Statistically Speaking

In light of recent mishaps, college administrators and the non-academically affiliated public alike have begun to question the validity of ranking colleges and universities based on what many deem faulty statistics, such as those published annually by U.S. News & World Report. Here are some statistics about American colleges that we know are true:

Number of colleges and universities ranked by U.S. News: 1900

Number of schools deemed America’s Best National Universities by U.S. News: 126

Carnegie Mellon’s 2007 national undergraduate ranking on the U.S. News list of Best National Universities: 21

Percentage of the U.S. population ages 18–64 enrolled in college, as of 2004: 9.4

Number of colleges whose mascot is the panther: 33

Number of four-year colleges with school newspapers: 1587