Natural and Applied Sciences School Rankings

The ranking of universities and colleges in the US, including undergraduate natural and applied science schools, has generated an entire industry. National and international organizations such as The Princeton Review, The Washington Monthly, US News & World Report and the Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) based in Shanghai, China, regularly publish both general and specialty rankings designed to identify the "best" graduate and undergraduate schools and programs according to quality and value. Some program-specific organizations like the National Research Council and the National Science Foundation also rank schools based on research funding received or expended, and you may find rankings for specific natural and applied science departments, for example a Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology. Less "official" rankings can also be found in resources like StudentsReview, Rugg's Recommendations on the Colleges, or Community College Week, and there are also a number of college guides (e.g., Fiske, Kaplan's, Barron's, etc.) and surveys (of guidance counselors, of students) which provide still more school or program rankings.

However, each ranking uses a unique set of criteria based on their own measure of what is most important. In controversial cases, like the Gourman Report, the methodology is deliberately withheld. So how should you make best use of these rankings?

To start off with, most rankings provide detailed data to support their conclusions. While their method of data collection may be criticized, the editors of these reports usually make an effort to ensure comparable statistics are used. As a result, you as an international student can use the data itself to compare the schools, based on your own criteria and needs.

As well, the statistics that come from the might suggest areas that need more investigation. For instance, one school might receive a lot of research funding, but nevertheless has a low graduation rate. This might point to concerns about the strength of the teaching at this school.

All university and college rankings have one other thing in common: they are a list of institutions and schools. Scanning the list might suggest a natural and applied sciences school that you had not considered or perhaps even heard of. Used this way, the rankings can help expand your list of schools that can then be researched in more detail.

However, you should never judge based on natural and applied sciences school rankings alone. Natural and applied sciences school rankings are important, but they are only one factor among many to consider. Schools that are less prominent may have a program that suits your needs better than any nationally ranked schools. You may find that certain areas in the US seem more like home than others, or you may wish to choose a school close to family or friends in the US. Once you have accumulated this information, you can create your own natural and applied sciences school rankings.