Inside Higher Ed
September 12, 2011
By Catharine Hill
It is rankings season again, and despite objecting to their validity and worrying about the incentives they create for colleges and universities, we pay attention nonetheless. And, since they aren't going away, I would like to propose one small change: factor the socioeconomic diversity of a college's student body into the rankings formula.
Consider the top-ranked colleges and universities as a case study. They proclaim in their mission statements and through their financial aid policies that they want to attract the strongest students from all different backgrounds regardless of their families' incomes -- both in support of principles of equal opportunity and fairness, and because a diverse student body improves the quality of education. These institutions commit significant resources to need-based financial aid, approaching as much as a third to a half of their operating budgets. These institutions' success in attracting a diverse student body could easily be incorporated into the data series used by U.S. News & World Report to rank our institutions.
Full Story: http://www.insidehighered.com/views/2011/09/12/essay_suggesting_a_better_way_for_u_s_news_to_rank_colleges
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