The recent release of the U.S. News and World Report's college rankings was met with arched eyebrows in the hallways of the UB, as the university was nowhere to be found among the 127 ranked schools, including all other SUNY centers. UB was listed only in the third tier category.
The Spectrum believes the drop in ranking is related almost entirely to changing algorithms and a new format. While the strength of a UB degree does not meet that of an Ivy League school, it is still unknown how or what the ranking will affect. It is our hope that it will not change much and current and prospective students will pay it little mind.
In years past, the survey ranked the top schools and then grouped the rest of the tiers alphabetically. This year, the top two tiers were merged and ranked, leaving everyone else off. If last year's breakdown were in place, the four university centers would have appeared together in the second tier. However, the split was accompanied by a changing algorithm that valued aspects not closely related to the university experience or the degree that one will receive.
One of the major items that hurt UB's standing was the relationship between anticipated graduates and actual graduates. The report assigns a value of what it expects based on some unknown number and compares it to the actual number. While graduation rates are standard and similar to other SUNY schools, the fluid nature of the part time students hurts UB, even though it actually makes UB stronger and a greater presence in the community. The urban setting makes this school different from the other SUNY schools, and, it is unfortunate that it is seen as a negative factor.
The other discrepancy occurs in the classification of alumni donations. Apparently, alumni donations reflect directly to the quality of a school, under the idea that dollar amounts measure loyalty of alumni. This past year, UB capped off a fundraising drive that netted the school $282 million dollars. While that sounds like a success, the report did not think so, and it hurt UB in the overall standings.
However, in terms of the reputation of UB among other colleges and universities, UB scored a 3.1 out of 5 - the same score as SUNY Binghamton, a tenth of a point higher than Albany and two-tenths of a point less than SUNY Stonybrook. In the eyes of other schools, UB is still an excellent place to receive an education.
Another indicator that was not weighed highly enough is the retention rate between freshman and sophomore year. While the comparison is given between freshmen and graduates, there is no ranking of how students like the school immediately and how that relates to that overall rating. Buffalo, at 85 percent, is a percentage point above both Binghamton and Albany.
No matter how many percentages and statistics are compared, Buffalo is relatively similar to the other SUNY institutions. Any deeper analysis of the rankings will tell UB students what they already know. Students will continue to receive excellent educations and get great returns on their investments. The problem now lies with potential applicants, who may think of UB as a school of decreasing quality. That is simply untrue.
And while a return to the list next year would cosmetically appealing, it is not necessary and not a true indicator of this school's strength.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
