US NEWS COLLEGE RANKINGS ARE OUT

On newsstands right now, US News and World Report ranks the top colleges and universities in the nation. No big surprise here - Princeton University is number one. Traditionally, Princeton and Harvard trade places at number one, like a game almost.

One thing: I don't think it matters much about the distinctions between universities ranked one through ten. Is there really a difference, rankings-wise, between a Harvard, Princeton, and Yale? Of course not. I do
think that the ranks are meaningful in that they give you a very good snapshot of how graduate schools and employers view the rigor and prestige of your undergraduate institution, but I tell my students that if you get into a USNWR Top Ten school, you are golden. One thing I did like, as a Berkeley grad, is that Stanford is not on top of the rankings. If you know anything about the rivalry between Berkeley and Stanford, you'll know why I am making this good-natured ribbing to the Cardinal.