Margo Gray

Columbia reported spending over $3 billion on instruction and teaching related expenses per year. That would mean, according to his calculations, that Columbia was spending more than $100,000 per student annually.

How did Columbia arrive at this $3 billion figure? Thaddeus has a theory.

How did Columbia arrive at this $3 billion figure? Thaddeus has a theory.

How did Columbia arrive at this $3 billion figure? Thaddeus has a theory.

The list of discrepancies continued to grow. Graduation rates, the percentage of full-time faculty, and the share of professors with PhDs or other terminal degrees, all misrepresented by Columbia. Eventually, Thaddeus compiled his findings into a 21-page report. At the very top, he included a quote from Colin Diver, who we heard from earlier in the episode.

The list of discrepancies continued to grow. Graduation rates, the percentage of full-time faculty, and the share of professors with PhDs or other terminal degrees, all misrepresented by Columbia. Eventually, Thaddeus compiled his findings into a 21-page report. At the very top, he included a quote from Colin Diver, who we heard from earlier in the episode.

The list of discrepancies continued to grow. Graduation rates, the percentage of full-time faculty, and the share of professors with PhDs or other terminal degrees, all misrepresented by Columbia. Eventually, Thaddeus compiled his findings into a 21-page report. At the very top, he included a quote from Colin Diver, who we heard from earlier in the episode.

Rankings create powerful incentives to manipulate data and distort institutional behavior.

Rankings create powerful incentives to manipulate data and distort institutional behavior.

Rankings create powerful incentives to manipulate data and distort institutional behavior.

Instead, Thaddeus decided to upload the analysis to his website. And in February 2022, he hit submit. In February 2022, Michael Thaddeus published his findings under the title, An Investigation of the Facts Behind Columbia's US News Ranking.

Instead, Thaddeus decided to upload the analysis to his website. And in February 2022, he hit submit. In February 2022, Michael Thaddeus published his findings under the title, An Investigation of the Facts Behind Columbia's US News Ranking.

Instead, Thaddeus decided to upload the analysis to his website. And in February 2022, he hit submit. In February 2022, Michael Thaddeus published his findings under the title, An Investigation of the Facts Behind Columbia's US News Ranking.

But he was wrong. Very few people took notice. So Thaddeus had to reach out to the media himself. He contacted the student paper, the Columbia Daily Spectator.

But he was wrong. Very few people took notice. So Thaddeus had to reach out to the media himself. He contacted the student paper, the Columbia Daily Spectator.

But he was wrong. Very few people took notice. So Thaddeus had to reach out to the media himself. He contacted the student paper, the Columbia Daily Spectator.

In March 2022, following the Columbia Daily Spectator coverage, national outlets began picking up the story. Publications like the New York Times and Wall Street Journal.

In March 2022, following the Columbia Daily Spectator coverage, national outlets began picking up the story. Publications like the New York Times and Wall Street Journal.

In March 2022, following the Columbia Daily Spectator coverage, national outlets began picking up the story. Publications like the New York Times and Wall Street Journal.

Thaddeus suspects that the report attracted even more attention because he wasn't an outside whistleblower, but a tenured professor exposing issues at his own institution. For Thaddeus, this wasn't exactly new territory. He had a history of challenging Columbia's administration on a range of issues, from the presence of ROTC on campus to the mismanagement of the endowment.