Forbes ranking of colleges and universities

lawgal · #1 08-15-2008, 04:30 PM

Has anyone seen these rankings yet? They need to get real! New College of FLorida is ranked 29th. University of Florida is ranked 167th. (Just an example). I would have expected better of Forbes. At least having them look at placement statistics or something.

lawgal · #2 08-15-2008, 04:31 PM

Here is the link. http://www.forbes.com/2008/08/13/bes...best_land.html

irishpipes · #3 08-15-2008, 05:42 PM

It's obviously wrong because it doesn't have Carnegie Mellon.

PeppyGPhiB · #4 08-22-2008, 03:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by irishpipes

It's obviously wrong because it doesn't have Carnegie Mellon.

Oh, it has Carnegie Mellon...at #266, just a few below UC San Diego (#256), App. State (#250) and Southern Miss (#262). But hey, at least it's better than that crummy school in University Park, Penn State (#272)!

This ranking is an embarrassment to Forbes. Seriously. I can't believe the editor in chief let them print it.

ETA: OMGLOL I just saw that USC (Calif.) is ranked #300 and Wisconsin is #335. My OWN alma mater is #363.

nittanyalum · #5 08-23-2008, 05:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PeppyGPhiB

Oh, it has Carnegie Mellon...at #266, just a few below UC San Diego (#256), App. State (#250) and Southern Miss (#262). But hey, at least it's better than that crummy school in University Park, Penn State (#272)!

HEY! I JUST SAW THIS!

(but seriously, UCSD, Southern Miss and Appy St. above PSU? Whatevs!)

SOPi_Jawbreaker · #6 08-23-2008, 05:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PeppyGPhiB

But hey, at least it's better than that crummy school in University Park, Penn State (#272)!

Them's fightin' words. You better be ready to meet me and nittanyalum in the parking lot after school.

Also, I wish I could read what sheetcake's cake says...and I wish I some delicious Chinatown cake.

SHEETCAKE · #7 08-22-2008, 10:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by irishpipes

It's obviously wrong because it doesn't have Carnegie Mellon.

Honoring the Olympics by giving you this cake. I think it means job well done. If I went to CMU maybe I'd have known that.

irishpipes · #8 08-23-2008, 08:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SHEETCAKE

Honoring the Olympics by giving you this cake. I think it means job well done. If I went to CMU maybe I'd have known that.

Sheetcake, if it isn't too much to ask, could I please get a cake that has multiple levels? I can't think of the proper term for that. Maybe someone smarter than would know the word. You know, like a wedding cake?

#9 08-23-2008, 08:55 PM

Wow, I was expecting my alma mater to be dead last, but we aren't. #453!

I'm surprised they put us ahead of schools like Kentucky, SDSU, and Loyola Marymount.

Still, I figure I should be wallowing in self pity because I didn't go to CMU.

SHEETCAKE · #10 08-24-2008, 12:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by irishpipes

Sheetcake, if it isn't too much to ask, could I please get a cake that has multiple levels? I can't think of the proper term for that. Maybe someone smarter than would know the word. You know, like a wedding cake?

That would be a TIER CAKE. That's quite a bit fancier than me, but I'll see what I can do.

This cake has four tiers, just like law schools! Go Thomas M. Cooley!

LightBulb · #11 08-24-2008, 02:22 AM

Psst.. hey SHEETCAKE..

nittanyalum · #12 08-15-2008, 05:45 PM

Entirely too many schools charging $50,000 PER YEAR. Holy crap.

LightBulb · #13 08-15-2008, 06:57 PM

Quote:

They based 25% of the rankings on 7 million student evaluations of courses and instructors, as recorded on the Web site RateMyProfessors.com.

Hmm.

LightBulb · #14 08-15-2008, 07:09 PM

Quote:

Another 25% depends on how many of the school's alumni, adjusted for enrollment, are listed among the notable people in Who's Who in America.

The other half of the ranking is based equally on three factors: the average amount of student debt at graduation held by those who borrowed;

While low tuition (or a high prevalence of scholarships, as is available at my undergrad) is a valuable asset, I don't agree that it necessarily makes one school "better" than another. I would define that more in terms of academics, research opportunities, job placement, student life, etc. But then, "better" is abstract.

Quote:

the percentage of students graduating in four years; and the number of students or faculty, adjusted for enrollment, who have won nationally competitive awards like Rhodes Scholarships or Nobel Prizes.

Quote:

Small liberal arts schools shine in our rankings, probably due to both the quality of their faculty and the personal attention they can provide.

While there may be truth to that, the reasoning is speculative.

LightBulb · #15 08-15-2008, 07:09 PM

Sorry to be a downer, this article just jumped out at me a bit. What else have y'all noticed about it, good or bad?