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U.S. News & World Report, one of the most widely recognized sources for higher education rankings in the United States, has announced a one-week delay in releasing its annual graduate school rankings. The rankings, originally slated to be released on April 18, will now be published on April 25. In a statement, the company cited the unprecedented number of inquiries from schools this year, saying that it needs additional time to address these inquiries comprehensively.
U.S. News & World Report’s graduate school rankings are a highly anticipated event for schools and students across the country. Many students use the rankings to determine where to apply and attend school, and they can significantly impact a school’s reputation and the number of applicants it receives. Schools also closely watch the rankings, as they are a key measure of their performance and prestige.
However, this year, U.S. News & World Report has been under unprecedented pressure from law schools, medical schools, and undergraduate colleges that have said they will no longer provide data for the rankings. Nearly a quarter of law schools this year declined to provide U.S. News with any internal data for its rankings, including 12 of the top 14 schools, which said the publication’s methodology hurt student diversity and affordability.
In response to the boycott, U.S. News overhauled the law school rankings methodology to rely largely on ABA data, place more weight on bar passage and employment, and reduce the emphasis on Law School Admission Test scores. The move was seen as an attempt to address some of the concerns raised by law schools about the rankings. However, it did not completely satisfy critics, some of whom said that the rankings still place too much emphasis on factors that do not reflect the quality of education that law schools provide.
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U.S. News releases its rankings to graduate schools at least one week before publication, allowing them time to review the lists so that the schools do not reveal the contents. That process this year led to more questions than normal, according to U.S. News, which may be one of the reasons for the delay. It remains to be seen whether the delay will significantly impact the rankings or the schools that are waiting for them.
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This is not the first time U.S. News has had to modify its rankings plans. In 2021, the publication adjusted the law schools rankings twice before the list was made public due to errors. The first error occurred when U.S. News mistakenly gave two law schools the same ranking, and the second error occurred when it failed to take into account the fact that some schools had merged. These errors led to criticism from some quarters about the reliability and accuracy of the rankings.
Despite the challenges it has faced in recent years, U.S. News & World Report remains one of the country’s most influential sources of higher education rankings. Its rankings are widely cited by students, parents, and schools themselves, and they play an important role in shaping the higher education landscape. However, the growing criticism of the rankings and the boycott by some schools suggest that U.S. News may face increasing challenges in maintaining its position as the preeminent source of higher education rankings in the future.
