In 1948, U.S. News & World Report was a magazine reporting on politics, economics and education across the world. Today, the organization is known mostly for its college ranking system, an annual report that compares universities across America. Despite criticism, the report is used throughout the world as the definitive guide to U.S. higher education.
The U.S. News & World Report splits colleges into four separate categories and then compares schools within the ranks. Regional universities and colleges are further split into geographical areas, but national universities and liberal arts colleges compete against schools throughout the country. Within each category, one college is declared the best and every other school is compared to that particular college.
The report uses seven different criteria to compare schools, ranging from the university’s reputation to class sizes and incoming test scores for freshman. Alumni giving, financial spending on students and graduation rates are also considered. While some factors are subjective, most are based on data that is shown to users of the report.
Source: The College Consensus