LSU has slightly improved in the latest edition of the U.S. News and World Report Best Colleges rankings, rising two spots among all universities and one spot among the top public schools.
LSU is tied for No. 133 among all national universities, up from 135 last year. The university is tied for No. 63 among public schools, up from 64 last year.
The list, billed as a means to help parents and students find the right higher education institution, ranks 1,400 colleges nationally and regionally. Schools are evaluated on 15 indicators like class size, average graduation rates and the standardized test scores of incoming freshman.
Today’s release of the rankings comes days after LSU President F. King Alexander criticized the annual list in a special report from Politico, which found that the U.S. News list provided perverse incentives for schools and has driven economic inequality at some of the nation’s largest colleges.
The influential ranking has done more to damage the higher education marketplace than other enterprise, Alexander says. LSU issued a statement this morning about the rankings, but touted the mid-career earnings of its graduates and its No. 63 ranking among public colleges more than its overall No. 133 ranking.
“U.S. News & World Report has been releasing its college rankings since 1983, but in recent years, more outcomes-based rankings have been made available for students and parents. The goal is for students and their parents to have as much information as possible when making their selection on where to further their educations,” reads a press release from LSU.
In other news, Tulane University is ranked No. 40 in the Best National Universities category.
