The new US News rankings are out...

[Mercyhurst2010]

And everything pretty much stayed the same. Well, that was anticlimactic. Not that these ranking systems matter all that much! Still, it would have been nice to see if any of these programs have reshuffled dramatically since the last rankings, which came out in 2009. I honestly get the impression that the people who were surveyed for these rankings just looked at the 2009 rankings and re-organized them. You would think, given how vastly the 2009 US News rankings differed from the NRC rankings, that there would be a lot more variation here, especially considering how arbitrary the process of ranking doctoral programs in the humanities really is!

 

http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-humanities-schools/english-rankings

 

Am I missing something? Does anyone see any programs that they applied to shifting dramatically either up or down? Mine all pretty much stayed put.

 

EDIT: Pitt seems to have fallen quite a bit. Down to 39. Wasn't it in the upper 20s previously? Or did I imagine that?

Edited March 12, 2013 by Mercyhurst2010

[dazedandbemused]

In regards to Pitt, I think you imagined that. They were at 34 before, so it's a slight dip.

[Porridge]

Their methodology sounds a bit odd.

[dazedandbemused]

Methodology? What methodology?

[asleepawake]

Blahhh Buffalo is no longer on the Criticism and Theory rankings...

 

Anyway... Methodology from hell.

 

I would like to debut my official 2014 "rankings." They are based on a survey of me.

 

1. Tie for all schools that accepted me

5. Tie for both of my waitlisted schools

7-125. All schools that I did not apply to

126. Tie for all schools that rejected me

Edited March 12, 2013 by asleepawake

[Vertigo23]

Old 2009 Rankings:
1. University of California – Berkeley (Cali)
2. Stanford University
2. Yale University
4. Columbia University
4. Harvard University
7. Cornell University
7. Princeton University
7. University of Chicago
10. Duke University
10. University of California  -- Los Angeles
10. University of Virginia
13. Brown University
13. Johns Hopkins University
13. University of Michigan – Ann Arbor
16. University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill (UNC)
17. Rutgers University
17. University of Texas—Austin (UTA)
17. University of Wisconsin – Madison
20. New York University (NYU)
20. Northwestern University
22. CUNY Graduate School and University Center
22. Indiana University – Bloomington
22. University of California – Irvine (UCI)
22. University of Illinois – Urbana-Champaign (UIUC)
26. Emory University
26. Ohio State University (OSU)
26. University of California –Davis (UCD)
29. Pennsylvania State University – University Park (PSU)
29. University of California – Santa Barbara (UCSB)
29. University of Iowa
29. University of Washington
29. Vanderbilt University
29. Washington University in St. Louis (WashU/WUSTL)
35. University of Maryland – College Park
35. University of Minnesota – Twin Cities
35. University of Pittsburgh
38. Carnegie Mellon University (CMU)
38. Rice University
38. University of Southern California (USC)
41. University at Buffalo
41. University of California – Riverside (UCR)
41. University of California – San Diego (UCSD)
41. University of California – Santa Cruz (UCSC)
41. University of Illinois- Chicago (UIC)
46. Boston University
46. Brandeis University
46. Claremont Graduate University
46. University of Colorado
46. University of Massachusetts –Amherst
46. University of Notre Dame
52. Tufts University
52. University of Arizona
52. University of Florida
52. University of Oregon
52. University of Rochester
52. University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee (UWM)
58. Arizona State University
58. Binghamton University
58. Boston College
58. University of Georgia
58. University of Missouri
63. Miami University
63. Michigan State University (MSU)
63. Syracuse University
63. Temple University
63. Texas A&M University
63. University of Kansas
63. University of Nebraska
63. University of Utah
71. Bryn Mawr College
71. Fordham University
71. George Washington University (GWU)
71. Stony Brook University
71. University of Connecticut (UCONN)
71. University of Delaware
71. University of New Mexico (UNM)
71. University of South Carolina
71. University of Tennessee – Knoxville (UTK)
81. Louisiana State University – Baton Rouge (LSU)
81. Northeastern University
81. Ohio University
81. Tulane University
81. University of Kentucky
81. University of Oklahoma
87, Case Western Reserve University (CWRU)
87. Florida State University (FSU)
87. Georgia State University (GSU)
87. Howard University
87. University at Albany
87. University of Houston
87. University of Miami
94. Auburn University
94. Iowa State University
94. Loyola University
94. Marquette University
94. Saint Louis University (SLU)
94. University of Alabama
94. University of Hawaii – Manoa
94. University of Louisville
94. University of Mississippi
94. University of North Carolina – Greensboro
94. Wayne State University
105. Southern Illinois University –Carbondale
105. University of Cincinnati
105. University of New Hampshire
105. Washington State University
105. West Virginia University
110. Bowling Green State University (BGSU)
110. Catholic University of America
110. Duquesne University
110. Illinois State University (ISU)
110. Kent State University
110. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
110. University of Nevada – Las Vegas
110. University of Rhode Island
110. University of South Florida
110. University of Tulsa
120. Texas Christian University
120. Texas Tech University
120. University of Arkansas – Fayetteville
120. University of Denver
120. University of Nevada – Reno
125. Baylor University
125. Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP)
125. Lehigh University
125. New Mexico State University
125. Northern Illinois University
125. Oklahoma State University
125. St. John’s University
125. University of North Texas
125. University of Texas—Dallas

Utah didn't move, but we got a lot of company at #63.

[Vertigo23]

This explains the stability: "survey results from fall 2008 and fall 2012 were averaged to compute the scores."

[wreckofthehope]

This explains the stability: "survey results from fall 2008 and fall 2012 were averaged to compute the scores."

 

Why would they do that? To maintain a more stable-looking set of rankings? 

 

To me it renders these sort of useless...I mean they're essentially just a bellweather of perceived prestige, which is fine if that's what you're looking for, but using an average of contemporary and out-of-date perceptions just seems pointless.

 

The only school that seems to have moved significantly is Carnegie Mellon, am I right? I remember it being lower ranked. I guess we can assume that any moves were actually more pronounced in the 2012 data than they appear in the rankings because of the diluting 2009 data influence...

[asleepawake]

The only school that seems to have moved significantly is Carnegie Mellon, am I right? I remember it being lower ranked. 

 

I think it's about the same or maybe a bit lower. It was 30-something before as well.

[wreckofthehope]

After page one they're just showing the old rankings anyway... the first time I looked there were definitely differences (because I noticed my school had moved up four places) but now, looking again, they are the same as they were before. Not sure if going mad, or not...

Edited March 12, 2013 by wreckofthehope

[apres-coup]

I think it's about the same or maybe a bit lower. It was 30-something before as well.

 

Carnegie Mellon is the same! I have a hard copy of the last rankings (for comparison reasons) and it was at 39.

[This_madness]

That's a shame about Pitt, my undergrad alma mater. They've actually managed to place a lot of their recent grads into good TT jobs.

[cicada123]

And everything pretty much stayed the same. Well, that was anticlimactic. Not that these ranking systems matter all that much! Still, it would have been nice to see if any of these programs have reshuffled dramatically since the last rankings, which came out in 2009. I honestly get the impression that the people who were surveyed for these rankings just looked at the 2009 rankings and re-organized them. You would think, given how vastly the 2009 US News rankings differed from the NRC rankings, that there would be a lot more variation here, especially considering how arbitrary the process of ranking doctoral programs in the humanities really is!

 

http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-humanities-schools/english-rankings

 

Am I missing something? Does anyone see any programs that they applied to shifting dramatically either up or down? Mine all pretty much stayed put.

 

EDIT: Pitt seems to have fallen quite a bit. Down to 39. Wasn't it in the upper 20s previously? Or did I imagine that?

 

 

And everything pretty much stayed the same. Well, that was anticlimactic. Not that these ranking systems matter all that much! Still, it would have been nice to see if any of these programs have reshuffled dramatically since the last rankings, which came out in 2009. I honestly get the impression that the people who were surveyed for these rankings just looked at the 2009 rankings and re-organized them. You would think, given how vastly the 2009 US News rankings differed from the NRC rankings, that there would be a lot more variation here, especially considering how arbitrary the process of ranking doctoral programs in the humanities really is!

 

http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-humanities-schools/english-rankings

 

Am I missing something? Does anyone see any programs that they applied to shifting dramatically either up or down? Mine all pretty much stayed put.

 

EDIT: Pitt seems to have fallen quite a bit. Down to 39. Wasn't it in the upper 20s previously? Or did I imagine that?

Yeah, it really doesn't seem like there is much of a difference. 

[TripWillis]

Why would they do that? To maintain a more stable-looking set of rankings? 

 

To me it renders these sort of useless...I mean they're essentially just a bellweather of perceived prestige, which is fine if that's what you're looking for, but using an average of contemporary and out-of-date perceptions just seems pointless.

 

The only school that seems to have moved significantly is Carnegie Mellon, am I right? I remember it being lower ranked. I guess we can assume that any moves were actually more pronounced in the 2012 data than they appear in the rankings because of the diluting 2009 data influence...

I also don't get this. Especially considering how much the culture has changed just since 2008.

 

If people look, there's more movement near the mid-to-lower end. Stony Brook and Fordham both jumped.

Edited March 12, 2013 by TripWillis

[sebastiansteddy]

I also don't get this. Especially considering how much the culture has changed just since 2008.

 

If people look, there's more movement near the mid-to-lower end. Stony Brook and Fordham both jumped.

 

Stony Brook was number 71 before...

[ComeBackZinc]

Y'all are being trolled by US News.

[sebastiansteddy]

Stony Brook was number 71 before...

 

Never mind! I was somehow getting linked back to the older rankings. Go Stony Brook!

[sebastiansteddy]

As I predicted in another thread, U Washington fell quite a bit.

[HHEoS]

This like being a kid waking up on Christmas morning and realizing you got the exact same gifts as last year, just in different wrapping paper. Worst. Christmas. Ever.

Edited March 12, 2013 by HHEoS

[Datatape]

What I felt when I saw this topic:

 

 

What I felt when reading the rankings:

 

[Two Espressos]

Yeah, these new rankings are boring and poorly designed: averaging scores from two time periods was a terrible idea, and they definitely could tweak the way they solicit participants.  I don't feel like these rankings accurately reflect the sense of the discipline as a whole; for example, why is Yale listed as one of the best programs for literary criticism and theory?  Who on here, when asked about top programs for theoretical work, honestly thinks, "Ooh, Yale!"?  I'd like to see an English academic create a separate system, perhaps like Brain Leiter's rankings for philosophy.

 

Unlike others on here, I do think that rankings, while to a degree subjective, possess some value and shouldn't be disregarded entirely.  But these U.S. News and Word Report ones are just shitty.

Edited March 12, 2013 by Two Espressos

[Cactus Ed]

I'm curious to hear opinions on the Chronicle's NRC rankings, which appear to be more rigorous (although date to 2009) and do, apparently, solicit opinions from academics (apologies if there's some thread around already where this conversation has been had):

 

http://chronicle.com/article/NRC-Rankings-Overview-English/124728/

 

I, for one, would like to see an update of this survey-based rankings system, especially because it could reflect some hidden attitudes about certain institutions that may impact job prospects, etc.

[Swagato]

Yeah, these new rankings are boring and poorly designed: averaging scores from two time periods was a terrible idea, and they definitely could tweak the way they solicit participants.  I don't feel like these rankings accurately reflect the sense of the discipline as a whole; for example, why is Yale listed as one of the best programs for literary criticism and theory?  Who on here, when asked about top programs for theoretical work, honestly thinks, "Ooh, Yale!"?  I'd like to see an English academic create a separate system, perhaps like Brain Leiter's rankings for philosophy.

 

Unlike others on here, I do think that rankings, while to a degree subjective, possess some value and shouldn't be disregarded entirely.  But these U.S. News and Word Report ones are just shitty.

For obvious reasons, I'm very interested in your comment re: Yale/lit crit+theory. What has changed, which are the go-to programs, and where is Yale English today, in your opinion?

 

Of course, I don't really give much credence to USNWR rankings, but I am interested in what those in the field think.

[It's (Not) About Me]

Not a giant change or anything, but UNC Chapel Hill has been bumped up to #15 (from #16), tied with Brown! I have to admit that this news makes me happy. I can't really share this with anyone unless I want to sound hella arrogant, but I'll do a little dance in my head. 

[Ategenos]

None of mine are even close to being that high, unless you count the S-ratings from the NRC (in which case UConn is in the top 20 ;P).