Starting in 1983, "U.S. News and World Report" began issuing annual rankings of colleges and universities. Under the original ranking system, schools were divided into four tiers. The top 50 schools comprised the first tier; the rest were divided into three lower tiers. Fourth tier schools under this system were the lowest ranked. The method of ranking changed in 2010 and the four-tier system was consolidated and replaced with only a first tier and second tier.
A number of criteria were considered when the original four tiered rankings were released annually by "U.S. News and World Report." Elements included peer assessment, guidance counselor assessment, student retention, faculty resources, student selectivity, financial resources, graduation rate and alumni donations. Much of this data was, and is, gathered from opinion surveys done at the educational institution in question as well as outside surveys done among faculty and administrators at other colleges and universities. Each part of the ranking criteria is weighted differently. Faculty resources and student retention, for example, factor more strongly into a school's ranking than do alumni donations.
When a college or university is grouped within a certain tier, that ranking can have a major impact on how the school is perceived. Rankings can influence which schools students apply to and, ultimately, which ones they choose to attend. Rankings can also affect how many donations, grants and research dollars are awarded to a school over a given period of time. Many colleges and universities strive to put measures in place to achieve higher rankings. These measures include everything from reducing class size to increasing the salaries of professors.
The tiered ranking system presented by "U.S. News and World Report" has drawn criticism in recent years. Administrators and faculty from lower-ranked schools see the rankings as purely subjective and influenced by a school's previous ranking, regardless of what changes or advances have occurred subsequently.