Student Union

Some Colleges Pay the Leading US Rankings for Greater Visibility

FILE - In this April 16, 2015 file photo, cadets practice for their weekly parade on the campus of The Citadel in Charleston, S.C. The New York Times reported the school moved to spend $50,000 for the right to use its rankings online, in print and on television.

The U.S. News & World Report’s annual college rankings have been criticized by many schools, and some, especially medical and legal programs, have withdrawn from them.

Yet at the same time, many other schools pay U.S. News to advertise their ranking each year. Alan Blinder investigated for the New York Times (January 2024)