I wouldn't worry too much about the rankings. If you read the methodology, rankings are based "solely on the results of peer assessment surveys sent to deans, other administrators, and/or faculty at accredited degree programs or schools". Respondents are required to rate the academic quality of programs on a scale of 1 (marginal) to 5 (outstanding), and this is then averaged and ranked. The response rate was only 31% for the latest survey.
Yes, while that has some value, i.e. what some academics think, it really doesn't say that much about the program itself. And the differences in scores are so minor too. I would go to any accredited school that I've visited and liked, and heard good reviews about from students. After all, we're not talking about law school here. We're all going to graduate and find the same jobs regardless of the ranking of our schools. The only exception would be if you were interested in pursuing a PhD later.
