other – hbcu
College rankings, despite criticism, remain influential in higher education. U.S. News & World Report’s 2025 rankings, its 40th edition, faced backlash for bias towards selective private universities and lack of breadth. The ranking methodology was adjusted, removing factors like alumni giving, class size, and high school standing, and focusing more on graduation rates from diverse backgrounds. However, first-generation-student graduation rate data was removed from some categories. Despite changes, Princeton, M.I.T, and Harvard retained top spots. Ohio State University ranked 41st among national universities. Other publications have developed their own ranking systems with different methodologies.