Montclair State Makes Cut For Latest ‘Best Colleges’ List: U.S. News

MONTCLAIR, NJ — Montclair State University was one of more than two dozen in New Jersey that were included on the latest version of the U.S. News “Best Colleges” list.

Twenty-nine colleges and universities in New Jersey are among the higher-education institutions included in the 2022-2023 Best Colleges rankings released Monday by U.S. News & World Report. The media outlet ranked 1,500 colleges and universities across the nation this year, rating them on factors such as graduation rates, faculty resources, standardized test scores, financial resources for students and student debt (learn more about the methodology here). Read More: NJ Schools Ranked Among U.S. News' 2022-2023 Best Colleges

This year’s rankings included Montclair State University, which came in 182nd place among national universities.

Montclair State administrators broke the list down further, claiming that it shows a “record of student success.” Among their observations:

• “The university ranks seventh in the nation among all 440 national universities in graduation rate performance – the rate at which students out-perform the anticipated graduation rate of those with similar backgrounds at other schools”
• “Montclair ranks No. 21 in the U.S. News list of “Top Performers on Social Mobility” which highlights the extent to which schools enroll and graduate low-income students and bring them closer to achieving the American Dream”

MSU administrators said the school’s ranking on this year’s U.S. News list shows why students are choosing Montclair in “historic numbers.” The university recently welcomed its second-straight record incoming class, helping boost overall enrollment to the highest level in its history, more than 21,600 students.

• See related article: Montclair State University Welcomes Largest Enrollment In Its History

“These results are a testament to the strong work ethic and talent of our students and the dedication of our faculty and staff who support them to ensure they persist, earn a degree and go on to well-paying jobs,” MSU President Jonathan Koppell said.

“Students are increasingly drawn to Montclair because they know they will receive a high return on their investment while being part of an inclusive and supportive community built to help them realize their dreams and make a difference in the world,” Koppell said.

U.S. News touts its ranking for providing millions of parents with “useful data and information to help with one of life’s biggest decisions,” said Kim Castro, chief content officer at U.S. News.

But some educational experts warn against overvaluing college rankings when selecting or evaluating an institution. Some of the issues with university rankings include the downgrading of colleges with less of a budget to promote themselves, important factors that can't be quantified, and subjective reputational factors that often influence placement, writes Alexandru Pop of Studyportals.

James Fallows, a former U.S. News editor, even called the annual ranking "meaningless" in an interview with NPR.

This article contains reporting by Josh Bakan, Patch staff

Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com. Learn more about advertising on Patch here. Find out how to post announcements or events to your local Patch site. Don’t forget to visit the Patch Montclair Facebook page.