College Rankings Are a Scam

And now there’s a $9 million lawsuit to prove it.

This week, Columbia University agreed to pay up after admitting it submitted false data to U.S. News & World Report to climb the rankings. We're talking inflated class sizes, misleading stats, and a whole lot of smoke and mirrors that helped push Columbia to the #2 spot in 2022. (Spoiler: they plummeted to #18 when the truth came out.) 

[Sidebar, I wouldn't call Columbia #2 or #18. It depends on the program. For film, it's subpar, but for future financial advisors who want to intern on Wall Street, it's excellent! If you're a pro-Israel student who doesn't want to be chanted on the way to class...it may come in last place.]

Columbia's not alone. Other elite schools like Yale and Harvard have also pulled out of the rankings game, because even they know it’s broken.

So if rankings are meaningless, what should you look at?

1. Acceptance Rates (for your program, not just the school)

A 7% admit rate means something very different if it’s for the music school versus the engineering department. Don’t fall for umbrella numbers. Look at the program that matters to you.

2. Department Size + Class Access

You might get into a “top” school but never actually get to take a class with the best professors. Research how many students are in your major. Will you get the mentorship, lab access, or studio time you need? 

3. Professors Who Do the Thing

Your education should come from people who are actually succeeding in your future industry. Look up your potential professors. Are they publishing? Directing? Leading startups? Winning awards? Or are they just tenured and checked out? Access to internships matters, but more so, expertise. I could have gone to Johns Hopkins to study screenwriting, but at USC, one of my professors wrote a Batman movie and another the original Top Gun. What mattered was who had more to teach me about what I cared about, regardless of whether the school was #6 or #19 that year.

4. Outcomes, Not Optics

If you’re thinking long-term (grad school, med school, law school), rankings won’t prep you for the MCAT or LSAT. Instead, look at:

• % of students who go on to top grad schools

• Avg. MCAT/LSAT scores

• Where recent alumni end up - families often overlook liberal arts colleges; however, if you want to go to an elite medical or law school, odds are they will get you there faster than the University of Michigan or UCLA.

5. Majors Matter More Than Schools

Being a political science major at Harvard isn’t the same as being a computer science major there. (Don't let Mark Zuckerberg fool you, I'd choose Berkeley over Harvard if you want Big Tech! That's due to industry relevance, research output, startup culture, and real-world impact.) Some departments at “lower-ranked” schools are stronger, more connected, and better funded than their Ivy League counterparts. You don’t need prestige—you need fit.

So yeah, you can chase a number. Or you can build a future.

We help students pick colleges where their actual goals will thrive: the right professors, the right labs, the right mentors, the right vibe. Not just a shiny name on a sweatshirt.

And if you’re reading this and thinking, wait, how do I know if I’m falling for the scam? That’s literally why we exist.