Margo Gray

In 1983, US News and World Report stepped in to fill the void, releasing its first ever ranking of the best colleges. The methodology was rudimentary, to say the least. The magazine sent a survey to university presidents, asking them to name up to 10 schools they believed offered the best undergraduate education. U.S.

In 1983, US News and World Report stepped in to fill the void, releasing its first ever ranking of the best colleges. The methodology was rudimentary, to say the least. The magazine sent a survey to university presidents, asking them to name up to 10 schools they believed offered the best undergraduate education. U.S.

News then tallied the votes and published the results, declaring Stanford the best national university and Amherst the best national liberal arts college.

News then tallied the votes and published the results, declaring Stanford the best national university and Amherst the best national liberal arts college.

News then tallied the votes and published the results, declaring Stanford the best national university and Amherst the best national liberal arts college.

The rankings quickly became a lifeline for the struggling US News and World Report magazine. When schools like Amherst boasted about their top spot, it turned into free advertising for US News. And the editors realized they could attract even more attention by making their methodology seem more sophisticated. They began sending out lengthy questionnaires to colleges

The rankings quickly became a lifeline for the struggling US News and World Report magazine. When schools like Amherst boasted about their top spot, it turned into free advertising for US News. And the editors realized they could attract even more attention by making their methodology seem more sophisticated. They began sending out lengthy questionnaires to colleges

The rankings quickly became a lifeline for the struggling US News and World Report magazine. When schools like Amherst boasted about their top spot, it turned into free advertising for US News. And the editors realized they could attract even more attention by making their methodology seem more sophisticated. They began sending out lengthy questionnaires to colleges

asking for a range of statistics, things like graduation rates and the average SAT scores of enrolled students.

asking for a range of statistics, things like graduation rates and the average SAT scores of enrolled students.

asking for a range of statistics, things like graduation rates and the average SAT scores of enrolled students.

Based on all these different statistics, U.S. News then had to create a formula to measure the quality of an institution.

Based on all these different statistics, U.S. News then had to create a formula to measure the quality of an institution.

Based on all these different statistics, U.S. News then had to create a formula to measure the quality of an institution.

In other words, US News had to decide which factors define the quality of an institution and how much each of those factors should matter. For example, if a school has a top tier engineering department, but a subpar humanities program, or has a massive endowment, but limited campus space, how should all of that be weighed?

In other words, US News had to decide which factors define the quality of an institution and how much each of those factors should matter. For example, if a school has a top tier engineering department, but a subpar humanities program, or has a massive endowment, but limited campus space, how should all of that be weighed?

In other words, US News had to decide which factors define the quality of an institution and how much each of those factors should matter. For example, if a school has a top tier engineering department, but a subpar humanities program, or has a massive endowment, but limited campus space, how should all of that be weighed?

As if assessing the quality of a single institution wasn't challenging enough, U.S. News set out to rank more than 1,400 schools against one another, lining them up on a single scale from best to worst.

As if assessing the quality of a single institution wasn't challenging enough, U.S. News set out to rank more than 1,400 schools against one another, lining them up on a single scale from best to worst.

As if assessing the quality of a single institution wasn't challenging enough, U.S. News set out to rank more than 1,400 schools against one another, lining them up on a single scale from best to worst.