Research has suggested that changes in rankings have an impact on admissions outcomes at colleges and universities. This study incorporates organization theory to explain these mechanisms and other external forces driving the pursuit of prestige in higher education. Beyond updating and replicating previous findings related to the impact of college…

For better or worse, rankings shape public conceptions of collegiate quality. This paper reviews the history of rankings, analyzes what they represent, explores recent efforts to employ indicators in addition to institutional resources and reputation on which the most popular rankings are based, and evaluates the extent to which rankings serve…

Research has found that approximately one-third of undergraduates transfer from one college to another and that transferring is becoming increasingly common. In this study, the authors focus on the transfer credit process, researching how academic credit is evaluated and when in the enrollment process students receive a degree-specific transfer…

On November 7, 2010, the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO) hosted a national executive forum during its annual strategic enrollment management conference. Titled "The College Rankings Debate and Future Implications: Assessing the Value of an Institution's Undergraduate Experience," the…

College rankings create much talk and discussion in the higher education arena. This love/hate relationship has not necessarily resulted in better rankings, but rather, more rankings. This paper looks at some of the measures and pitfalls of the current rankings systems, and proposes areas for improvement through a better focus on teaching and…