WSJ Rankings 2025

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Can someone explain how Claremont McKenna is so high and Pomona is so low? Are they really that different? I’ve read the whole thread and the methodology - and as a Colgate alum I’m happy with my college’s placement - but I still think this list is weird.

These schools are extremely different. Pomona is modelled as a West Coast Dartmouth. It produces a high percentage that go on to do PhDs. CMC has preparing for the professions in the mission statement. The school frames the experience so the kids are focused on going for MBB/finance. The school does an amazing job of framing the experience around that objective. Many successful entrepreneurs value this, so the student body tends to be well connected, and the school incorporates this into its network as much as alums. Ultimately, the outcomes are amazing & the CMC network appreciates this, in turn setting records for SLAC fundraisings for the entire country (over $1bn raised in last fund raising drive).

So if your methodology is ROI, it goes to CMC. If it’s PhD, you then it goes to Pomona.

Pomona scores very low on salary impact compared to CMC…however, salary impact only looks at kids getting jobs. There are no points detracted for kids that go to grad school.

This implies Pomona grads take very different jobs vs CMC grads.

Pomona has very academic kids. CMC has business and finance kids. Dartmouth is like those two schools put together.

What does that mean from a job perspective? Pomona kids that go into the workforce take jobs at NPOs or where?

Many Pomona kids go to grad school, medical school, or law school. The Pomona grads that go into the workforce go to different companies, not just NPOs. A CS major can go to a tech company, for example. I have heard that Swarthmore is very similar to Pomona and also like this.

So why is Swarthmore ranked 35 and Pomona 170?

Maybe because Swarthmore offers degrees in engineering and Pomona does not. Also, Swarthmore is geographically closer to banking and consulting centers, so maybe they have more kids going into those high-paying jobs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:Can someone explain how Claremont McKenna is so high and Pomona is so low? Are they really that different? I’ve read the whole thread and the methodology - and as a Colgate alum I’m happy with my college’s placement - but I still think this list is weird.

These schools are extremely different. Pomona is modelled as a West Coast Dartmouth. It produces a high percentage that go on to do PhDs. CMC has preparing for the professions in the mission statement. The school frames the experience so the kids are focused on going for MBB/finance. The school does an amazing job of framing the experience around that objective. Many successful entrepreneurs value this, so the student body tends to be well connected, and the school incorporates this into its network as much as alums. Ultimately, the outcomes are amazing & the CMC network appreciates this, in turn setting records for SLAC fundraisings for the entire country (over $1bn raised in last fund raising drive).

So if your methodology is ROI, it goes to CMC. If it’s PhD, you then it goes to Pomona.

Pomona scores very low on salary impact compared to CMC…however, salary impact only looks at kids getting jobs. There are no points detracted for kids that go to grad school.

This implies Pomona grads take very different jobs vs CMC grads.

Pomona has very academic kids. CMC has business and finance kids. Dartmouth is like those two schools put together.

What does that mean from a job perspective? Pomona kids that go into the workforce take jobs at NPOs or where?

Many Pomona kids go to grad school, medical school, or law school. The Pomona grads that go into the workforce go to different companies, not just NPOs. A CS major can go to a tech company, for example. I have heard that Swarthmore is very similar to Pomona and also like this.

So why is Swarthmore ranked 35 and Pomona 170?

Maybe because Swarthmore offers degrees in engineering and Pomona does not. Also, Swarthmore is geographically closer to banking and consulting centers, so maybe they have more kids going into those high-paying jobs.

What about Amherst and Williams? They’re even closer to NYC.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Initially I was puzzled with some of the ratings in the various categories, until I realized that they are based on actual data vs expectations, where if the data outperforms the expectations, they receive a higher rating. I was looking specifically at graduation rate and was initially surprised to see higher grad ratings on some of the schools where I knew they were lower.

I actually like this balanced approach. I think looking at both this ranking and USNWR would be a good way to evaluate a school. I also like the New York Times tool, where you can set your own parameters. You can learn a lot from these three platforms.

No, it's like measuring your schwantz from the floor up. Does not give an accurate measurement of what it claims to. It's data, not information.

Sorry you are not happy with the results of your school that sunk in the rankings. Signed, mom of kid whose kid's school is in top 20 for both USNWR and WSJ.

+ a million
The PP is no different than a spoiled kid throwing a tantrum. Absolutely insufferable.

You are the one whining, and you are agreeing the the PP who went to ad hominem attacks with no salient point.

You also didn't read the response to the post which showed the PP's accusation was incorrect.

There was no ad hominem attack. You're just incredibly angry because your school (or your kid's school) is low, low, low on this list and you feel entitled to a high ranking. *Shrug*

Wow you can't read.

There certainly was an ad hominem attack - an accusation that I was angry about my kids schools ranking as the reason for the post. That is the definition of ad hominem, attacking the messenger and not the message.

And you didn't read the second part either where I mentioned where my kids went to school, and I have no idea where they rank on the WSJ list and only a vague idea on USN.

Nobody's angry.

These ranking are useless.

You know exactly where your kids' schools rank on both the USN and WSJ lists. Please.

No, I don't, and I did not look them up. If you had read the thread, my kids both have their undergrad degrees and one is in grad school. No reason to look them up now.

Why is that so important to you that you won't let it go? Why am I in your head? Focus on the facts and the lists and lets leave personal stuff out of it, OK?

NP, but the sense I get is that YOU have a hard time letting it go...and I agree with the PP that based on the multiple comments you have made on this thread, there is no way you did not look up your kids' schools lol.

1. As stated, you are likely confusing multiple posters
2. As stated, no I did not look them up, and don’t care to. Unusual that you are applying that to me as a pejorative when you are the one who has done so.
3. I am talking about the virtues (or lack thereof) of this ranking, and you are talking ABOUT ME. That is weird, creepy, and honestly a bit disturbing. I don’t get it. I am respectfully asking yet again for you to leave personal attacks out of it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can someone explain how Claremont McKenna is so high and Pomona is so low? Are they really that different? I’ve read the whole thread and the methodology - and as a Colgate alum I’m happy with my college’s placement - but I still think this list is weird.

These schools are extremely different. Pomona is modelled as a West Coast Dartmouth. It produces a high percentage that go on to do PhDs. CMC has preparing for the professions in the mission statement. The school frames the experience so the kids are focused on going for MBB/finance. The school does an amazing job of framing the experience around that objective. Many successful entrepreneurs value this, so the student body tends to be well connected, and the school incorporates this into its network as much as alums. Ultimately, the outcomes are amazing & the CMC network appreciates this, in turn setting records for SLAC fundraisings for the entire country (over $1bn raised in last fund raising drive).

So if your methodology is ROI, it goes to CMC. If it’s PhD, you then it goes to Pomona.

Pomona scores very low on salary impact compared to CMC…however, salary impact only looks at kids getting jobs. There are no points detracted for kids that go to grad school.

This implies Pomona grads take very different jobs vs CMC grads.

Pomona has very academic kids. CMC has business and finance kids. Dartmouth is like those two schools put together.

What does that mean from a job perspective? Pomona kids that go into the workforce take jobs at NPOs or where?

Many Pomona kids go to grad school, medical school, or law school. The Pomona grads that go into the workforce go to different companies, not just NPOs. A CS major can go to a tech company, for example. I have heard that Swarthmore is very similar to Pomona and also like this.

So why is Swarthmore ranked 35 and Pomona 170?

Maybe because Swarthmore offers degrees in engineering and Pomona does not. Also, Swarthmore is geographically closer to banking and consulting centers, so maybe they have more kids going into those high-paying jobs.

What about Amherst and Williams? They’re even closer to NYC.

I don't know. Probably Amherst, Williams, and Swarthmore all do better in $$$ outcome than Pomona. The kids at Pomona are throwing a frisbee around in January while the kids at the other schools are snowed in and studying.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Only nine of the top 20 USNWR made top 20 on this list.

Princeton
Stanford
Yale
MIT
Harvard
Berkeley
Penn
Columbia
Notre Dame

OK had a bit of time to cross reference the top 50 USNWR.

Those USNWR top 50 that made WSJ top 50:

Princeton
MIT
Harvard
Stanford
Yale
Penn
Cal Tech
Duke
Brown
Cornell
Columbia
Berkeley
Rice
Vanderbilt
Notre Dame
Michigan
Georgetown
Wash U
UVA
USC
UC San Diego
UC Davis
UT Austin
UC Irvine
Gtech

Those USNWR top 50 that didn't make top 50 WSJ and along with their WSJ rank:

Hopkins 92
Northwestern 62
Chicago 75
UCLA 79
Dartmouth 57
UNC 59
Emory 103
CMU 56
U Florida 83
NYU 273
UC Santa Barbara 179
Wisconsin 73
U Illinois 53
Boston College 100
Wake Forest 137
U Rochester 316
William and Mary 178
Brandeis 335
Case Western 224
Tulane 451
Northeastern 168
U Georgia 151
Ohio State 329

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can someone explain how Claremont McKenna is so high and Pomona is so low? Are they really that different? I’ve read the whole thread and the methodology - and as a Colgate alum I’m happy with my college’s placement - but I still think this list is weird.

These schools are extremely different. Pomona is modelled as a West Coast Dartmouth. It produces a high percentage that go on to do PhDs. CMC has preparing for the professions in the mission statement. The school frames the experience so the kids are focused on going for MBB/finance. The school does an amazing job of framing the experience around that objective. Many successful entrepreneurs value this, so the student body tends to be well connected, and the school incorporates this into its network as much as alums. Ultimately, the outcomes are amazing & the CMC network appreciates this, in turn setting records for SLAC fundraisings for the entire country (over $1bn raised in last fund raising drive).

So if your methodology is ROI, it goes to CMC. If it’s PhD, you then it goes to Pomona.

Pomona scores very low on salary impact compared to CMC…however, salary impact only looks at kids getting jobs. There are no points detracted for kids that go to grad school.

This implies Pomona grads take very different jobs vs CMC grads.

Pomona has very academic kids. CMC has business and finance kids. Dartmouth is like those two schools put together.

What does that mean from a job perspective? Pomona kids that go into the workforce take jobs at NPOs or where?

Many Pomona kids go to grad school, medical school, or law school. The Pomona grads that go into the workforce go to different companies, not just NPOs. A CS major can go to a tech company, for example. I have heard that Swarthmore is very similar to Pomona and also like this.

So why is Swarthmore ranked 35 and Pomona 170?

Maybe because Swarthmore offers degrees in engineering and Pomona does not. Also, Swarthmore is geographically closer to banking and consulting centers, so maybe they have more kids going into those high-paying jobs.

None of these answers make much sense considering the LA/Southern CA area is a massive economic center with plenty of high paying jobs and Pomona is also much closer to SV.

Pomona has CS, Econ and plenty of quant degrees.

[Anonymous]

William and Mary at 178, 150 slots behind UC Merced is the biggest joke.

This ranking is so comical. I guess the WSJ got their outrage click bait they wanted.

[Anonymous]

NY at 270. About right.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can someone explain how Claremont McKenna is so high and Pomona is so low? Are they really that different? I’ve read the whole thread and the methodology - and as a Colgate alum I’m happy with my college’s placement - but I still think this list is weird.

These schools are extremely different. Pomona is modelled as a West Coast Dartmouth. It produces a high percentage that go on to do PhDs. CMC has preparing for the professions in the mission statement. The school frames the experience so the kids are focused on going for MBB/finance. The school does an amazing job of framing the experience around that objective. Many successful entrepreneurs value this, so the student body tends to be well connected, and the school incorporates this into its network as much as alums. Ultimately, the outcomes are amazing & the CMC network appreciates this, in turn setting records for SLAC fundraisings for the entire country (over $1bn raised in last fund raising drive).

So if your methodology is ROI, it goes to CMC. If it’s PhD, you then it goes to Pomona.

Pomona scores very low on salary impact compared to CMC…however, salary impact only looks at kids getting jobs. There are no points detracted for kids that go to grad school.

This implies Pomona grads take very different jobs vs CMC grads.

Pomona has very academic kids. CMC has business and finance kids. Dartmouth is like those two schools put together.

What does that mean from a job perspective? Pomona kids that go into the workforce take jobs at NPOs or where?

Many Pomona kids go to grad school, medical school, or law school. The Pomona grads that go into the workforce go to different companies, not just NPOs. A CS major can go to a tech company, for example. I have heard that Swarthmore is very similar to Pomona and also like this.

So why is Swarthmore ranked 35 and Pomona 170?

Maybe because Swarthmore offers degrees in engineering and Pomona does not. Also, Swarthmore is geographically closer to banking and consulting centers, so maybe they have more kids going into those high-paying jobs.

What about Amherst and Williams? They’re even closer to NYC.

I don't know. Probably Amherst, Williams, and Swarthmore all do better in $$$ outcome than Pomona. The kids at Pomona are throwing a frisbee around in January while the kids at the other schools are snowed in and studying.

Or maybe the WSJ came up with a completely useless ranking that makes no sense whatsoever. It takes a lot of mental gymnastics to put UC Merced in the top 20. And Pomona at 170.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Serious question, even does anyone believe- even for one second-that there are 270 schools better than NYU?

If not, then these rankings are bile and trash, assembled merely to get a Barnum-like reaction from the masses.

What, exactly, is special about NYU? Other than its price tag?

Nada.

It is in NYC- a fun place to live when young if you can afford it!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Only nine of the top 20 USNWR made top 20 on this list.

Princeton
Stanford
Yale
MIT
Harvard
Berkeley
Penn
Columbia
Notre Dame

OK had a bit of time to cross reference the top 50 USNWR.

Those USNWR top 50 that made WSJ top 50:

Princeton
MIT
Harvard
Stanford
Yale
Penn
Cal Tech
Duke
Brown
Cornell
Columbia
Berkeley
Rice
Vanderbilt
Notre Dame
Michigan
Georgetown
Wash U
UVA
USC
UC San Diego
UC Davis
UT Austin
UC Irvine
Gtech

Those USNWR top 50 that didn't make top 50 WSJ and along with their WSJ rank:

Hopkins 92
Northwestern 62
Chicago 75
UCLA 79
Dartmouth 57
UNC 59
Emory 103
CMU 56
U Florida 83
NYU 273
UC Santa Barbara 179
Wisconsin 73
U Illinois 53
Boston College 100
Wake Forest 137
U Rochester 316
William and Mary 178
Brandeis 335
Case Western 224
Tulane 451
Northeastern 168
U Georgia 151
Ohio State 329

You omitted Lehigh -- #47 in USNWR, #15 in WSJ.

[Anonymous]

One of my favorite parts is that Chicago ranks only 0.1 points higher than…. George Mason!

GMU, the undiscovered gem in our backyard…

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Top 20 for those interested without subscriptions:
1: Princeton
2: Babson
3: Stanford
4: Yale
5: Claremont McKenna
6: MIT
7: Harvard
8: Berkeley
9: Georgia Tech
10: Davidson
11: Bentley
12: UC Davis
13: Penn
14: Columbia
15: Lehigh
16: San Jose State
17: Notre Dame
18: UC Merced
19: Virginia Tech
20: Harvey Mudd

I kind of like the list - very pre-professional focused and makes sense for the type who read WSJ. Methodology is 70% Student Outcomes, 20% Learning Environment, and 10% Diversity, with each of those broken up with different metrics.

Where are Rice, Vanderbilt, Amherst, Duke, Williams and Caltech?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Top 20 for those interested without subscriptions:
1: Princeton
2: Babson
3: Stanford
4: Yale
5: Claremont McKenna
6: MIT
7: Harvard
8: Berkeley
9: Georgia Tech
10: Davidson
11: Bentley
12: UC Davis
13: Penn
14: Columbia
15: Lehigh
16: San Jose State
17: Notre Dame
18: UC Merced
19: Virginia Tech
20: Harvey Mudd

I kind of like the list - very pre-professional focused and makes sense for the type who read WSJ. Methodology is 70% Student Outcomes, 20% Learning Environment, and 10% Diversity, with each of those broken up with different metrics.

Where are Rice, Vanderbilt, Amherst, Duke, Williams and Caltech?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can someone explain how Claremont McKenna is so high and Pomona is so low? Are they really that different? I’ve read the whole thread and the methodology - and as a Colgate alum I’m happy with my college’s placement - but I still think this list is weird.

These schools are extremely different. Pomona is modelled as a West Coast Dartmouth. It produces a high percentage that go on to do PhDs. CMC has preparing for the professions in the mission statement. The school frames the experience so the kids are focused on going for MBB/finance. The school does an amazing job of framing the experience around that objective. Many successful entrepreneurs value this, so the student body tends to be well connected, and the school incorporates this into its network as much as alums. Ultimately, the outcomes are amazing & the CMC network appreciates this, in turn setting records for SLAC fundraisings for the entire country (over $1bn raised in last fund raising drive).

So if your methodology is ROI, it goes to CMC. If it’s PhD, you then it goes to Pomona.

Pomona scores very low on salary impact compared to CMC…however, salary impact only looks at kids getting jobs. There are no points detracted for kids that go to grad school.

This implies Pomona grads take very different jobs vs CMC grads.

Pomona has very academic kids. CMC has business and finance kids. Dartmouth is like those two schools put together.

What does that mean from a job perspective? Pomona kids that go into the workforce take jobs at NPOs or where?

Many Pomona kids go to grad school, medical school, or law school. The Pomona grads that go into the workforce go to different companies, not just NPOs. A CS major can go to a tech company, for example. I have heard that Swarthmore is very similar to Pomona and also like this.

So why is Swarthmore ranked 35 and Pomona 170?

Maybe because Swarthmore offers degrees in engineering and Pomona does not. Also, Swarthmore is geographically closer to banking and consulting centers, so maybe they have more kids going into those high-paying jobs.

What about Amherst and Williams? They’re even closer to NYC.

I don't know. Probably Amherst, Williams, and Swarthmore all do better in $$$ outcome than Pomona. The kids at Pomona are throwing a frisbee around in January while the kids at the other schools are snowed in and studying.

I wish this was an accurate view of Pomona, but unless the frisbee is a physics problem set on angular momentum, there is little frisbee tossing and much sitting outside to stare at a computer.

It’s a chiller environment, just as rigorous.