WSJ/THE College Rankings 2019
The results of the Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education College Rankings differ considerably from those of the THE World University Ranking. This is mainly due to the different focus of both rankings.
The THEWorld University Ranking compares international universities with a focus on excellent research performance. In contrast, the Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education College Ranking has the task of providing answers to the questions of future students and their parents.
Are students challenged and supported at their future universities? How good is the reputation and quality of the academic staff? Are there sufficient resources available to ensure that students receive individual attention? What are my chances that students will achieve their degrees? How long will it take you to achieve your degree and how good are your job prospects afterwards? How quickly can the student loan be paid off?
To create the ranking, 15 different key figures are collected and analyzed. The system follows the idea of the Balanced Scorecard. The resulting calculation of the ranking results was subjected to an independent audit by the auditing firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC).
| US Rank | University | Overall | Resources | Engagement | Outcomes | Environment | Tuition and Fees | Room and Board | Salary after 10 years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Harvard University | 93.2 | 29.9 | 16.7 | 39.6 | 7.1 | $47,074 | $15,951 | $91,200 |
| 2 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | 92.0 | 29.4 | 16.1 | 39.2 | 7.3 | $48,452 | $14,210 | $91,667 |
| 3 | Yale University | 90.9 | 26.8 | 17.1 | 39.6 | 7.4 | $49,480 | $15,170 | $74,467 |
| 4 | Columbia University | 90.8 | 27.1 | 16.6 | 39.2 | 8.0 | $49,973 | $13,244 | $75,433 |
| 5 | California Institute of Technology | 90.5 | 30.0 | 15.2 | 39.1 | 6.3 | $47,577 | $14,100 | $75,333 |
| 6 | Stanford University | 90.4 | 26.1 | 17.2 | 39.0 | 8.1 | $47,940 | $14,601 | $84,200 |
| =7 | Brown University | 90.0 | 27.4 | 17.7 | 38.0 | 7.0 | $51,366 | $13,200 | $60,833 |
| =7 | Duke University | 90.0 | 26.7 | 17.1 | 39.6 | 6.7 | $51,265 | $14,438 | $77,100 |
| 9 | Princeton University | 89.9 | 28.1 | 15.5 | 39.5 | 6.8 | $45,300 | $14,770 | $77,833 |
| 10 | University of Pennsylvania | 89.8 | 27.0 | 16.9 | 38.9 | 6.9 | $51,464 | $14,536 | $80,100 |
| US Rank | University | Overall | Resources | Engagement | Outcomes | Environment | Tuition and Fees | Room and Board | Salary after 10 years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Cornell University | 89.5 | 26.8 | 17.2 | 38.8 | 6.6 | $50,953 | $13,900 | $72,200 |
| 12 | Dartmouth College | 89.4 | 26.9 | 17.4 | 39.1 | 6.0 | $51,438 | $14,736 | $68,300 |
| 13 | Northwestern University | 88.5 | 27.2 | 17.3 | 37.8 | 6.2 | $50,855 | $15,489 | $64,800 |
| =14 | University of Chicago | 88.0 | 27.0 | 15.6 | 38.4 | 7.0 | $52,491 | $15,093 | $64,100 |
| =14 | Rice University | 88.0 | 27.2 | 17.3 | 36.4 | 7.1 | $43,918 | $13,750 | $62,900 |
| 16 | Carnegie Mellon University | 87.4 | 25.3 | 17.5 | 38.1 | 6.6 | $52,310 | $13,270 | $76,667 |
| 17 | University of Southern California | 87.2 | 25.3 | 17.7 | 36.4 | 7.8 | $52,283 | $14,348 | $68,067 |
| 18 | Washington University in St Louis | 87.1 | 26.1 | 17.3 | 37.4 | 6.3 | $49,770 | $15,596 | $63,800 |
| 19 | Vanderbilt University | 86.9 | 27.5 | 17.1 | 37.0 | 5.3 | $45,610 | $14,962 | $62,033 |
| 20 | Emory University | 86.3 | 25.6 | 16.6 | 36.4 | 7.7 | $47,954 | $13,486 | $59,967 |
| US Rank | University | Overall | Resources | Engagement | Outcomes | Environment | Tuition and Fees | Room and Board | Salary after 10 years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | Johns Hopkins University | 86.1 | 25.1 | 16.0 | 37.6 | 7.3 | $50,410 | $14,976 | $68,300 |
| 22 | Amherst College | 85.0 | 24.2 | 15.3 | 38.1 | 7.4 | $52,476 | $13,710 | $57,600 |
| 23 | Williams College | 84.7 | 24.5 | 15.5 | 37.9 | 6.8 | $51,790 | $13,690 | $55,467 |
| 24 | Pomona College | 83.5 | 24.9 | 16.4 | 34.1 | 8.1 | $49,352 | $15,605 | $53,533 |
| 25 | University of California, Los Angeles | 83.1 | 19.6 | 17.5 | 37.1 | 8.9 | $39,602 | $15,069 | $59,167 |
| 26 | University of Notre Dame | 82.5 | 24.3 | 17.1 | 36.4 | 4.7 | $49,685 | $14,358 | $70,367 |
| 27 | New York University | 82.2 | 23.3 | 17.1 | 34.1 | 7.7 | $49,062 | $17,578 | $59,067 |
| 28 | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor | 82.1 | 21.1 | 17.6 | 37.4 | 5.9 | $47,004 | $10,872 | $58,467 |
| 29 | Wellesley College | 81.7 | 24.5 | 16.4 | 33.8 | 7.0 | $48,802 | $15,114 | $57,767 |
| 30 | Georgetown University | 81.2 | 23.0 | 16.7 | 35.3 | 6.3 | $50,547 | $14,962 | $85,800 |
| US Rank | University | Overall | Resources | Engagement | Outcomes | Environment | Tuition and Fees | Room and Board | Salary after 10 years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 | Swarthmore College | 81.0 | 24.2 | 17.0 | 32.4 | 7.4 | $49,104 | $14,446 | $50,133 |
| 32 | Tufts University | 80.6 | 25.8 | 16.3 | 32.7 | 5.8 | $52,430 | $13,556 | $66,433 |
| =33 | University of California, Berkeley | 79.3 | 17.8 | 16.8 | 36.2 | 8.5 | $40,191 | $16,389 | $61,767 |
| =33 | Claremont McKenna College | 79.3 | 24.3 | 16.3 | 32.3 | 6.4 | $50,945 | $15,740 | $68,333 |
| 35 | Carleton College | 79.2 | 23.2 | 16.4 | 33.7 | 6.0 | $50,874 | $13,197 | $49,400 |
| 36 | Boston University | 78.6 | 22.8 | 17.1 | 32.2 | 6.5 | $50,240 | $14,870 | $60,700 |
| =37 | Middlebury College | 78.4 | 23.9 | 15.6 | 34.0 | 5.0 | $50,063 | $14,269 | $54,700 |
| =37 | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | 78.4 | 20.6 | 16.3 | 36.3 | 5.2 | $33,916 | $11,218 | $51,833 |
| =39 | Case Western Reserve University | 78.3 | 24.1 | 15.7 | 32.1 | 6.4 | $46,006 | $14,298 | $68,500 |
| =39 | Haverford College | 78.3 | 24.5 | 15.7 | 32.3 | 5.8 | $51,024 | $15,466 | $56,167 |
| US Rank | University | Overall | Resources | Engagement | Outcomes | Environment | Tuition and Fees | Room and Board | Salary after 10 years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| =41 | University of California, Davis | 78.2 | 18.0 | 16.5 | 34.8 | 8.9 | $40,728 | $14,838 | $56,600 |
| =41 | Smith College | 78.2 | 23.7 | 16.1 | 31.5 | 6.9 | $47,904 | $16,010 | $44,000 |
| 43 | Purdue University West Lafayette | 78.1 | 20.9 | 17.1 | 34.3 | 5.7 | $28,804 | $10,030 | $53,967 |
| 44 | Bowdoin College | 78.0 | 23.8 | 16.7 | 33.1 | 4.5 | $49,900 | $13,600 | $56,267 |
| 45 | University of California, San Diego | 77.9 | 17.7 | 15.9 | 35.5 | 8.8 | $40,327 | $12,545 | $59,067 |
| 46 | Wesleyan University | 77.3 | 24.0 | 16.0 | 30.7 | 6.6 | $50,612 | $13,950 | $49,500 |
| 47 | University of Miami | 76.5 | 21.6 | 17.3 | 30.0 | 7.7 | $47,004 | $13,310 | $54,900 |
| =48 | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign | 76.4 | 15.4 | 17.3 | 36.1 | 7.5 | $34,011 | $11,306 | $56,933 |
| =48 | Lehigh University | 76.4 | 23.8 | 16.8 | 30.3 | 5.6 | $48,320 | $12,690 | $76,900 |
| 50 | Bryn Mawr College | 75.2 | 24.0 | 15.4 | 28.7 | 7.2 | $48,790 | $15,370 | $52,367 |
| US Rank | University | Overall | Resources | Engagement | Outcomes | Environment | Tuition and Fees | Room and Board | Salary after 10 years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| =51 | University of Rochester | 74.9 | 24.1 | 16.6 | 28.1 | 6.1 | $50,142 | $14,890 | $56,467 |
| =51 | University of Virginia | 74.9 | 17.6 | 16.1 | 36.4 | 4.8 | $45,997 | $10,726 | $59,800 |
| =53 | Colgate University | 74.8 | 23.3 | 16.4 | 29.8 | 5.3 | $51,955 | $13,075 | $61,033 |
| =53 | University of Richmond | 74.8 | 23.5 | 17.0 | 29.4 | 4.9 | $49,420 | $11,460 | $60,467 |
| 55 | George Washington University | 74.7 | 20.5 | 16.6 | 31.1 | 6.5 | $49,783 | $12,500 | $65,667 |
| 56 | Tulane University | 74.4 | 25.1 | 16.7 | 28.1 | 4.5 | $51,010 | $13,844 | $52,650 |
| 57 | Davidson College | 74.3 | 22.0 | 15.6 | 31.9 | 4.8 | $48,376 | $13,547 | $54,967 |
| 58 | United States Military Academy | 74.2 | 24.1 | 16.9 | 29.7 | 3.5 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| 59 | Barnard College | 74.1 | 21.2 | 16.4 | 29.9 | 6.7 | $50,394 | $15,598 | $56,867 |
| =60 | Georgia Institute of Technology | 74.0 | 14.1 | 15.8 | 37.7 | 6.5 | $32,404 | $11,148 | $74,767 |
| US Rank | University | Overall | Resources | Engagement | Outcomes | Environment | Tuition and Fees | Room and Board | Salary after 10 years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| =60 | University of Washington-Seattle | 74.0 | 17.9 | 16.5 | 32.0 | 7.5 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| =62 | University of Texas at Austin | 73.9 | 16.3 | 17.5 | 33.5 | 6.6 | $35,682 | $10,070 | $53,567 |
| =62 | Wake Forest University | 73.9 | 23.5 | 15.9 | 29.9 | 4.7 | $49,308 | $13,404 | $60,333 |
| 64 | Bucknell University | 73.6 | 23.0 | 16.7 | 30.0 | 3.9 | $51,960 | $12,656 | $68,033 |
| 65 | Mount Holyoke College | 73.2 | 22.2 | 16.1 | 27.7 | 7.2 | $45,866 | $13,440 | $44,767 |
| 66 | University of Wisconsin-Madison | 73.1 | 16.3 | 17.3 | 35.3 | 4.2 | $32,738 | $10,446 | $52,267 |
| =67 | Boston College | 72.6 | 18.5 | 15.4 | 34.1 | 4.7 | $51,296 | $13,818 | $67,900 |
| =67 | Hamilton College | 72.6 | 23.0 | 16.0 | 29.1 | 4.4 | $51,240 | $13,010 | $57,167 |
| 69 | Northeastern University | 72.4 | 18.8 | 17.4 | 30.1 | 6.2 | $47,653 | $15,050 | $61,933 |
| 70 | Lafayette College | 72.3 | 22.6 | 15.4 | 30.2 | 4.1 | $48,885 | $14,470 | $68,700 |
| US Rank | University | Overall | Resources | Engagement | Outcomes | Environment | Tuition and Fees | Room and Board | Salary after 10 years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 71 | Colby College | 72.2 | 22.4 | 15.9 | 29.3 | 4.7 | $50,960 | $13,100 | $53,433 |
| 72 | Vassar College | 72.1 | 23.3 | 15.6 | 26.6 | 6.5 | $53,090 | $12,400 | $49,267 |
| 73 | University of Florida | 72.0 | 14.4 | 17.1 | 34.2 | 6.4 | $28,659 | $9,910 | $51,833 |
| 74 | Drexel University | 71.8 | 20.9 | 17.3 | 26.6 | 7.0 | $51,030 | $14,367 | $63,433 |
| 75 | Washington and Lee University | 71.7 | 23.6 | 16.1 | 29.8 | 2.2 | $48,267 | $11,380 | $74,267 |
| 76 | Grinnell College | 71.6 | 23.2 | 15.1 | 27.2 | 6.2 | $48,758 | $11,980 | $44,333 |
| 77 | Bates College | 71.0 | 22.1 | 15.7 | 28.7 | 4.5 | $50,310 | $14,190 | $53,600 |
| 78 | Brandeis University | 70.5 | 22.6 | 15.5 | 26.5 | 6.0 | $51,245 | $14,380 | $56,967 |
| 79 | Oberlin College | 70.3 | 23.0 | 15.8 | 26.6 | 4.9 | $52,002 | $14,010 | $39,633 |
| 80 | University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh campus | 70.2 | 18.1 | 16.4 | 31.1 | 4.6 | $29,758 | $10,950 | $49,233 |
| US Rank | University | Overall | Resources | Engagement | Outcomes | Environment | Tuition and Fees | Room and Board | Salary after 10 years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 81 | University of Maryland, College Park | 70.0 | 12.4 | 16.7 | 34.4 | 6.5 | $32,045 | $12,078 | $60,433 |
| 82 | Franklin & Marshall College | 69.9 | 22.4 | 15.6 | 27.3 | 4.6 | $52,290 | $13,120 | $53,700 |
| =83 | University of California, Santa Barbara | 69.7 | 13.7 | 16.3 | 31.8 | 8.0 | $40,755 | $14,015 | $51,967 |
| =83 | Denison University | 69.7 | 22.0 | 16.1 | 26.2 | 5.4 | $48,960 | $11,970 | $48,833 |
| =83 | Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute | 69.7 | 18.3 | 14.9 | 29.8 | 6.7 | $50,797 | $14,630 | $79,733 |
| =83 | Scripps College | 69.7 | 21.6 | 15.7 | 25.9 | 6.6 | $50,982 | $15,682 | $48,233 |
| =87 | Rhode Island School of Design | 69.6 | 20.8 | 14.7 | 28.2 | 5.9 | $47,110 | $12,850 | $46,133 |
| =87 | William & Mary | 69.6 | 18.1 | 15.3 | 31.6 | 4.6 | $42,274 | $11,382 | $55,600 |
| =89 | Macalester College | 69.4 | 22.0 | 15.6 | 26.2 | 5.7 | $50,639 | $11,266 | $45,833 |
| =89 | Michigan State University | 69.4 | 15.5 | 17.1 | 31.0 | 5.7 | $38,486 | $9,784 | $50,400 |
| US Rank | University | Overall | Resources | Engagement | Outcomes | Environment | Tuition and Fees | Room and Board | Salary after 10 years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 91 | College of the Holy Cross | 69.3 | 21.5 | 15.6 | 28.9 | 3.3 | $48,940 | $13,225 | $64,000 |
| 92 | Connecticut College | 69.1 | 22.2 | 15.6 | 26.8 | 4.5 | $50,940 | $14,060 | $52,033 |
| 93 | Union College | 68.8 | 21.5 | 14.9 | 28.8 | 3.6 | $51,696 | $12,678 | $63,000 |
| =94 | Occidental College | 68.7 | 20.3 | 15.0 | 26.4 | 7.1 | $51,070 | $14,460 | $49,433 |
| =94 | Ohio State University | 68.7 | 16.2 | 17.2 | 30.0 | 5.2 | $28,229 | $11,706 | $43,067 |
| =94 | Texas A&M University-College Station | 68.7 | 14.4 | 17.7 | 30.8 | 5.8 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| 97 | University of Connecticut | 68.6 | 18.0 | 16.7 | 27.9 | 6.0 | $35,858 | $12,436 | $54,567 |
| 98 | Worcester Polytechnic Institute | 68.5 | 18.8 | 16.1 | 28.6 | 5.0 | $46,994 | $13,736 | $80,167 |
| 99 | University of California, Irvine | 68.4 | 16.2 | 16.7 | 26.2 | 9.3 | $40,042 | $13,429 | $55,133 |
| =100 | Gettysburg College | 68.3 | 21.7 | 15.8 | 27.4 | 3.3 | $50,860 | $12,140 | $52,733 |
The data required for the ranking are taken from the following recognizedsources:
- US government (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS),
- US Department of Education’s Federal Student Aid (FSA),
- College scorecard, -Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA),
- THE US Student Survey,
- THE Academic Survey and
- Elsevier bibliometric dataset
In order to do justice to the different sizes of the institutions analyzed, the individual indicators must be standardized. In addition, they are weighted with different factors in order to considerthe different influence on student success.
2. Methodology
The Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education College Rankings examines four core areas using the following indicators.
I. Resources (30 percent)
- Finance per student (11%)
- Faculty perstudent (11%)
- Research papers per faculty (8%)
II. Engagement (20 percent)
- Student engagement (7%)
- Student recommendation (6%)
- Interaction with teachers and students (4%)
- Number of accredited programs (3%)
III. Outcomes (40 percent)
- Graduation rate (11%)
- Value added to graduate salary (12%)
- Value added to loan default (7%)
- Academic reputation (10%)
IV. Environment (10 percent)
- Proportion of international students (2%)
- Student diversity (3%) -Student inclusion (2%)
- Staff diversity (3%)
3. Indicators
The key indicators used are briefly explained below.
I. Resources (30 percent)
Within the framework of resource analysis, the resources available to universities for offering high-quality teaching are examined.
The figure ” Finance per student ” (11 percent) makes it very easy to determine how much financial resources the institution has available per student. Both the bachelor’s and the graduate program editions are considered. From the ratio “Faculty per student” (11 percent) the class size and thus the individual quality of supervision can be derived.
The quality of teaching is directly related to the quality of the lecturers. If the experts in their subject area are able to integrate scientific findings comprehensibly into their teaching by means of practical examples, students will benefit considerably from this. The research productivity of an institution is measured with the indicator “Research papers per faculty” (8 percent).
II. Engagement (20 percent)
Numerousscientific studies have shown that the engagementof students is decisive for individual learning success. For this reason, the category “Engagement” (20 percent) will measure the extent to which universities promote the commitment of their students.
Inorder to record the commitment of students in the USA, Times Higher Education conducted its own survey with the help of two market research providers. Almost 200,000 students were surveyed in 2017 and 2018.
In order to determine the key figure “Studentengagement” (7 percent), the focus was on answering the following questions:
- Do universities promote critical thinking?
- Are students encouraged to reflect and link what they have learned?
- How is the transfer of theoretical knowledge into practical application supported?
- Are the students sufficiently challenged during their time at the university?
How the possibilities for students to interact with their fellow students and lecturers are designed is measured with the help of the key figure “Interaction with teachers and students” (4 percent).
When students recommend a study/a university to members of their family or friends based on their own experiences, this is certainly the best indicator of their satisfaction. For this reason, the ratio “student recommendation” (6 percent) is used to determine the probability that a studentwill make this recommendation.
The “number of accredited programs” (3 percent) is an indication of the possibility of receiving a very broad and comprehensive education at a university.
III Outcomes (40 percent)
Since students sometimes borrow large sums to obtain an academic degree in the USA, the potential “return on investment” is of considerable importance to them.
In the first instance, it is important that students are accompanied and supported by the institutions on their way to graduation. If the “graduation rates” (11 percent) are relatively high, it can be assumed that the university will support its students.
In the “Results” category, the key figures “Value added to graduate salary” (12 percent) and “Value added to loan default” (7 percent) are used to investigate to what extent students benefit from studying at this university to the extent that they can quickly repay their student loans with the help of a good salary after graduation.
For students seeking a career in research, the salary level of the private sector is less important than the academic reputation of the university where they graduate. In order to measure and evaluate this reputation, THE conducted its own “Academic Reputation Survey” to determine the ratio “Academic reputation” (10 percent).
IV Environment (10 percent)
The learning environment and atmosphere contribute to a not negligible extent to the learning success of the students. For this reason, the following indicators are measured in the category “Environment”:
- Proportion of international students (2%)
- Student diversity (3%)
- Student inclusion (2%)
- Staff diversity (3%)
4. Why I can’ t find my university in the ranking?
Not all universities can be included in the final Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education College Ranking. If universities do not appear in the list, they do not meet either of the following two requirements. First, all of the following admission criteria must be met. The university must therefore:
- be eligible
- four-year bachelor’s degrees awarded
- have their registered office in one of the 50 states or in DC
- more than 1,000 students
- less than 20 percent have pure online students
- be not insolvent
If basic data is missing to determine the necessary key figures and these cannot be derived using mathematical procedures, this can also be an exclusion criterion.
Furthermore, in addition to private, profit-oriented universities, institutions that counted fewer than 50 participants in their student surveys in 2018 are also excluded.
For more in-depth information about The Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education College Rankings, visit the THE website:
https://www.timeshighereducation.com/rankings/united-states/2019#!/page/0/length/25/sort_by/rank/sort_order/asc/cols/scores