Ratings and Rankings: What They Really Mean for Colleges and Universities

As the higher ed community eagerly awaits the details of President Obama’s plan to rate colleges and universities and perhaps tie their access to federal funding to their performance, third-party rankings and ratings of colleges and universities continue to proliferate. What effects do these reports have on the priorities of these institutions and how should journalists interpret each new list of “bests”?

• Terry Hartle, American Council on Education
• Kim Clark, Money
• Michelle Asha Cooper, Institute for Higher Education Policy
• Holly Hacker, The Dallas Morning News (moderator)