital ("capitol" refers to a building) far exceed any other magnet for recruiting. You may remember the song, "How you gonna keep 'em down on the farm after they've seen Paree."

 

[UcMiami]

North Carolin at #5?

That is disgusting!

Yeah - but the fact that UNC has a 29,000 student enrollment and the ongoing scandal involved 3000+/- student/classes over 15+ years has little effect on the general statistics. This is not something put together for athletic departments and student athletes but for the general public the vast majority of whom will have no involvement with athletic scholarships. Part of the devastating nature of this scandal is the ease with which athletics money can corrupt even a school that really strives for academic excellence.

 

[Gus Mahler]

Gus, I expect your pointing these ratings out has something to do with the ease or difficulty of recruiting players. If my assumption is correct, let me say again that academics has less to do with Maryland's appeal than its location in DC. Traditionally, UM has had a well regarded dental school. But the attractions of the nation's capital ("capitol" refers to a building) far exceed any other magnet for recruiting. You may remember the song, "How you gonna keep 'em down on the farm after they've seen Paree."

huskyd: I didn't have much of an agenda on this. I thought that, irrespective of any number (ranking), being considered in Maryland's neighborhood (tied) was good. My impression of UMd as an academic institution has always been positive. Bottom line: I hoped the headline would entice others to read further.

 

[Goodgood]

huskyd: I didn't have much of an agenda on this. I thought that, irrespective of any number (ranking), being considered in Maryland's neighborhood (tied) was good. My impression of UMd as an academic institution has always been positive. Bottom line: I hoped the headline would entice others to read further.

I have the opposite reaction regarding Maryland. I live in the DC area, Maryland was always considered the last choice after Va, Georgetown, GW, Hopkins, W & M, VA Tech...

 

[UcMiami]

I have the opposite reaction regarding Maryland. I live in the DC area, Maryland was always considered the last choice after Va, Georgetown, GW, Hopkins, W & M, VA Tech...

Well - with the exception of VaTech, you pretty much match the report - for all National universities the rankings are:
Hopkins #10
Georgetown #21
Virginia #26
William an Mary #34
George Washington/Maryland/Connecticut all tied at #57
VaTech at #70
Appears VaTech is penalized for a 73% acceptance rate (vs. 48%), and slightly lower retention rates than Maryland.

 

[Gus Mahler]

Well - with the exception of VaTech, you pretty much match the report - for all National universities the rankings are:
Hopkins #10
Georgetown #21
Virginia #26
William an Mary #34
George Washington/Maryland/Connecticut all tied at #57
VaTech at #70
Appears VaTech is penalized for a 73% acceptance rate (vs. 48%), and slightly lower retention rates than Maryland.

I have the opposite reaction regarding Maryland. I live in the DC area, Maryland was always considered the last choice after Va, Georgetown, GW, Hopkins, W & M, VA Tech...

This is all very interesting. None of it, however, invalidates my positive impression of Maryland academically. My bottom line is it suggests that UConn is in a respectable position nationally. Maybe not awesome, but clearly respectable.