College Crunch

Someone recently asked me why so many people are interested in the top college rankings that many sites, magazines and companies do, and for me the answer was simple: too many options. For students without a preconceived notion of where they’ll go to school, rankings can help generate a shorter list of possibilities, thus reducing stress.

Currently, there are thousands of colleges in the USA, and without including online schools, there are more than likely a minimum of half a dozen colleges on average in each state. Figuring out which school is right for your education has become even more important than ever before with the state of the economy, and the price of a post-secondary education. Fewer people are able to take multiple degrees, or even find the extra money needed to minor in other topics that interest them. Also, attending a school that never is listed in any ranking system can be difficult to get any information on, as ranking information usually includes details on the school, not found on their own website, giving students a better indication of the type of learning environment, location of the school in the city, and the quality of both the professors and student body.

Everyone wants a simple system to allow them to quickly and easily filter through the massive numbers of possibilities and opportunities currently available to them. Also, attending a school higher up on most ranking lists usually goes part and parcel with its popularity and prestige.

The other reason that rankings are important are for the schools themselves. This gives them information relating to how they could improve, what they lack, and where they fit in the grand scheme of things. Some school administrators are too proud of their institutions that they can’t easily see the issues that plague their colleges, and this leads to a lack of changes that would otherwise create a “top” school.

Schools need to be ranked, categorized, and filtered so that parents, potential students, and the schools themselves can make the best possible choices for themselves, and the schools.

Check out some of our Top Educational Rankings:
Top 20 Colleges for Education Majors
The 20 Best Schools for Communications Majors in 2009
The 20 Best Schools for Engineering Majors in 2009
The 20 Best Schools for Computer Science Majors in 2009
Top 25 Psychology Graduate Schools
Top 25 Online Colleges Ranked For 2009
The College Crunch Top 50