The New Normal of College Choices: From College Rankings to Southern Charm

Article written by College MatchpointParents and students have likely seen the U.S. News & World Report annual college rankings, which were released late last month. It's encouraging to see U.S. News continually refining its methodology, with last year's update being the most significant since 1983. Princeton continued to take the No. 1 ranking among national universities, with MIT, Harvard, and Stanford close behind. Williams College continues to lead national liberal arts colleges, while Spelman College stands out as the top historically Black institution. UCLA proudly represents public universities, earning the highest rank in its category.We want to emphasize the importance of keeping these data points in perspective. It’s virtually impossible to quantify the full experience at any university. And a school's ranking can fluctuate from year to year as the methodology used in the rankings changes and colleges figure out how to “game” the system.  For a deeper dive into how many colleges approach these rankings, check out this NYT article The U.S. News College Rankings Are Out. Cue the Rage and Obsession.Over the last few years, there's been a growing trend of students and families considering a wider range of schools in the South beyond the traditional "elite" institutions spotlighted in these rankings. The recent WSJ article Sorry, Harvard. Everyone Wants to Go to College in the South Now describes this trend, pointing out that the number of students in the Northeast attending Southern public schools jumped 30% from 2018 to 2022. These schools may not always top the U.S. News list but often offer unique experiences that foster personal growth and career success.