Notre Dame remains in top 20
By JASON McFARLEY
News Editor
For the third consecutive year, Notre Dame ranked 19th in U.S. News & World Report's annual listing of the nation's top schools.
In the Sept. 17 edition of the magazine released to newsstands today, the "2002 America's Best Colleges" section keeps Notre Dame in its top-20 spot among national universities.
Princeton University placed first on the list for the second straight year.
"We believe that if there is going to be a list of the top colleges in America, we should be on that list," Dennis Moore, Notre Dame director of public relations and information, said Sunday.
"But our stance really hasn't changed over the years as far as rankings are concerned," Moore said, referring to the slim use the University makes of the annual report.
Prior to the list's publishing each year, Notre Dame officials voluntarily submit statistical data about the school to U.S. News, a practice Moore said allows the University to compare itself to other schools in specific categories.
Notre Dame's best ratings came in the graduation rate and alumni giving categories, achieving fourth-place distinction in both. The school was 14th in selectivity and 16th in faculty resources.
And despite a hugely lucrative end this year to the $1 billion-topping Generations campaign — the most successful fund-raising effort in American Catholic school history — the University was only 48th in financial resources.
Notre Dame achieved an overall index score of 83 out of 100 possible points to earn the No. 19 ranking.
Ivy League schools claimed the top three spots on the list, with Harvard and Yale Universities placing second and third, respectively. California Institute of Technology was fourth and Massachusetts Institute of Technology was fifth on the list.
Emory University placed just ahead of Notre Dame at No. 18, while the University of California-Berkeley rounded out the top 20.
Because U.S. News bases the list on questionable criteria and because there are few shake-ups from year to year, the University has long given little credence to the rankings, Moore said.
"I don't think that U.S. News or anyone else has come up with supportable methodology to say one school's No. 5 or another's No. 6," Moore said.
Last month the rankings were the target of at least two publications — Washington Monthly and the New York Times — that suggested the annual list is based on schools' wealth, reputation and achievement of enrolled students.
U.S. News recommends that its readers use the rankings as only one tool for selecting colleges, according to the magazine's official Web site.
"We recognize that prospective students must consider their academic and professional goals, financial resources, scholastic record and special needs when choosing a school," the Web site states.
Organizers of the college guide evaluate schools on 16 measures of merit, with academic reputation, student selectivity, faculty resources and graduation and retention rates given the most weight.
Other factors used to rank schools include student SAT and ACT scores and faculty-student ratio.
All News Stories for Monday, September 10, 2001
