VCU for my kid? (student loan, find a job, best school)

[Archguy]

Originally Posted by hgnmx

Ranked #4 Top (undergrad) University in Virginia Top Colleges & Universities in Virginia | University Web Rankings Ranked #5 on this list Top Virginia Colleges and Universities
And is ranked #170 (undergrad) nationally, National University | Rankings | Data | US News

I don't take issue with the general cast of your remarks but the first two links you provide are laughable at best. Essentially spam! "DiplomaGuide" prominently features DeVry, Everest and the Univ. of Phoenix (online diploma mills) and completely fails to mention Washington and Lee, which actually happens to have the highest student-quality stats of any college in the state*; the other ("4icu.org") ranks George Mason and VCU above William & Mary and Norfolk State and Liberty above Washington and Lee.

Neither of these sources is taken remotely seriously anywhere--see College Confidential for more.

USNews gets a lot of flack as its rankings are controversial (to those who place poorly in them) but at least its methods are rational, organized and verifiable.

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* Sample statistics:

University of Virginia Profile - SAT Scores and Admissions Data for UVA, The University of Virginia

Washington and Lee University Profile - SAT Scores and Admissions Data for Washington and Lee University

[GeorgiaTransplant]

Originally Posted by hgnmx

/Top_Virginia_Colleges_and_Universities.html
And is ranked #170 (undergrad) nationally, National University | Rankings | Data | US News

So yes, above average.

170. Out of 194 total ranks possible for universities. You fail statistics, forever. Or perhaps you studied them at VCU.

[brocco]

Originally Posted by GeorgiaTransplant

170. Out of 194 total ranks possible for universities. You fail statistics, forever. Or perhaps you studied them at VCU.

there are way more than 194 universities, though. the ones that are really bad are just not ranked at all

[Archguy]

That is correct. As so often happens on these here internets, the person yelling "FAIL" is actually the person failing. There are over 2,000 colleges & universities in the USA, and to rank #170 actually places VCU in the top 10%. Mind you, only the top 40 or so are actually selective, and there are a number of fine liberal-arts colleges in their own category, etc etc. But the vast majority of institutions aren't even ranked, and for good reason.

[GeorgiaTransplant]

Originally Posted by Archguy

That is correct. As so often happens on these here internets, the person yelling "FAIL" is actually the person failing. There are over 2,000 colleges & universities in the USA, and to rank #170 actually places VCU in the top 10%. Mind you, only the top 40 or so are actually selective, and there are a number of fine liberal-arts colleges in their own category, etc etc. But the vast majority of institutions aren't even ranked, and for good reason.

If in your universe, VCU is a top 10% institution, that is an interesting universe.

[Archguy]

Don't be silly. It's not my universe, it's this one. There are over 2,000 colleges and universities in it.

I certainly don't think VCU is a top-notch college and I have never said so--quite the contrary.

[richmondpics]

Originally Posted by GeorgiaTransplant

If in your universe, VCU is a top 10% institution, that is an interesting universe.

Why so insulting about it ?

[GeorgiaTransplant]

Originally Posted by richmondpics

Why so insulting about it ?

I prefer "realistic".

VCU is a fairly decent state institution. It has an absolutely top-notch art program, a solid business program, and a pretty good engineering program. It is NOT, however, top 10% in OVERALL institutional quality, nor is it #170 out of however many hundreds (or thousands) are on that US News list, despite what someone asserted earlier; It just happened to get assigned a ranking.

I am thinking of things like faculty quality, overall facilities, quality of program, placement rate, endowment, etc. Top professors do not (metaphorically) slit each other's throats to get a tenure-track job at VCU. Compare and contrast UCLA or UW or UNC Chapel Hill.

Some PROGRAMS at VCU are probably top 100, or 50, or 5. Overall, I personally estimate VCU is third-tier in Virginia: for public programs, UVA/W&M are essentially top, JMU-level is about second and, ODU and VCU are third-tier, and then there are places like VSU and Longwood. They all have good programs. They are all not, as a complete institution, created equal. That's just the way the cookie crumbles.

I would not have had a PRAYER of getting into UVA/W&M/JMU. I am a third-tier kind of guy. If I had gone undergraduate in Virginia, VCU would almost certainly have been right up my alley.

Does that clear it up for you?

[Octa]

If you guys want to discuss rankings then College Confidential is that way ------------->

[hgnmx]

The first Virginia rankings was best international schools, the second one listed was best public Virginia schools.
If you look at the national ranking website VCU tied 170 with about 6 other schools.
So it's not my fault if you can't read, Georgiatransplant (can't think of any good schools in georgia btw)

Virginia has some of the best schools in the country so even if you don't consider VCU to be that great compared to William and Mary, Virginia Tech, UVA, or UofR, well its still a damn good school when considered nationally. Also, despite anything you say has some of the best graduate programs in the country.