How do you evaluate the reputation and prestige of local colleges?

[djheater]

I'm transferring to a small private institution and want to know how it stacks up nationally, and what the acceptance rate to grad schools is, etc.

Are the US news rankings meaningful? Are there free sources of that info?

TIA

 

[CollectiveUnconscious]

The US News rankings are meaningless. They don't really take into account the kind of learning that is taking place, and focus more on popularity, established reputation, and institutional wealth. You would probably find the National Survey for Student Engagement more useful, though it is more difficult to peruse. Acceptance into grad school is based more on your work while in undergraduate, not the prestige of your university. You could have attended Yale and graduated with a 4.0, but be passed up for someone from Bumfuck U who has presented yearly at conferences and co-authored multiple papers.

edit: grammar, i'm hyped up on coffee today

 

[WildHorse]

A few things you might look at:

Are classes actually taught in person by a Ph.D. professor, or by some grad student or a person with a Master's?

Typical undergrad class size?

Where did those prof's earn their Ph.D.'s? From rigorous schools or from fly by night degree mills?

Campus recruiting profile: (career office should have all this)
What companies recruit on campus? And which ones in your field of inrterest?
How many job offers did grads receive through on-campus recruiting last year? Year before that?
Profile of salaries offered last year by on-campus recruiters?
Types of industries / jobs that grads entered?

Is the school listed on any well known rankings? (a LOT of different ones are published annually)
Which?
How have those rankings been trending over past few years; falling, flat, up?

Do you know any professional recruiters in your field of study? Ask them how they regard the school.

 

[fishmonger12]

I'd say the usnews rankings are useful as a very general way of measuring the education quality at different institutions. Any university in the top 100 should offer an excellent education. Tier 3 universities attract less gifted students, have dumbed down curricula, offer less undergrad research opportunities, attract lower quality faculty, etc. compared to a university in the top 100.

However, the rankings are meaningless when trying to compare schools in the same tier. For example, I know personally the difference between NCSU (ranked in the 80's) and UNC chapel hill (high 20's) in educational quality is minute, even though they are at different ends of the list.

 

[dainthomas]

I wouldn't want to belong to any club that would accept me as a member.

~ Groucho Marx

 

[AlgaeEater]

I think this is a stigma of a dying age. Although it's still prevalent for the more high profile jobs (Your standard Doctor & Lawyer) combo, there are few people who can accurately talk about the quality and prestige of a college with hard facts.

College advisor's have said time and time again, the size of the average classroom is a good indicator on the quality of a college and its education programs.

Your number one sure shot bet is to ask the admissions department of the school you wish to participate in what its percentile of applicants originated from which college. That will give you an idea of what they are looking for or what they've had before. If you're school is on the list, you're on easy street. If they've never heard of your university... well like ever, then you might be in for an uphill trip.