Is a popular U.S. college-ranking system obsolete? A number of schools in Virginia and elsewhere think so, and they're doing something about it.

THE ISSUE: The Annapolis Group, a consortium of more than 120 private liberal arts schools, is questioning the validity of annual "best colleges" rankings compiled by U.S. News & World Report. The group says the magazine's rankings oversimplify what is a complicated and unique process for many students and their families, and that too much of the individual rankings -- 25 percent -- are based on a peer assessment, or so-called reputational survey.

THE VIRGINIA PLAYERS: The Annapolis Group includes six Virginia schools that are featured in the magazine's 2007 rankings of the nation's top liberal arts colleges: Washington and Lee University (tie No. 17), Sweet Briar College (tie No. 74), Randolph College (tie No. 86), Hampden-Sydney College (tie No. 104), Hollins University (tie No. 104) and Randolph-Macon College (tie No. 104). All six schools said yesterday they will continue to provide academic information that is considered in rankings, but either have stopped or are likely to stop participating in U.S. News' reputational survey.

WHAT THEY SAY: "One of our colleagues likened it to trying to rank composers. It's a great analogy. How can you say that Beethoven and Brahms are better than Mahler or Mozart?" -- Sweet Briar President Elizabeth S. Muhlenfeld.

"I think colleges need to be held accountable. I think students and parents need to have information when they make these kinds of decisions. But we've gone way too far in trying to simplify what has become a very complex and very personal decision." -- Washington & Lee President Kenneth P. Ruscio.

WHAT THE MAGAZINE SAYS: U.S. News acknowledges that it can be difficult to rank schools using a single template, and it encourages students and families to consider many factors when deciding where to attend college. But the magazine also says newsstand sales figures for the annual college rankings issue are traditionally strong, indicating the list is popular with consumers.

WHAT'S THE ALTERNATIVE? Annapolis Group members are working with the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities to create a prospective applicants' uniform information system that schools can place on their Web sites. The program is to be displayed in a common, user-friendly format and is to be available by September.
Contact Joe Macenka at (804) 649-6804 or jmacenka@timesdispatch.com.