Harvard Ranks First Among US Universities For Good Reason

Harvard ranked first among American universities in the US News poll of national universities. And, well it should. The college has produced eight US presidents, and a number, including Obama and the second Bush, attended its graduate schools. It has also produced a large number of billionaires including perhaps the wealthiest of them all–Bill Gates. Gates left after two years at the college but has honorary status according to the university. Perhaps it is because he gives so much money. Harvard has also produced a roster of Nobel Prize winners.Harvard may also deserve the honor because it has the largest endowment of any school–about $25 billion. This is down from a peak of nearly $40 billion because of the stock market crash in 2008 but the number dwarfs Princeton and Yale nonetheless.

Harvard is followed in the study by Princeton, Yale, Columbia, and Stanford. The schools jockey for the top spot every year, and their is only a tiny difference among their grades.

Harvard does not give a better education compared to the top 20 or 25 schools on the list, no matter what US News says. Some have stronger English or Physics departments than others. Some force students to take more courses outside their majors to become more well-rounded educationally. But, none can claim that as a whole it it better at educating all of its students at a higher, better level than the rest.

The US News poll does not take into account the most important measures by the world, many students, and those who hire graduates or take them into graduate schools. Harvard students are taught by a large number of worldwide experts on many of the subjects that draw students. Harvard students are more likely to become rich, famous, or wealthy–or to go on to be President.

US News may fool some of the people all of the time, or all of the people some of the time but the rankings, based on what the magazine claims are its criteria, are bogus.

Douglas A. McIntyre