Hot Off the Press

Make sure not to miss the Washington Monthly magazine’s annual College Guide and Rankings issue, which was guest-edited by Kevin Carey, director of the New America Foundation’s Education Policy Program. Called “more interesting than virtually any other ranking out there” by The New York Times, the guide ranks colleges based on their contributions to their students and society.

While U.S. News & World Report relies on measures of wealth, exclusivity, and prestige for its rankings, the Washington Monthly — in collaboration with New America’s education policy team — rated colleges based on what they are doing for their students and the country by improving social mobility, producing research, and promoting public service.

“There’s nothing wrong with rankings per se, but the rankings that push individual colleges to heedlessly raise prices help precipitate a collective crisis that threatens to undermine institutions that are vital to the nation’s future prosperity and civic life,” Carey says. “Our rankings pose a different question: What are colleges doing for the country?”

In addition to the rankings, the College Guide issue also includes the following articles by New America’s education policy staff: 

• Getting Rid of the College Loan Repo Man: More and more student loan borrowers are falling behind on their payments, putting them in danger of getting caught up in the brutal gears of the government’s student loan collection system, according to reporting by senior education policy analyst Stephen Burd.

• The Siege of Academe: For years, Silicon Valley has failed to breach the walls of higher education with disruptive technology. But the tide of battle is changing. Kevin Carey files a report from the front lines.

• America’s Best-Bang-for-the-Buck Colleges: Co-written by education policy analyst Rachel Fishman, this article takes a look at which colleges combine higher-than-expected graduation rates with affordable prices — providing students with the biggest “bang for the buck.”

We will explore these issues further on Higher Ed Watch this week. Stay tuned.