Should Washington Rank Colleges?

Jonnelle Marte brings us up to speed on the debate:

In August, President Obama announced a new college ratings system that will factor in cost and student debt. The White House also made a push last year to give families better access to information through the College Scorecard, an online tool that lists data on employment, default rates and graduation rates for each college.

But some researchers and education advocates say the new rules don’t go far enough. While the information being compiled on career training programs is exactly the kind of information they say should be available for families comparing colleges, advocates say that information should be made available for all college degrees, not just vocational programs.

Robby Soave has his doubts about the plan:

In a statement that likely set zero college administrators at ease, a White House advisor clarified that this policy would only hurt the bad universities:

“He is not interested in driving anybody out of business, unless they are poorly serving the American people,” said Cecilia Muñoz, the director of the White House Domestic Policy Council. “In which case, I think he’s probably pretty comfortable with that.”

White House officials claim to be increasingly concerned about rising student debt levels, as is the general public. Certainly, college administrators—especially those who work at taxpayer-subsidized universities that spend millions of dollars on fancy stadiums and luxury hotels—should expect a reckoning. But it’s hard to believe the federal government could cobble together a central database with valid insights about which colleges deserve to be driven out of business. Constructing such a system is probably a little harder than rating a blender.

But Rebecca Schuman is ready to give the ratings a chance:

[H]ere’s why I still hope Obama’s plan will work. The very fact that the ratings’ most vocal detractors are college presidents—who often rake in millions while their students crumble under debt—should tell us Obama is onto something. North Virginia Community College president Robert G. Templin Jr. claims we shouldn’t “take a sledgehammer” to the American higher education system across the board. I say that a system that currently survives on nearly three-quarters contingent faculty laborhas more than earned a sledgehammer—or at least a thorough audit from the body that’s providing a healthy percentage of its revenue. And that’s why I’m truly baffled at colleges being so affronted at this apparent government intrusion. If you funded an industry through $150 billion in loans, wouldn’t you demand some accountability?

Tom McKay considers the stakes:

[C]ollege rankings would give you, your children and your friends and relatives more information when applying, including whether or not your institution gets graduates jobs or is competitively priced. However, the real meat of the system would be congressional approval to tie loans to the ratings. If it works, it will help students pull through college and land jobs more easily. It could also help alert applicants to schools with advertising campaigns that are misleading or outright lies. If it’s a mess, it could harm already-struggling schools, many of which serve minority students.