Despite recent boycotts from leading law and medical schools, the annual U.S. News & World Report college rankings are here to stay, according to a rebuttal published in the Wall Street Journal. The orders have faced criticism from elite law schools, accused of objecting to them because they don't want to be held accountable by an independent third party. Eric J. Gertler, the executive chairman and CEO of U.S. News & World Report, defended the rankings and disputed their critics' claims.
Eric J. Gertler, CEO of U.S. News & World Report, defended the company's rankings, stating that they provide accurate and comprehensive information for students to compare institutions and make informed decisions. He rejected criticisms that students cannot discern the best fit for themselves and pointed out that most law and medical schools still cooperate with the data collection process used for the rankings. Gertler suggested that the boycotts by elite schools were driven by concerns over a potential Supreme Court ruling on affirmative action, which could impact their rankings. However, the controversy surrounding the orders extended beyond law and medical schools, as Colorado College announced its withdrawal due to its bias towards wealth and privilege.
At a conference jointly organized by the Harvard and Yale law schools, U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel A. Cardona called on institutions to stop prioritizing U.S. News rankings and focus on delivering value and upward mobility for underserved students. He criticized the orders for creating an unhealthy obsession with selectivity, which may prevent institutions with the largest endowments from enrolling and graduating more underserved students. Cardona urged attendees to set the agenda and admit more students of color.
