This New York Times Op-Ed provides not only a good explanation as to why the President’s proposed college ranking system is a bad idea, it also presents an alternative solution—put all the information in a searchable database without actually ranking the schools. Then let each family decide for themselves which information they want to use to inform their college searches.
I believe colleges can be evaluated. Families need to have accurate information to make those choices. But I don’t think that schools can be ranked. How can a formula tell you that one college is better than another for you? It doesn’t work, and nobody has proven that it does.
For families whose kids will be applying to college in 2015 or beyond (when the proposed ranking system will be implemented), you might need to make some difficult choices about whether or not to pay attention to how the Department of Education ranks your chosen colleges. I think you know where I’ll be leaning, but whether or not you agree, make an informed choice.