> On the graduation rate: why shouldn't a school be penalized for a low graduation rate? The point of those rankings (beyond selling magazines, of course) is to give prospective students an idea of how each school will help them in life.
Its easy to look at this from the other side though.
I think a lot of people look at these rankings as the value of a degree earned from that institution. That is, they are looking at it from the side of the alums as opposed to the prospects. Suppose two schools have the same admissions criteria and everything else, but the graduation rate of one is much higher. I would think the school with the lower graduation rate would be viewed as more rigorous and therefore "better".
Even in high school, I never thought differently. >10 years later this is the first time I ever even thought that someone would consider the probability of their graduating (totally within their control). It was always 100% which would be the best school to be from...or which one would be the most fun. Graduation rate has nothing to do with either.
Its easy to look at this from the other side though.
I think a lot of people look at these rankings as the value of a degree earned from that institution. That is, they are looking at it from the side of the alums as opposed to the prospects. Suppose two schools have the same admissions criteria and everything else, but the graduation rate of one is much higher. I would think the school with the lower graduation rate would be viewed as more rigorous and therefore "better".