College rankings may be losing their luster among traditional college-bound high school students, with only about one in 10 stating that they care about an institution’s particular rank. The findings come from a new survey by the Art & Science Group.
For the most part, those students consulting ranking sources do so across a range of decision points as they explore and hone in on their choices of where to apply and where to enroll. These sources might be used somewhat differently at different junctures, however. Findings hint that students making enrollment decisions might be more likely to consider rank/ranking neighborhoods than those making application decisions. Finally, findings document a continued decline in the influence of U.S. News & World Report as a rankings source, now being comparable to Niche in terms of use and influence.
The Art & Science Group surveyed 4,030 high school seniors, 1,579 of whom plan to attend a four-year institution full time this fall.