In this Washington Post op-ed, Jordan Ellenberg discusses the alleged methods which Columbia used to game the U.S.News and World Report’s #2 College Ranking. He notes “To the extent that universities chase rankings — whether through policy changes or sketchy numbers — they are declaring their real priorities. They are making clear that the imaginary students envisioned by the ranking algorithm are more important than the real-life students already present in the classrooms and the dorms.”
Link: https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2022/03/23/columbia-usnews-rankings-college-methodology/