College Rankings Scam

Thomasson: College rankings aren't always reliable | ScrippsNews

...Suddenly, we find out what we have all suspected for some time: that some citadels of scholarly integrity aren't really. They have been embellishing the records they report to U.S. News & World Report and others who determine the "best" colleges and universities in America. The stakes are high. Making it to the top 50 or even 100 can improve an institution's attractiveness to applicants, and that translates into millions of dollars in tuitions and alumni donations.

The lid on this scam was lifted by Claremont McKenna College in California, the ninth-ranked liberal arts school in the nation. It has acknowledged it got there by falsifying the SAT scores sent to U.S. News, a former weekly news magazine that has become the leading judge of academic excellence. A spokesman for U.S. News was quoted as saying Claremont was the highest-ranked school ever to admit cheating, and a spokesman for Claremont said one official took the blame and has resigned. Are you surprised?...