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We do not have Harvard here, or MIT either, but overall our state's higher education system rates higher than that in Massachusetts according to one study. Top to bottom, West Virginia higher education is right up there with the best of them.
If you are referring to the post by mattec, he was merely referencing the data used to make the list in the link you posted. If you are disputing what he's posting then you are disputing the article you used to start this thread.
Last edited by mensaguy; 08-15-2014 at 03:46 PM..
Reason: Trying to keep the thread civil.
So it looks like they have used their "smart rating" of each college to compare each state. West Virginia, Maine, and Montana contain schools with the "most consistent" smart rating, with other states having very low quality schools with low ratings to bring them down. (Disclaimer: This is mostly speculation, and it required me to look up the ratings of each school individually and acquire an average.)
So what we might be able to conclude from this data, is that WV is one of 3 states in the USA to have a very consistent "smart rating." For anyone who is curious, here is their rating methodology: 2014 Best Colleges Ratings Methodology - FindTheBest Colleges
So it looks like they have used their "smart rating" of each college to compare each state. West Virginia, Maine, and Montana contain schools with the "most consistent" smart rating, with other states having very low quality schools with low ratings to bring them down. (Disclaimer: This is mostly speculation, and it required me to look up the ratings of each school individually and acquire an average.)
So what we might be able to conclude from this data, is that WV is one of 3 states in the USA to have a very consistent "smart rating." For anyone who is curious, here is their rating methodology: 2014 Best Colleges Ratings Methodology - FindTheBest Colleges
The issue though, is that they're including everything from Harvard to Bertha's Beauty Academy. So very populated states tend to be punished because they have more private for-profit and trade schools that can drag scores down.
Also, what is a smart rating? How do you come to the conclusion that ABC should be rated higher than Marshall or WVU?
If you are referring to the post by mattec, he was merely referencing the data used to make the list in the link you posted. If you are disputing what he's posting then you are disputing the article you used to start this thread.
Yeah, I don't doubt that the criteria used here is highly dubious, nor do I really think the for profit enterprises actually belong in the group, but I do believe the institutions in West Virginia, overall, are as good as those in other states. A lot of these states have tons of religiously affiliated schools where virtually no research is conducted, and where the main function served is the kids go to school with others of the same orientation. In fact, I actually taught part time for one such school in New York. I'm not suggesting that the education in such schools isn't valid, I'm saying folks are paying a whole lot of money for an education that isn't any better than in publically affiliated schools and the value received for value given don't match up as well. That goes for even some of the "high brow" schools like Vasser and Bard.
Unless you belong to their group of the year that they want to feel good about propping up, you will be paying an incredible fortune to go to school there to hang out with rich people, but unless your father hooks you up in the company business, or your uncle's sponsored non profit where you can make a 6 figure income while your workers make minimum wage, you are not going to make any more money in your job than someone who paid 1/4 the money to go to State.
The issue though, is that they're including everything from Harvard to Bertha's Beauty Academy. So very populated states tend to be punished because they have more private for-profit and trade schools that can drag scores down.
Also, what is a smart rating? How do you come to the conclusion that ABC should be rated higher than Marshall or WVU?
Hahaha is Bertha's Beauty Academy really on there?!?!
Also the "smart rating" is based on their methodology. I posted that above.
You can no doubt get a very fine education at WVU, Marshall, and some of the other smaller schools around the state....equal in quality to what you could get at other schools generally considered to be academically superior. I think the student him/herself is the most important factor in education quality...not the name on the school. However, I do think that graduates of WV schools do face more of a perception issue about the quality of their degrees compared to say grads of UNC, UVA, Cal, etc.
You can no doubt get a very fine education at WVU, Marshall, and some of the other smaller schools around the state....equal in quality to what you could get at other schools generally considered to be academically superior. I think the student him/herself is the most important factor in education quality...not the name on the school. However, I do think that graduates of WV schools do face more of a perception issue about the quality of their degrees compared to say grads of UNC, UVA, Cal, etc.
I've never had anybody question the value of my Marshall degree, and I know WVU degrees are well regarded everywhere and especially in the Northeast and DC. There might be more of an issue with some of the smaller schools but a lot depends on the major. Marshall has an excellent reputation in education and forensics, and WVU has such a reputation in business, engineering, and forestry as well. I've never met a WVU grad who said he couldn't compete with graduates from anywhere for openings, but if you're going to be a history professor, UVA might give you an edge, or if you're going to be a biology professor, Cal would probably get more attention. If you want to be a linguist and can't get into the Defense Language Institute, you'll want to clean up your act and apply to Brigham Young, or go to Indiana University.
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