Whether it be the amount of money you have in a savings account or the grades on a report card, when something goes down, it’s usually a bad sign. But when the slip is a few points in a national poll, it’s not much to worry about.

According to the 2003 U.S. News & World Report’s “America’s Best College” ratings, MSU fell three spots to No. 31 in the category of public universities offering doctoral programs. MSU officials say they are not worried about the change.

MSU leaders are right not to worry about the small drop. Regardless of the ratings, MSU should still remain an excellent institution for many years to come.

MSU spokesman Terry Denbow says the university judges its success based on if it meets its goals, not on national criteria. He said so long as the Spartans remain in a ranking group, he doesn’t worry about decimal points.

This year, enrollment statistics among both undergraduates and graduate students increased. The Eli Broad College of Business, which has the largest enrollment of the university’s 14 degree-granting colleges, is one of many strong programs at MSU that attracts prospective students.

Individually, some MSU programs are ranked highly. Although the College of Business is ranked No. 25, down nine spots from last year, its supply chain management program is ranked No. 1.

Even students say the ratings don’t reflect the university. Potential applicants should be concerned with what they want out of a school, not what a magazine tells them they want.

Slipping three spots in a national ranking should not be of grave concern for university officials. If the school plummeted off the charts like its football team did this week, there would be cause for alarm.

MSU officials are taking the right stand by not being overly concerned with the new ratings. Instead, they’re doing what they’ve been doing all this time. But while continuing to make sure MSU is among nation’s top academic facilities, officals should try to improve status.