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The Kiplinger 100 Rankings

The Kiplinger 100 Rankings: Liberal Arts Colleges (1-50)

1. Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, PA
2. Williams College, Williamstown, MA
3. Amherst College, Amherst, MA
4. Wellesley College, Wellesley, MA
5. Pomona College, Claremont
6. Washington & Lee Univ., Lexington, VA
7. Bowdoin College, Brunswick, ME
8. College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, MA
9. Davidson College, Davidson, NC
10. Claremont McKenna College, Claremont
11. Bucknell University, Lewisburg, PA
12. Wheaton College, Wheaton, IL
13. Grinnell College, Grinnell, IA
14. Haverford College, Haverford, PA
15. Colby College, Waterville, ME
16. Lafayette College, Easton, PA
17. Colorado College, Colorado Springs, CO
18. Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, NY
19. Bates College, Lewiston, ME
20. Colgate University, Hamilton, NY
21. Barnard College, New York, NY
22. Macalester College, St. Paul, MN
23. Carleton College, Northfield, MN
24. Furman University, Greenville, SC
25. Middlebury College, Middlebury, VT
26. Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT
27. Hamilton College, Clinton, NY

source: http://www.kiplinger.com/money/collegevalues/

Posted on March 11, 2008 at 07:40AM by Registered Commenterhb | Comments26 Comments

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Reader Comments (26)

Nice to know that on the list Hamilton is a few slots ahead of Centre College of Danville Kentucky.
March 11, 2008 at 06:07PM | Unregistered CommenterReporter
ed - an anonymous poster put the entire list up... which is what the link was for
What is the point of this post? Does this website have a point anymore than just to randomly bash the school whenever possible? It just sounds like whining and petty griping now. I used to think that the purpose of this site was pretty insightful. I certainly don't anymore.
March 11, 2008 at 08:22PM | Unregistered CommenterBLK
This ranking is about "good value", and shouldn't be viewed as covering the same ground as the US News ranking:

"That's where Kiplinger's 2008 rankings of private colleges and universities come in. Topped by Caltech among universities and Swarthmore among liberal arts colleges, our exclusive rankings showcase a range of schools with strong academics, generous financial-aid policies and, in some cases, a decent price to begin with."

So, where would you like to see Hamilton in this ranking?
March 11, 2008 at 08:40PM | Unregistered Commenter---
This is silly. I can't wait to go home and tell my son that I want him to go to Furman rather than Middlebury because some financial publication that hardly anyone reads thinks that Furman is a better "value" than Middlebury. What nonsense.

----------
[ed - removed your email address to protect from spam bots. You can put it up again if you like, but I wouldn't recommend it.]
March 11, 2008 at 09:14PM | Unregistered Commentersgb
I put up the USN and WR list which is more highly regarded and lists Hamilton 17th. Way ahead than most of the schools listed above. I think the whole idea that this site is now digressing to highly criticized and flawed popularity lists is enlightening to how shallow the message of this site really is. What does the above list prove? How does the other list vary so dramatically? If you're going to use evidence please show you at least understand it.

================
Nuked in error. You're welcome to try again. Pls cite source & don't put up the entire list. ed
March 11, 2008 at 09:23PM | Unregistered Commenteranonymous poster who got editted
The posting is a reporting, not an endorsement. I wouldn't send any kid to anyplace based on a ranking. I do think "---" has a point. Where do you want to see Hamilton on the value and quality spectrum? And any ranking that puts Colgate over Hamilton just bugs me (with apologies to John).
March 11, 2008 at 09:43PM | Registered Commenterhb
For sgb,

Of this I am sure, conservative students would find Furman"s faculty a lot more welcoming and less insulting than Hamilton's.

March 11, 2008 at 09:48PM | Unregistered CommenterHam Student
The whole ranking thing rankles - it is a Catch 22 for the colleges. Here's a link to the Hamilton position on the rankings.

http://www.hamilton.edu/college/president/7rankings.html
March 11, 2008 at 10:02PM | Unregistered Commenter---
For BLK,

Why is a listing compiled by Kiplinger "bashing Hamilton." If Kiplingers had put Hamilton where Bowdoin is the usual suspects would be advertising the list all over the place as a sign of the genius of the current leadership.That would be as misleading as saying that Hamilton can't compete with Bates.

One does not have to agree with everything posted on this site to know that there is trouble on College Hill Road at many levels.
March 11, 2008 at 10:11PM | Unregistered CommenterBLT
Nice to see that our audience has a complete command of all the postings available on the President's site.

Here's a question of interest to many alumni: how are Hamilton's SAT's calculated & reported to US News and other sources when Hamilton no longer requires them?
March 12, 2008 at 08:29AM | Registered Commenterhb
That could be asked of almost all schools
March 12, 2008 at 09:22AM | Unregistered Commenterblk
A couple things about the SAT. First, at 4 hours it's become an exam that's longer than any exam many current alumni will ever take. That sounds a bit draconian to me, especially when many colleges still require it.

Second, and more importantly, the SAT has lost much of its value in the admissions process at private colleges (whether they require it or not). GPA, class rank, and teacher recommendations are often weighed more heavily than the SAT.
March 12, 2008 at 10:24AM | Unregistered Commenterformer spec sports writer
While it is true that SATs are no longer required, an applicant to Hamilton must submit standardized test results of their choosing within the guidelines set by Hamilton. The choices are: SAT; ACT or choices from a list of SAT subject tests, AP and IP exams.

http://my.hamilton.edu/admission/ApplicationProcess/requirements.html

How Hamilton reports would most likely be pretty straight-forward: how US News uses the data (including results of ACTs etc.) would be more pertinent, but again points to the larger issue of the methodology used by US News and the ultimate utility to prospective students of the resultant rankings.

It is a morass created by US News to sell books to nervous parents, who want to make sure they have "all" the information possible to make an informed choice with their child. And now Kiplinger's has jumped on the bandwagon, hoping to capitalize on those same nervous parents who might feel compelled to purchase this other ranking.
March 12, 2008 at 11:12AM | Unregistered Commenter---
Very interesting question, hb. When we attended an info session at another NESCAC college last year, the parents were specifically told not to have their child submit SAT scores if they were "low," since these scores could depress this college's USN&WR ranking. Some jaws dropped. I'm afraid that most colleges have become adept at gaming the whole ranking system, which is why I have a visceral negative response when I see such rankings posted.

For Ham Student:
I certainly would not take issue with your point. I still have the lingering hope that one can receive a superior education at Hamilton, political correctness, et.al., aside.
March 12, 2008 at 04:43PM | Unregistered Commentersgb
"How Hamilton reports would most likely be pretty straight-forward"

One would hope so. But, what's the answer?

Hey "---", you seem to know the web site pretty well, can you help us out?
March 12, 2008 at 05:26PM | Registered Commenterhb
http://www.hamilton.edu/college/institutional_research/CDS2006_2007.pdf

This is just a link within the other link, but has the reported information. I can shed no light on how the College compiles these figures.
March 12, 2008 at 06:59PM | Unregistered Commenter---
Thanks for the link. Very much worth a look.
According to the link:
---------------------
Percent of first-time, first-year (freshman) students with scores in each range:

SAT Math / SAT Writing
700-800 42.00% / 41.00%
600-699 43.00% / 45.00%
500-599 11.00% / 11.00%
400-499 3.00% / 3.00%
300-399 1.00% /
200-299
Totals should = 100%
_____________________

The form says, only 61% of applicants submit SATs. I take that to mean that 39% do not submit SAT's.

Presumably, the thoughtful candidates with good scores (above the reported averages) submit, but the presumptively thoughtful applicants with lower scores, do not. This bias induces a rise in the reported SAT scores.

Is this the mechanic? And if so, does the college then advertize this structured and illusory rise in SAT's as evidence of an improving student body? As evidence of a more effective and selective admissions process when in fact the contrary may very well be the case?

Somebody [--- ?] help me out with this.
March 12, 2008 at 10:27PM | Registered Commenterhb
There are a number of ways to look at this, and being no expert on the subject, I can't offer much insight.

My understanding is that while the SATs are the norm in northeastern high schools, the ACTs are more the norm in the midwest-west. That might account for ACT submissions. I don't know about the west coast or south.

Also, if you've got a student who has done extremely well in the Quantitative Tests, they would likely want to submit those, if offered the option. The APs are a means of judging a student who has tackled a subject with a significantly higher degree of mastery, than the student taking the typical SAT subject test.

So, it appears that there are likely many reasons for submitting scores other than the SATs, and therefore I wouldn't necessarily conclude that it is lower score candidates who submit something other than SAT scores.
March 12, 2008 at 11:16PM | Unregistered Commenter---
Dear ---,

My question is in specific respect of accepted and attending students who submit and who do not submit SAT scores and the impact on reporting of SAT's.

My question is not about how submission of AP test scores (or other non SAT data) impacts SAT scores.
March 13, 2008 at 08:18AM | Registered Commenterhb

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