Once again, UNC was ranked among the top universities across the country by an outside source.
Of the top 50 U.S. colleges on Parchment.com’s list, UNC was ranked 24th.
But instead of a ranking system based on location, size or academics, the most recent ranking was derived from where students were accepted and chose to attend.
“We think there’s something very powerful in looking at students’ decisions,” said James Pirruccello, general manager for Parchment.com.
Pirrucello pointed out that the best information about a college is from students and parents.
He added that the best data is objective versus subjective, since the data is gathered statistically and not from opinion.
Using a complicated statistical system, Pirrucello said the website was able to compile the results into a comprehensive list.
In the system, more than 30,000 students’ decisions were used to create 65,000 “matchups.” Each school started off with a flat score then gained points based on where students chose to go.
Pirucello said if a student received entry into Duke, Princeton and UNC and decided to go to UNC, UNC would gain points while Duke and Princeton would lose points. Colleges received more points for beating another college that had a similar number of points.
Colleges that received less than 30 decisions were not ranked.
Pirrucello, creator of the ranking system, said the website has used this ranking system for three years, and the data is becoming more reliable with each passing year.
He said he hopes the list doesn’t heavily affect students’ decisions about where they attend because each student has unique needs that can be met by specific schools.
Many UNC students said they found it difficult to understand how the rankings system worked.
Junior Miranda McNear said a system that incorporates students’ decisions as well as other factors would be more beneficial for prospective students, as opposed to a system based on one criteria.
Sophomore Bradley Kirby said a broad range of factors would be more informative to students than just providing data about where students chose to go.
“But at the same time it’s kind of cool to see where students are choosing to go over other schools,” Kirby said.
How did you decide where to go to school? Let us know by commenting below.
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