Maria Fischer talks about why school rankings are not always the most important factor.
Even though I left Fordham University last year to attend Ohio University, I still follow Fordham’s student newspaper on various social media platforms. I was scrolling through my newsfeed recently when I came across an article that caught my eye: “Fordham Ranked #58, Students Don’t Mind.”
I clicked on the article and discovered that Fordham is currently ranked 58th in U.S. News and World Report’s annual National Universities Rankings — a drop from its number 53 ranking two years earlier.
Though a five-place drop isn’t severe enough to ignite panic, I was surprised when the newspaper reported that students have a pretty neutral opinion about Fordham’s new ranking. One Fordham student claimed he didn’t pay much attention to their ranking when making his college decision and deemed Fordham’s lower ranking as irrelevant. Another student said she wasn’t surprised Fordham dropped in rank, noting “the school is good, but even though I’m busy, I don’t get really stressed about my work. That’s a reflection on the school itself.”
At first, these comments confused me. Aside from Fordham’s location in the heart of Manhattan, one of the factors that drew me toward the university was its academic prestige.
But then I thought about my transfer to OU and the many reasons why I decided to complete my education in Athens. Based on the same ranking system, OU ranks 129th. Though there is a 71-place difference between OU and Fordham, I chose to leave Fordham because I was impressed by everything OU has to offer — the larger, diverse student body to the university’s noted journalism program, just to name a few. The moment I realized I was meant to be a Bobcat, the ranking lost its importance.
Other OU students share a similar mindset.
“I spent the first half of my freshman year at a college with great programs but I just wasn’t happy there,” OU senior Jenna Carnato said. “I transferred to OU because I needed the social aspect of college in addition to academics.”
Nicolette Lambos, a freshman, said that when she made her college decision just a few months ago, she didn’t even check OU’s national ranking.
“OU’s ranking wasn’t a factor in my decision,” Lambos said. “I thought about what school would be the best fit for me personally. A ranking can’t tell me that.”
Like Carnato and Lambos, I hesitate to view a single ranking as the best reflection of a school because national ranking systems tend to heavily focus on academics without taking student life and overall happiness into consideration. I agree that academics are the most important part of higher education and rankings can serve as good reference points for narrowing down potential schools, but students should consider other aspects of the college experience before basing their decision on a subjective ranking.
There’s more to a school than just a number.
Maria Fischer is a junior studying journalism. Email her at mf628211@ohio.edu.
