What Counts : The policy and politics of the proposed college rating system in the United States

In August 2013, President Barak Obama proposed a rating system for colleges and universities in the United States. Several policy issues drove the introduction of this initiative, including the slippage by the United States in global rankings for postsecondary attainment, especially among young adults; mounting student debt; growing skepticism about the quality of learning at colleges and universities; and overall doubts about the value of a college degree. The President carefully distinguished the proposed ratings from rankings, such as those published by U.S. News & World Report and others. The proposed ratings would comprise 11 metrics, including the percentage of an institution’s students who receive federal Pell Grants; average net price; graduation rates; and graduates’ success in the labor market. Higher education advocates and researchers noted several flaws in many of the metrics. Ultimately, the politics of the United States Congress put the future of the rating system in doubt.