U.S. News & World Report
Encyclopedia
U.S. News & World Report is an American
news magazine published from Washington, D.C.
Along with Time
and Newsweek
it was for many years a leading news weekly, focusing more than its counterparts on political, economic, health and education stories. In recent years, it has become particularly known for its ranking system and annual reports on American colleges, graduate schools and hospitals.
Since June 2008, the magazine has gradually reduced its publication frequency three times, switching first from weekly to bimonthly, then going monthly in November 2008. In November 2010, it was reported that U.S News & World Report would be switched to an online-only format, effective after it published its December issue; it will still publish special issues in print on colleges, hospitals, and personal finance.
(1888–1973), who also started World Report in 1946. The two magazines initially covered national and international news separately, but Lawrence merged them into U.S.News & World Report in 1948 and subsequently sold the magazine to his employees. In 1984, it was purchased by Mortimer Zuckerman
, who is also the owner of the New York Daily News.
The editorial staff of U.S.News & World Report is based in Washington, D.C.
, but the magazine is owned by U.S.News & World Report, L.P., a privately held company based in the Daily News building in New York City
.
It conforms to the owner's political point of view, and tends to be more conservative than its two primary competitors
, Time
and Newsweek
. It also eschews sports, entertainment and celebrity news.
In 1995, its web site, 'usnews.com' was launched providing access to all articles from the print edition.
In 2007, U.S. News published its list of the nation's best high schools for the first time. Its ranking methodology includes state test scores and the success of poor and minority students on these exams, and schools' performance in Advanced Placement tests.
In June 2008, citing the decline in overall magazine circulation and advertising, "U.S.News & World Report" announced that it will become a biweekly publication, starting January 2009. It hoped advertisers would be attracted to the schedule, which allowed ads to stay on newsstands a week longer. However, five months later the magazine changed its frequency again, becoming monthly.
In August 2008, U.S. News expanded and revamped its online opinion section. The new version of the opinion page included daily new op-ed content as well as the new Thomas Jefferson Street blog.
An internal memo was sent on Friday, November 5, 2010 to the staff of the magazine informing them that the "December issue will be our last print monthly sent to subscribers, whose remaining print and digital replica subscriptions will be filled by other publishers." The memo went on to say that the publication would be moving to a primarily digital format, but that it would continue to print special issues such as "the college and grad guides, as well as hospital and personal finance guides."
These rankings are based upon data which U.S. News & World Report collects from each educational institution, either from an annual survey sent to each school, or from the school's website. They are also based upon opinion surveys of university faculties and administrators who do not belong to the schools.
The popularity of U.S. News & World Reports college rankings is reflected in its 2007 release
U.S. News also publishes comprehensive college guides in book form.
were involved in a movement to boycott the U.S.News & World Report college rankings survey. The first was Reed College
which stopped submitting the survey in 1995. The survey was also criticized by Alma College
, Stanford University
, and St. John's College
during the late 1990s.
On 19 June 2007, during the annual meeting of the Annapolis Group
, members discussed the letter to college presidents asking them not to participate in the "reputation survey" section of the U.S.News & World Report survey (this section comprises 25% of the ranking).
As a result, "a majority of the approximately 80 presidents at the meeting said that they did not intend to participate in the U.S. News reputational rankings in the future." The statement also said that its members "have agreed to participate in the development of an alternative common format that presents information about their colleges for students and their families to use in the college search process." This database will be web based and developed in conjunction with higher education organizations including the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities
and the Council of Independent Colleges
.
On 22 June 2007, U.S.News & World Report editor Robert Morse issued a response in which he argued, "in terms of the peer assessment survey, we at U.S. News firmly believe the survey has significant value because it allows us to measure the 'intangibles' of a college that we can't measure through statistical data. Plus, the reputation of a school can help get that all-important first job and plays a key part in which grad school someone will be able to get into. The peer survey is by nature subjective, but the technique of asking industry leaders to rate their competitors is a commonly accepted practice. The results from the peer survey also can act to level the playing field between private and public colleges." In reference to the alternative database discussed by the Annapolis Group, Morse also argued, "It's important to point out that the Annapolis Group's stated goal of presenting college data in a common format has been tried before [...] U.S.News has been supplying this exact college information for many years already. And it appears that NAICU will be doing it with significantly less comparability and functionality. U.S.News first collects all these data (using an agreed-upon set of definitions from the Common Data Set). Then we post the data on our website in easily accessible, comparable tables. In other words, the Annapolis Group and the others in the NAICU initiative actually are following the lead of U.S. News."
Some higher education experts, like Kevin Carey of Education Sector, have argued that U.S. News and World Reports college rankings system is merely a list of criteria that mirrors the superficial characteristics of elite colleges and universities. According to Carey, "[The] U.S. News ranking system is deeply flawed. Instead of focusing on the fundamental issues of how well colleges and universities educate their students and how well they prepare them to be successful after college, the magazine's rankings are almost entirely a function of three factors: fame, wealth, and exclusivity." He suggests that there are more important characteristics parents and students should research to select colleges, such as how well students are learning and how likely students are to earn a degree.
In January 2011, US News and World Report became associated with the National Council for Teacher Quality to begin an evaluation of teacher education programs across the nation. Because NCTQ's methodology in previous rankings of teacher education programs across the country was highly controversial, this undertaking raises serious questions about the validity of these rankings and US News as an unbiased reviewer.
s across multiple medical specialties. U.S.News & World Report evaluates hospitals, excluding military and veterans hospitals, based upon sixteen specialties. Specialty rankings include Cancer, Diabetes & Endocrinology, Ear Nose & Throat, Gastroenterology, Geriatrics, Gynecology, Heart & Heart Surgery, Kidney Disorders, Neurology & Neurosurgery, Ophthalmology, Orthopedics, Psychiatry, Pulmonology, Rehabilitation, Rheumatology, and Urology. To be considered one of the top hospitals overall, medical centers must score at or near the top (at least two standard deviation
s above the mean
) in a minimum of six specialties.
In the latest 2010-2011 rankings, 4,852 hospitals were considered of which only 152 were ranked in any one of 16 specialities. Fourteen hospitals ranked highly enough within at least 6 specialties to qualify them for the Honor Roll. Johns Hopkins Hospital has been ranked #1 for 21 consecutive years. It should also be noted that U.S. News & World Report does not offer archives of previous rankings for U.S. hospitals, which inhibits the longitudinal tracking of hospital rankings.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
news magazine published from Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
Along with Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
and Newsweek
Newsweek
Newsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
it was for many years a leading news weekly, focusing more than its counterparts on political, economic, health and education stories. In recent years, it has become particularly known for its ranking system and annual reports on American colleges, graduate schools and hospitals.
Since June 2008, the magazine has gradually reduced its publication frequency three times, switching first from weekly to bimonthly, then going monthly in November 2008. In November 2010, it was reported that U.S News & World Report would be switched to an online-only format, effective after it published its December issue; it will still publish special issues in print on colleges, hospitals, and personal finance.
Publication history
United States News was founded in 1933 by David LawrenceDavid Lawrence (publisher)
David Lawrence was a conservative newspaperman and former student of Woodrow Wilson at Princeton University. After his reelection as U.S...
(1888–1973), who also started World Report in 1946. The two magazines initially covered national and international news separately, but Lawrence merged them into U.S.News & World Report in 1948 and subsequently sold the magazine to his employees. In 1984, it was purchased by Mortimer Zuckerman
Mortimer Zuckerman
Mortimer Benjamin "Mort" Zuckerman is a Canadian-born American business magnate with interests primarily in magazines, publishing, and real estate. He is now a naturalized citizen of the United States....
, who is also the owner of the New York Daily News.
The editorial staff of U.S.News & World Report is based in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, but the magazine is owned by U.S.News & World Report, L.P., a privately held company based in the Daily News building in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
It conforms to the owner's political point of view, and tends to be more conservative than its two primary competitors
Competition
Competition is a contest between individuals, groups, animals, etc. for territory, a niche, or a location of resources. It arises whenever two and only two strive for a goal which cannot be shared. Competition occurs naturally between living organisms which co-exist in the same environment. For...
, Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
and Newsweek
Newsweek
Newsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
. It also eschews sports, entertainment and celebrity news.
In 1995, its web site, 'usnews.com' was launched providing access to all articles from the print edition.
In 2007, U.S. News published its list of the nation's best high schools for the first time. Its ranking methodology includes state test scores and the success of poor and minority students on these exams, and schools' performance in Advanced Placement tests.
In June 2008, citing the decline in overall magazine circulation and advertising, "U.S.News & World Report" announced that it will become a biweekly publication, starting January 2009. It hoped advertisers would be attracted to the schedule, which allowed ads to stay on newsstands a week longer. However, five months later the magazine changed its frequency again, becoming monthly.
In August 2008, U.S. News expanded and revamped its online opinion section. The new version of the opinion page included daily new op-ed content as well as the new Thomas Jefferson Street blog.
An internal memo was sent on Friday, November 5, 2010 to the staff of the magazine informing them that the "December issue will be our last print monthly sent to subscribers, whose remaining print and digital replica subscriptions will be filled by other publishers." The memo went on to say that the publication would be moving to a primarily digital format, but that it would continue to print special issues such as "the college and grad guides, as well as hospital and personal finance guides."
America's Best Colleges
In 1983, U.S. News & World Report published its first "America's Best Colleges" report. It has been compiled and published annually since 1985 and are the most widely quoted of their kind in the U.S.These rankings are based upon data which U.S. News & World Report collects from each educational institution, either from an annual survey sent to each school, or from the school's website. They are also based upon opinion surveys of university faculties and administrators who do not belong to the schools.
The popularity of U.S. News & World Reports college rankings is reflected in its 2007 release
- within 3 days of the rankings release, U.S. News website received 10 million page viewPage viewA page view or page impression is a request to load a single HTML file of an Internet site. On the World Wide Web a 'page' request would result from a web surfer clicking on a link on another 'page' pointing to the 'page' in question. This should be contrasted with a hit, which refers to a...
s compared to 500,000 average views in a typical month - 80 percent of visitors access the ranking section of the website directly rather than navigating via the magazine’s home page
- the printed issue incorporating its college rankings sells 50 percent more than its normal issues at the newsstand
U.S. News also publishes comprehensive college guides in book form.
1990s
During the 1990s, three educational institutions in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
were involved in a movement to boycott the U.S.News & World Report college rankings survey. The first was Reed College
Reed College
Reed College is a private, independent, liberal arts college located in southeast Portland, Oregon. Founded in 1908, Reed is a residential college with a campus located in Portland's Eastmoreland neighborhood, featuring architecture based on the Tudor-Gothic style, and a forested canyon wilderness...
which stopped submitting the survey in 1995. The survey was also criticized by Alma College
Alma College
Alma College is a private, liberal arts college located in Alma, Michigan. The enrollment is approximately 1,400 students, and the college is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. The college's 13th President, Dr...
, Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
, and St. John's College
St. John's College, U.S.
St. John's College is a liberal arts college with two U.S. campuses: one in Annapolis, Maryland and one in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Founded in 1696 as a preparatory school, King William's School, the school received a collegiate charter in 1784, making it one of the oldest institutions of higher...
during the late 1990s.
2000s
Annapolis Group
The Annapolis Group is an American organization that describes itself as "a nonprofit alliance of the nation’s leading independent liberal arts colleges." It represents approximately 130 liberal arts colleges in the United States...
, members discussed the letter to college presidents asking them not to participate in the "reputation survey" section of the U.S.News & World Report survey (this section comprises 25% of the ranking).
As a result, "a majority of the approximately 80 presidents at the meeting said that they did not intend to participate in the U.S. News reputational rankings in the future." The statement also said that its members "have agreed to participate in the development of an alternative common format that presents information about their colleges for students and their families to use in the college search process." This database will be web based and developed in conjunction with higher education organizations including the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities
National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities
Founded in 1976, the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities is an organization of private US colleges and universities...
and the Council of Independent Colleges
Council of Independent Colleges
The Council of Independent Colleges is an association of nearly 600 independent, liberal arts colleges and universities and more than 70 higher education affiliates and organizations that work together to strengthen college and university leadership, sustain high-quality education, and enhance...
.
On 22 June 2007, U.S.News & World Report editor Robert Morse issued a response in which he argued, "in terms of the peer assessment survey, we at U.S. News firmly believe the survey has significant value because it allows us to measure the 'intangibles' of a college that we can't measure through statistical data. Plus, the reputation of a school can help get that all-important first job and plays a key part in which grad school someone will be able to get into. The peer survey is by nature subjective, but the technique of asking industry leaders to rate their competitors is a commonly accepted practice. The results from the peer survey also can act to level the playing field between private and public colleges." In reference to the alternative database discussed by the Annapolis Group, Morse also argued, "It's important to point out that the Annapolis Group's stated goal of presenting college data in a common format has been tried before [...] U.S.News has been supplying this exact college information for many years already. And it appears that NAICU will be doing it with significantly less comparability and functionality. U.S.News first collects all these data (using an agreed-upon set of definitions from the Common Data Set). Then we post the data on our website in easily accessible, comparable tables. In other words, the Annapolis Group and the others in the NAICU initiative actually are following the lead of U.S. News."
Some higher education experts, like Kevin Carey of Education Sector, have argued that U.S. News and World Reports college rankings system is merely a list of criteria that mirrors the superficial characteristics of elite colleges and universities. According to Carey, "[The] U.S. News ranking system is deeply flawed. Instead of focusing on the fundamental issues of how well colleges and universities educate their students and how well they prepare them to be successful after college, the magazine's rankings are almost entirely a function of three factors: fame, wealth, and exclusivity." He suggests that there are more important characteristics parents and students should research to select colleges, such as how well students are learning and how likely students are to earn a degree.
In January 2011, US News and World Report became associated with the National Council for Teacher Quality to begin an evaluation of teacher education programs across the nation. Because NCTQ's methodology in previous rankings of teacher education programs across the country was highly controversial, this undertaking raises serious questions about the validity of these rankings and US News as an unbiased reviewer.
America's Best Hospitals report
For the past 20 years, U.S. News has compiled a list of America's Best Hospitals after evaluating thousands of hospitalHospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
s across multiple medical specialties. U.S.News & World Report evaluates hospitals, excluding military and veterans hospitals, based upon sixteen specialties. Specialty rankings include Cancer, Diabetes & Endocrinology, Ear Nose & Throat, Gastroenterology, Geriatrics, Gynecology, Heart & Heart Surgery, Kidney Disorders, Neurology & Neurosurgery, Ophthalmology, Orthopedics, Psychiatry, Pulmonology, Rehabilitation, Rheumatology, and Urology. To be considered one of the top hospitals overall, medical centers must score at or near the top (at least two standard deviation
Standard deviation
Standard deviation is a widely used measure of variability or diversity used in statistics and probability theory. It shows how much variation or "dispersion" there is from the average...
s above the mean
Mean
In statistics, mean has two related meanings:* the arithmetic mean .* the expected value of a random variable, which is also called the population mean....
) in a minimum of six specialties.
In the latest 2010-2011 rankings, 4,852 hospitals were considered of which only 152 were ranked in any one of 16 specialities. Fourteen hospitals ranked highly enough within at least 6 specialties to qualify them for the Honor Roll. Johns Hopkins Hospital has been ranked #1 for 21 consecutive years. It should also be noted that U.S. News & World Report does not offer archives of previous rankings for U.S. hospitals, which inhibits the longitudinal tracking of hospital rankings.
Rankings
| Rank | Hospital Name | Location | Points in specialties |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Johns Hopkins Hospital Johns Hopkins Hospital The Johns Hopkins Hospital is the teaching hospital and biomedical research facility of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, located in Baltimore, Maryland . It was founded using money from a bequest by philanthropist Johns Hopkins... |
Baltimore, MD | 30 points in 15 specialties |
| 2 | Massachusetts General Hospital Massachusetts General Hospital Massachusetts General Hospital is a teaching hospital and biomedical research facility in the West End neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts... |
Boston, MA | 29 points in 15 specialties |
| 3 | Mayo Clinic Mayo Clinic Mayo Clinic is a not-for-profit medical practice and medical research group specializing in treating difficult patients . Patients are referred to Mayo Clinic from across the U.S. and the world, and it is known for innovative and effective treatments. Mayo Clinic is known for being at the top of... |
Rochester, MN | 28 points in 15 specialties |
| 4 | Cleveland Clinic Cleveland Clinic The Cleveland Clinic is a multispecialty academic medical center located in Cleveland, Ohio, United States. The Cleveland Clinic is currently regarded as one of the top 4 hospitals in the United States as rated by U.S. News & World Report... |
Cleveland, OH | 26 points in 13 specialties |
| 5 | Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center The Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center is a hospital located on the campus of the University of California, Los Angeles in Los Angeles, California.... |
Los Angeles, CA | 25 points in 14 specialties |
| 6 | New York-Presbyterian University Hospital of Columbia and Cornell NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital NewYork–Presbyterian Hospital is a prominent university hospital in New York City affiliated with two Ivy League medical schools: Columbia University's College of Physicians and Surgeons and Cornell University's Weill Medical College. It is composed of two distinct medical centers, Columbia... |
New York, NY | 22 points in 12 specialties |
| 7 | University of California San Francisco Medical Center UCSF Medical Center The University of California, San Francisco Medical Center is a world renowned hospital in research and a teaching hospital in San Francisco, California. It is one of the leading hospitals in the United States and with the UCSF School of Medicine has been the site of various breakthroughs in all... |
San Francisco, CA | 20 points in 11 specialties |
| 8 | Brigham and Women's Hospital Brigham and Women's Hospital Brigham and Women's Hospital is the largest hospital of the Longwood Medical and Academic Area in Boston, Massachusetts. It is directly adjacent to Harvard Medical School of which it is the second largest teaching affiliate with 793 beds... |
Boston, MA | 18 points in 12 specialties |
| 9 | Duke University Medical Center | Durham, NC | 18 points in 10 specialties |
| 10 | Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania is a hospital affiliated with the University of Pennsylvania Health System located in the University City section of West Philadelphia. The hospital was founded at its current location in 1874 by the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine,... |
Philadelphia, PA | 17 points in 12 specialties |
| 11 | Barnes-Jewish Hospital / Washington University in St. Louis | St. Louis, MO | 16 points in 11 specialties |
| 12 | UPMC (University of Pittsburgh Medical Center) University of Pittsburgh Medical Center The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center is an $9 billion integrated global nonprofit health enterprise that has 54,000 employees, 20 hospitals, 4,200 licensed beds, 400 outpatient sites and doctors’ offices, a 1.5 million-member health insurance division, as well as commercial and... |
Pittsburgh, PA | 14 points in 8 specialties |
| 13 | University of Washington Medical Center University of Washington Medical Center The University of Washington Medical Center is a nationally renowned hospital located along the Montlake Cut and Portage Bay in the University District of Seattle, Washington, USA. It is one of the teaching hospitals affiliated with the University of Washington School of Medicine. UW Medical Center... |
Seattle, WA | 13 points in 9 specialties |
| 14 | University of Michigan Hospitals and Health Centers University of Michigan Health System The University of Michigan Health System is the wholly owned academic medical center of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. UMHS includes the U-M Medical School, with its Faculty Group Practice and many research laboratories; the U-M Hospitals and Health Centers, which includes University... |
Ann Arbor, MI | 10 points in 6 specialties |
| 14 | Vanderbilt University Medical Center Vanderbilt University Medical Center The Vanderbilt University Medical Center is a collection of several hospitals and clinics, as well as the schools of medicine and nursing associated with Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee.It comprises the following units:... |
Nashville, TN | 10 points in 6 specialties |
| 16 | Mount Sinai Medical Center | New York, NY | 8 points in 6 specialties |
| 17 | Stanford Hospital and Clinics | Stanford, CA | 7 points in 6 specialties |