How Princeton fared in college rankings

Published in the Sept. 22, 2010, Issue

Princeton ranked second among national universities in the latest U.S. News & World Report rankings, released in August. Harvard topped the list, edging Princeton by one point with a perfect score on the magazine’s 100-point scale. In 2009, the two schools tied for the No. 1 spot, and U.S. News data research director Robert Morse told USA Today that Harvard pushed ahead this year with higher scores on graduation rates, faculty, and financial resources.

A University news release said that while Princeton officials were “gratified by the widespread recognition,” formulaic rankings cannot “accurately reflect the distinctiveness of an institution.”

More Princeton rankings:

Forbes (August) No. 2 overall, based on factors including academic experience
and success after college. Williams College ranked first; Harvard, eighth.

Princeton Review (August) Top 10 for financial aid, campus beauty, college
library, and students who “study the most.”

Washington Monthly (August) No. 24 among national universities; ranking measures “contribution to the public good” in research, service, and social mobility.

Sierra (August) No. 29 on the Sierra Club’s sustainability-themed list of “cool schools.”

CampusPride.org (August) One of 19 schools to earn a five-star rating in a new list of gay-friendly colleges.

The Wall Street Journal online (June) No. 8 for return on investment, based on tuition and graduates’ expected salaries.

The Daily Beast (April) No. 6 on the 50 most stressful colleges; criteria include competitiveness and cost.

Kiplinger’s Personal Finance (January) No. 2 on a list of the “100 Best Values in Private Colleges.”

Times Higher Education-QS World University Rankings (January) No. 8
in the world, fourth in the United States, behind Harvard, Yale, and U. of Chicago.