TY  - JOUR
AU  - Monks,James
AU  - Ehrenberg,Ronald G.
TI  - The Impact of US News and World Report College Rankings on Admission Outcomes and Pricing Decisions at Selective Private Institutions
JF  - National Bureau of Economic Research Working Paper Series
VL  - No. 7227
PY  - 1999
Y2  - July 1999
UR  - http://www.nber.org/papers/w7227
L1  - http://www.nber.org/papers/w7227.pdf
N1  - Author contact info:
James Monks
School of Business, Room 306
University of Richmond
Richmond, VA 23173
E-Mail: JMONKS@richmond.edu

Ronald G. Ehrenberg
Cornell Higher Education Research Institute
271 Ives Hall East
Ithaca, NY  14853-3901
Tel: 607/255-3026
Fax: 607 255 4496
E-Mail: rge2@cornell.edu
AB  - Despite the widespread popularity of the U.S. News & World Report College rankings there has been no empirical analysis of the impact of these rankings on applications, admissions, and enrollment decisions, as well as on institutions' pricing policies. Our analyses indicate that a less favorable rank leads an institution to accept a greater percentage of its applicants, a smaller percentage of its admitted applicants matriculate, and the resulting entering class is of lower quality, as measured by its average SAT scores.  While tuition levels are not responsive to less favorable rankings, institutions offer less visible price discounts in the form of slightly lower levels of expected self-help (loans and employment opportunities) and significantly more generous levels of grant aid. These decreases in net tuition are an attempt to attract additional students from their declining applicant pool.
ER  -