A new study shows that college guidebook rankings have a clear and noticeable effect on how many students apply to schools. The study, which appears on the American Educational Research Association’s website, found that if US News and World Report lists a school in its Top 25, the school will see an increase of 6 to 10 percent in the number of applications.
In a press release, study author Randall Raeback of Columbia University said, “There is strong evidence that changes in colleges’ quality-of-life and academic reputations affect both the number of applications that colleges receive and the characteristics of their next incoming classes of students.”
Inclusion on a list can drive down the number of applications, too. If a school appears on the Princeton Review “Top 20 Party Schools” list, it will see an eight to nine percent decrease in the number of out-of-state applications. Positive listings for quality of life, such as “Happy Students” and “Most Beautiful Campus” drive up the numbers but less than other factors.
The study’s authors call for an independent review of how the ratings are assembled, saying it would be in the public’s best interest.
