This past Monday, U.S. News & World Report, a media publishing company, released its ranking of universities for the 2024 admission cycle. This updated report of university standings came as a shock to campus, with Villanova University dropping 16 spots, from rank 51 to 67.

In this year’s ranking process, U.S. News switched up its categorization formula, a frequent occurrence, but this cycle’s change created more drastic changes than ever before. Other private universities also experienced extreme changes in ranking. Wake Forest University dropped 18 spots, Pepperdine University fell 21 and American University was removed from the top 100, falling 33 spots. With the change in formula hurting private schools’ chances of mobilizing upwards, the U.S. News & World Report is under intense criticism from private institutions.

Public universities greatly benefited from the new methodology, with schools like Rutgers University and Texas A&M breaking into the top 50, while The City College of New York and San Diego State University both jumped 46 places, respectively. The change in method includes putting an emphasis on outcomes and mobility of recently graduated students.

“Personally, the new ranking came as a shock and kind of dampened morale on campus,” freshman Ava Hunn said. “I don’t think the majority of students are too worried about what number we are, it’s more about what progress we are actually making on campus, not opinions of those who are ranking us.”

  U.S. News & World Report also made formulaic changes by disregarding class size and alumni giving, two strengths of Villanova. This cycle was the first time in 30 years that alumni giving wasn’t a factor in the national ranking, and by dropping it, Villanova’s rank suffered immensely. U.S. News & World Report’s publication used to value alumni giving as a way to see student satisfaction, but now that measure comes from salaries after graduation.
Other schools, including Vanderbilt University and Oberlin College, have expressed their distaste for removing the alumni-giving characteristic from the ranking, revealing that more satisfied alumni tend to provide more after graduation. This notion should be a positive reflection on all respective schools, but by its elimination, the schools with higher alumni giving percentages do not receive the ranking boost that public institutions were able to secure.

In a recent press release from the University’s Media Room, the attitude about the ranking was clearly conveyed, with pride for actual achievements and a lack of concern for numeric ranking. The Media Room shared that prestigious awards and scholarships are constantly being received by current students and graduates, with 120 students receiving Fulbright U.S. Student Grants in the past five years. The Class of 2022 graduated with 98.9% of the graduating class finding a successful placement in either a graduate program or in a job opportunity. Villanova graduates satisfy many categories that the U.S. News & World Report looks for without university leaders placing any emphasis on fulfilling the standards set by this media company.

“We could most certainly play to the rankings,” University Provost Patrick G. Maggitti, Ph.D. said. “But you wouldn’t recognize Villanova.”

Maggitti said that if the University were to adjust its standards to respond to the formula that U.S. News & World Report has set as standard, it would transform the campus. Many schools, including our own, disagree that the quality of education can be determined by a number, and numerous schools are frequently refusing to cooperate in the ranking system. While the change in ranking came as a surprise to campus, the University remains proud to be once again recognized as one of the top schools in the country.