West Virginia educational institutions ranked in 2013 USNWR (Charleston, Wheeling: how much, schools)

[Evergrey]

US News & World Reports released their "2013 Best Colleges" rankings, and many WV institutions were ranked in various categories.

College Rankings | Best Colleges | US News

National Universities:

#165 West Virginia University

National Liberal Arts Colleges:

#178 Bethany College

Regional Colleges (South):

#6 Wheeling Jesuit University
#14 University of Charleston
#17 West Virginia Wesleyan College
#31 Alderson-Broaddus College
#35 Ohio Valley University
#41 Marshall University
#42 Davis & Elkins College
#49 Concord University
#66 West Liberty University
#72 Glenville State

[tbailey1138]

Fixed it for you.

Originally Posted by Evergrey

US News & World Reports released their "2013 Best Colleges" rankings, and many WV institutions were ranked in various categories.

College Rankings | Best Colleges | US News

National Universities:

#165 West Virginia University

Regional Universities (South):

#41 Marshall University

National Liberal Arts Colleges:

#178 Bethany College

Regional Colleges (South):

#6 Wheeling Jesuit University
#14 University of Charleston
#17 West Virginia Wesleyan College
#31 Alderson-Broaddus College
#35 Ohio Valley University
#42 Davis & Elkins College
#49 Concord University
#66 West Liberty University
#72 Glenville State

[CTMountaineer]

These so called "rankings" are largely meaningless and bogus. They are based on intangibles and opinion, and are subject to the bias of stereotypes and so forth. In addition, the schools involved are really so different in character it is difficult to have any real comparison. How could one compare a large, Land Grand school with a strong forestry and agriculture base with an urban school that lacks any programs at all in those areas. It is mostly media hype generated by Brooklyn hypesters who use it to generate readership. They have not even seen most of these schools.

You could carp all day and all night about whether the best classical literature debates are to be found in this urban setting, or the best mineral industries program is found in that one, but the only thing at the end of the day that really measures worth is how much can you make after you graduate. Everything else is conjecture and opinion.

[Silkdashocker]

Originally Posted by CTMountaineer

but the only thing at the end of the day that really measures worth is how much can you make after you graduate. Everything else is conjecture and opinion.

It would be interesting to see how US News comes to these rankings. Are they only using criteria based on applications, acceptance rate, and enrollment figures?

Also, i think number of Jeopardy participants per school should also be used as a factor in these rankings.

[cry_havoc]

Originally Posted by Silkdashocker

It would be interesting to see how US News comes to these rankings. Are they only using criteria based on applications, acceptance rate, and enrollment figures?

Also, i think number of Jeopardy participants per school should also be used as a factor in these rankings.

It is based off a survey. It has to do with % of people who fill out the survey, the answers the students choose which often deal with satisfaction and highschool GPA.

WVU's business school was unranked, not due to being bad, but because not enough students filled out the survey. The new dean went to every class and personally requested students fill it out. WVU's ranking went to 106, and the next year 81, and even lower. All in 3 years. It was not due to any improvements but survey participation.

I wouldnt put much stock in these rankings one way or the other.

[Evergrey]

Originally Posted by tbailey1138

Fixed it for you.

Sorry 'bout that, Marshall. I was looking for that distinction, but still missed it.

[JEB77]

Here's the US News description of its methodology:

Methodology: Undergraduate Ranking Criteria and Weights - US News and World Report

[JasonF]

Originally Posted by JEB77

Here's the US News description of its methodology:

Methodology: Undergraduate Ranking Criteria and Weights - US News and World Report

Thanks for that.

Much more informative than the random guessing or simply making things up and stating them as fact that usually goes along with these sorts of threads.

[Jayess1]

Even more enlightning @ USNWR:

Ten Reasons to Ignore the U.S. News Rankings

[snorpus]

Originally Posted by Jayess1

Even more enlightning @ USNWR:

Ten Reasons to Ignore the U.S. News Rankings

Many good points that Fiske makes, especially #1, #2, and #6.

And all of its statistics are, of necessity, aggregate measures. One of the universities I considered was Michigan State. But after spending a weekend there, I knew it wasn't for me. As a 17 year old from a small town in Wetzel County, I would have been lost on a campus with more students than most counties in WV have in total population.