U of C Underrated? (Chicago, Harvard: employment, movies, schools)

[55degrees]

First off, I never went to U of C. I think most Chicagoans know that U of C is a great school (though they don't know the extent), but I really don't think the rest of the country is quite aware. Most EDUCATED Americans when they think of the "best" schools, they think of the Princeton, Yale, Harvard, Stanford, MIT, Columbia, etc. I don't think they lump U of C with them despite its high rankings. I know ratings have to be taken with a grain of salt, but they are still a good guide.

I just recently checked out the US News and World Report:
1. Harvard
1. Princeton (tie)
3. Yale
4. Columbia
4. U of C (tie)
6. MIT
6. Stanford (tie)


On global rankings (not from US News), U of C consistently ranks within the top 10 for all world universities (the rank is a little better on US News).

So why don't people (in Chicago and across the country) seem to realize how highly ranked it is?

[chet everett]

Among the top 25 Universities in the world I really don't think too many people would be able to name the two Canadian schools, the Swiss school, the school in Scotland, the one in Australia, or the one in Hong Kong.

http://www.usnews.com/education/worl...s-in-the-world


Does it really make any difference? There are idiot kids / parents taking on six-figures of debt to major in fields that literally have ZERO employment prospects, some are going to those top 25 schools. Is it any dumber / smarter to major in something with no chance of getting a job from a less prestigious school?

There are lists of the "best value" schools and "most in demand majors", I suspect there are few people aware of those ratings either....

[nearnorth]

Everyone I know realizes how highly ranked it is. Certainly people in Chicago do.

[Lucky Clover]

I think anyone who does research would know. Off the top of their head, I can expect someone not to because it isn't as notorious as a Stanford, MIT, Yale, Harvard, Princeton. You hear about those schools in the news, media, and movies a lot -- references to them. With U of C, you don't hear about it as much. I personally know it's on the same level as those ivy league schools -- but because it's not in the Ivy League or as notorious as Stanford, it doesn't come up as much.

In the education world, I think most people know how good U of C is.

[chicagobear]

I agree that it doesn't have the same reputation with the general population that Harvard or Stanford do. I went there for grad school (and a similar level school for undergrad) and I observed that the undergrads seemed to be a somewhat "self-selected" bunch. They seemed nerdy and lacking in social skills compared to a Stanford or Harvard.

[williepotatoes]

Originally Posted by chet everett

Does it really make any difference? There are idiot kids / parents taking on six-figures of debt to major in fields that literally have ZERO employment prospects, some are going to those top 25 schools. Is any dumber / smarter to major in something with no chance of getting a job from a less prestigious school?

Chet, you are a ray of sunshine in almost every thread.

[55degrees]

Originally Posted by chet everett

Among the top 25 Universities in the world I really don't think too many people would be able to name the two Canadian schools, the Swiss school, the school in Scotland, the one in Australia, or the one in Hong Kong.

World's Best Universities; Top 400 Universities in the World | US News


Does it really make any difference? There are idiot kids / parents taking on six-figures of debt to major in fields that literally have ZERO employment prospects, some are going to those top 25 schools. Is any dumber / smarter to major in something with no chance of getting a job from a less prestigious school?

There are lists of the "best value" schools and "most in demand majors", I suspect there are few people aware of those ratings either....

I'm not asking if people in Scotland know that U of C is highly ranked. I'm asking why people in the US don't realize where it falls (roughly) in ranks. There are educated people outside of Chicago who may not even have heard of the school. As for one's choice in major or debt burden when going to U of C, that is really OT (and would apply to schools like Columbia as well).

[55degrees]

Originally Posted by tawfiqmp

Off the top of their head, I can expect someone not to because it isn't as notorious as a Stanford, MIT, Yale, Harvard, Princeton. You hear about those schools in the news, media, and movies a lot -- references to them. With U of C, you don't hear about it as much.

That's probably it

[Irishtom29]

Originally Posted by 55degrees

So why don't people (in Chicago and across the country) seem to realize how highly ranked it is?

In the first place do people really not know it's highly ranked? Maybe your premise is in error because everyone I talk to about colleges knows U of C is top shelf. And I talk more to building trades people who send their kids to college than to college graduates. So if the average boilermaker or pipefitter around here knows the school's excellence I have to think the college educated know too.

[nearnorth]

Originally Posted by williepotatoes

Chet, you are a ray of sunshine in almost every thread.

Damn those smarty-pants educated urban hipsters! Don't they know they're supposed to attend crappy schools so they can be doomed to bitter dead-end life in the suburbs, trolling internet forums in their spare time? Get off my lawn!