Volume 67, Issue 3  

Ranked Forty and Rising
by Joshua Kessler
 

U.S. News and World Report’s 2003 annual special report, “America's Best Colleges,” put Yeshiva at number 40, its highest rank ever, on its list of the top fifty universities in America.  The 40th slot was shared with Boston College and Lehigh University in Pennsylvania, and was only five places behind New York University.  A close examination of the U.S. News survey, however, reveals some recurring problems with Yeshiva’s academic and fiscal policy.

As usual, the university remained in an excellent financial position, ranked 20th in the country in financial resources.  Additionally, Yeshiva was rated high in its faculty resource rank, which is calculated based upon such variables as professor salaries and benefits, class sizes, and what percent of the faculty is working on a full-time basis.

When looking at how it performed in academics and retaining students in the university, however, the Yeshiva ranking rapidly tapers off.  It is tied for 30^th in ranking of schools based on the percentage of incoming students who actually graduate.  Even more disconcerting, only 84% of freshmen at Yeshiva stay after their first year, a statistic last among the top fifty schools.

Another source of concern is Yeshiva’s peer assessment score, a measurement based on a survey of top academics and administrators at colleges across the country who gave their considerations, from a low score of 1 to a high of 5, of each college’s academic program.  Yeshiva ranked a 3, marginally better than some years past, but last amongst the “top tier” schools of America in its reputation among outside educators.

Student reaction to the rankings was mixed, with students acknowledging the climb while stressing the need for further improvement.  “If YU wants to be a good institution, let it focus on good academics and student life, rather than a number nobody acknowledges anyway,” said Yeshiva College senior Shlomo Schwarzbard.

The perennial question lingering in students’ minds is, as Sy Syms junior David Epstein wondered,  “Can these rankings actually help decide which University is right for each particular student?”  According to US News, "[we] believe that it is possible to objectively compare schools on one key attribute: Academic excellence… The tables should help weigh some strengths and weaknesses.”

Yeshiva College sophomore Mitchell Rocklin feels students face far more complex issues.  “When a student decides where to go for college, he’s not going to run to US News to check what number his potential schools are,” said Rocklin.  “The way Yeshiva will get new students is by concentrating on actual physical improvements on campus and in the classroom, as well as academic and research opportunities, which US News and World Report doesn’t focus on.”

Many students hesitate to rely on this report because US News gets their data directly from the colleges involved.  The publication sends out surveys to the schools, and with the use of a formula they rank them by "seven measures of academic quality.”  However, as US News admits, "estimates may be used when schools fail to report particular data points used in rankings or when the information reported does not meet our data reporting standards.”

Dr. Morton Lowengrub, Yeshiva’s Vice President of Academic Affairs, was pleased by the report but put it in context.  “I think it says something, but it’s not everything by any stretch of the imagination,” said Lowengrub.  “Certainly the University has been recognized as doing a good job.  But frankly, it’s not a very scientific ranking.”  Lowengrub acknowledged that the college itself has accomplished much over the past year.  “I feel there’s been an improvement, even if it’s not the type that may be reflected in that report.  We’ve hired excellent young undergraduate faculty… Our graduate schools are getting stronger, particularly in medicine and law, and are respected across the country, which has an effect on our university’s reputation,” he remarked.

Yeshiva actually scored far better in an area that has major implications for college students but is not as well known.  Shortly after releasing its issue profiling America’s Best Colleges, US News’ weekly magazine included a section on how to afford college, and Yeshiva ranked high on the list of “best buys” for college, having the ideal mix of educational excellence and financial affordability.  42% of students received need-based financial aid and the average cost to attend Yeshiva was $15,060, putting Yeshiva at number 25 on that list.

“Anytime the direction is going upwards, it’s obviously excellent, and the single most attributing factor is the improvement of our academic programs,” asserted Peter Ferrara, Yeshiva’s Director of Public Relations.  “All surveys are a necessary evil.  Nevertheless, if we rank well then it’s great, and for schools that don’t rank well, it’s a setback that needs to be brushed off.”

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