Rating universities based on non-academic measures seems wrong.  Rating schools on academic measures appears invalid, given the differing missions of universities. So what kind of ratings would be legitimate to determine the efficacy of federal aid? After all, $180 billion ought to be spent wisely, no matter what bureaucrats say.

A host of public universities have made it their mission to educate first-generation college students from working class families. I can not think of a more worthy mission, and I am proud to teach at one such public university in Michigan.  In spite of entrance requirements, this is an at-risk population, both for financial and academic reasons. Even while receiving Pell grants, students must hold jobs and the jobs compete with their studies. The four-year graduation is an anomaly in such universities.

In today’s New York Times (June 25, 2014) a study by the Education Trust is cited which study which lays a ground level minimum for success in these unversities:

• 17 per cent enrollment of poor and working class students
• a six-year graduation rate of 15%
• a three-year default rate on student loans of no more than 28%

These are not high standards for success, but they attempt to target universities which are simply processing students to cull their tuition and send them on their way, the so-called “drop-out” factories.  I would not be proud to teach at such an exploitive university.

University ratings are generally a farce, but targeting abusive academic institutions can only reflect well on those that are faithfully serving the working poor. It can also disarm the critics of higher education who use deceptive statistics to destroy their credibility.  Ultimately it can prevent students from beginning their careers in deep debt, but no diploma.  This can’t be bad.

So while we know that statistics can lie, the egregiously poor performers usually have earned their distinction. So let’s not be protecting them on the principle that ratings are often flawed or arbitrary.  There’s evidence enough to expose the marginal universities that are not ethically serving their students.