2026 US News College Rankings

[Anonymous]

It's still a few months away but any word if they changed the criteria and how the the top 20 might change?

[Anonymous]

The LAC rankings are set to change massively. Of course, Williams is USNews golden child, but every other position is supposed to be moving around.

[Anonymous]

One thing for sure: the test required schools will be massively promoted, the test blind schools will be massively demoted.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:One thing for sure: the test required schools will be massively promoted, the test blind schools will be massively demoted.

Likely the opposite. Test required reduces your average SAT to prior COVID numbers. Also, there's no evidence to suggest that test optional students are less likely to lead successful careers or attain fellowships.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:One thing for sure: the test required schools will be massively promoted, the test blind schools will be massively demoted.

Among the TO schools, there will be an additional factor in methodology: percentage submitting scores.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The LAC rankings are set to change massively. Of course, Williams is USNews golden child, but every other position is supposed to be moving around.

To be honest, their LAC methodology doesn't really make sense to me or prioritize what an individual family cares most about. My DD cares most about teacher quality, class size, student experience, and variety and depth of courses in the area she's most interested in. She's less concerned about social mobility for herself, etc. She's also interested in balanced genders and visible diversity (she's a POC and she doesn't want to be an extreme minority).

So the rankings won't inform her choices much at all or her friends. Her bff is planning to ED to Middlebury despite it dropping pretty significantly in USNWR's LAC rankings last year. Her friend just doesn't care about their change in criteria, she's going to make the best decision for fit for herself without needing a magazine to guide her.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The LAC rankings are set to change massively. Of course, Williams is USNews golden child, but every other position is supposed to be moving around.

To be honest, their LAC methodology doesn't really make sense to me or prioritize what an individual family cares most about. My DD cares most about teacher quality, class size, student experience, and variety and depth of courses in the area she's most interested in. She's less concerned about social mobility for herself, etc. She's also interested in balanced genders and visible diversity (she's a POC and she doesn't want to be an extreme minority).

So the rankings won't inform her choices much at all or her friends. Her bff is planning to ED to Middlebury despite it dropping pretty significantly in USNWR's LAC rankings last year. Her friend just doesn't care about their change in criteria, she's going to make the best decision for fit for herself without needing a magazine to guide her.

It's never made sense. The most applied to and popular LACs are never at the top, because the USNews ranking boils down to highest endowment and best financial aid program: Williams obviously wins with its $3bn endowment and all grants program/buy the book, but that doesn't inform us of what most LAC parents are interested in which is outcomes, professor teaching quality, scholarship, and retention, class size, research spending and percent of the students taking up independent study, fellowship attainment, and, for some, study abroad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:One thing for sure: the test required schools will be massively promoted, the test blind schools will be massively demoted.

Among the TO schools, there will be an additional factor in methodology: percentage submitting scores.

This is already part of the SAT/ACT component as of last year.

[Anonymous]

If maga cuts Pell grant, the U.S. news has to find other measures for social mobility. One example would be percentage of FGLI students, and salaries of FGLI graduates. These will have to be self reported.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The LAC rankings are set to change massively. Of course, Williams is USNews golden child, but every other position is supposed to be moving around.

Why are they set to change massively?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The LAC rankings are set to change massively. Of course, Williams is USNews golden child, but every other position is supposed to be moving around.

To be honest, their LAC methodology doesn't really make sense to me or prioritize what an individual family cares most about. My DD cares most about teacher quality, class size, student experience, and variety and depth of courses in the area she's most interested in. She's less concerned about social mobility for herself, etc. She's also interested in balanced genders and visible diversity (she's a POC and she doesn't want to be an extreme minority).

So the rankings won't inform her choices much at all or her friends. Her bff is planning to ED to Middlebury despite it dropping pretty significantly in USNWR's LAC rankings last year. Her friend just doesn't care about their change in criteria, she's going to make the best decision for fit for herself without needing a magazine to guide her.

well said. their criteria has always been subjective and ... not very helpful to individual applicants.

we all need to make our own rankings based on our own priorities and not worry about these money-making publications trying to control it for us.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The LAC rankings are set to change massively. Of course, Williams is USNews golden child, but every other position is supposed to be moving around.

To be honest, their LAC methodology doesn't really make sense to me or prioritize what an individual family cares most about. My DD cares most about teacher quality, class size, student experience, and variety and depth of courses in the area she's most interested in. She's less concerned about social mobility for herself, etc. She's also interested in balanced genders and visible diversity (she's a POC and she doesn't want to be an extreme minority).

So the rankings won't inform her choices much at all or her friends. Her bff is planning to ED to Middlebury despite it dropping pretty significantly in USNWR's LAC rankings last year. Her friend just doesn't care about their change in criteria, she's going to make the best decision for fit for herself without needing a magazine to guide her.

well said. their criteria has always been subjective and ... not very helpful to individual applicants.

we all need to make our own rankings based on our own priorities and not worry about these money-making publications trying to control it for us.

+1, our DD majors in Chemistry and wanted to do a lot of community work nearby or inside an urban region. It made a lot more sense for her to apply to Pomona and Swarthmore over Williams. Williams checked almost none of our boxes, but it is obviously a great college for other students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The LAC rankings are set to change massively. Of course, Williams is USNews golden child, but every other position is supposed to be moving around.

To be honest, their LAC methodology doesn't really make sense to me or prioritize what an individual family cares most about. My DD cares most about teacher quality, class size, student experience, and variety and depth of courses in the area she's most interested in. She's less concerned about social mobility for herself, etc. She's also interested in balanced genders and visible diversity (she's a POC and she doesn't want to be an extreme minority).

So the rankings won't inform her choices much at all or her friends. Her bff is planning to ED to Middlebury despite it dropping pretty significantly in USNWR's LAC rankings last year. Her friend just doesn't care about their change in criteria, she's going to make the best decision for fit for herself without needing a magazine to guide her.

well said. their criteria has always been subjective and ... not very helpful to individual applicants.

we all need to make our own rankings based on our own priorities and not worry about these money-making publications trying to control it for us.

+1, our DD majors in Chemistry and wanted to do a lot of community work nearby or inside an urban region. It made a lot more sense for her to apply to Pomona and Swarthmore over Williams. Williams checked almost none of our boxes, but it is obviously a great college for other students.

Williams alum and I agree with this. Williams doesn’t make sense for anyone who may want to seek social/ extracurricular opportunities in a nearby urban area during college. It didn’t check my kid’s boxes either for that reason.

[Anonymous]

In general, the top four LACs are the same colleges in different locations. There are few difference.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In general, the top four LACs are the same colleges in different locations. There are few difference.

I find nothing about Williams and Swarthmore similar other than being liberal arts colleges.