When deciding which college to attend, a student usually looks at the strength of a school’s academic programs and what a school can offer as a college experience. Students utilize their experiences at universities as an opportunity to build their résumé while obtaining a degree, in the hopes of using it to land a well-paying career.
Although MSU has provided many of its graduates with the skills necessary to enter the working world, giving them the proper tools to have a successful college experience, some are discouraged with how low the school ranks nationally. A recent U.S. News & World Report for the 2013 list of Best Colleges placed MSU at No. 72 out of about 1,400 schools nationally. The placement tied MSU with the University of Iowa as eighth in the Big Ten, behind such schools as University of Michigan, University of Wisconsin and Penn State University.
The report analyzes various categories to calculate rankings, including graduation rate, peer evaluation, faculty resources and alumni funds. MSU dropped a ranking from No. 71 in the 2012 list, but still is higher than its 2011 ranking of No. 79.
Forbes’ list of America’s Top Colleges, ranks MSU at No. 250 out of 650 schools. Forbes’ list ranks MSU as the seventh-best school in Michigan, behind U-M, Kalamazoo College, Hillsdale College and others. This list analyzes quality of teaching, career prospects, graduation rate and average graduate debt level.
But how seriously should prospective students take these rankings and evaluations? These ranking lists do not factor in employment levels after graduation and do not measure the personal experiences of students at the school. Ultimately, statistics will remain statistics, impersonal to the students who attend or graduated from these universities.
We’ve all heard the phrase, “It’s not what you know; it’s who you know.” With a large number of graduates each year, MSU has a strong alumni network in every field and occupation, which can create great networking opportunities. MSU helps unite its students with these connections to create job prospects and internship opportunities.
And obviously, top-ranked schools look good on a diploma but will blend in with other job applications postgraduation. What really will set apart an application from the rest are the internships and programs a student took advantage of during their time at school.
So instead of focusing on where a school’s rankings lie, students should concentrate more on creating an experience for themselves at college that they can use to get themselves employed after graduation.
When high school graduates are trying to pick a university to attend, they should pick the one that will provide them with the most opportunities and connections to gain experience before entering the job market. A college degree no longer is sufficient for well-paying jobs, whether or not a student graduated from a top-ranked school.
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