America's Best Colleges...Forbes Magazine

Seth · 08-16-2008, 10:39 PM

Originally Posted by BigCycloneFan

It is all very suspect. At least they owned up to the fact that large public schools were not rated well. When you see oustanding educational institutions like Washington University (in St Louis) ranked at 146. Wash U would blow away more that 100 schools in front of it for quality of education (both undergrad and graduate) as well as for accomplishments.

Looks like a faulty or skewed rating system to me.

...and I have degrees from both ISU and WashU... Apparently I made horrible life choices.

Clone9 · 08-16-2008, 10:43 PM

Originally Posted by Seth

...and I have degrees from both ISU and WashU... Apparently I made horrible life choices.

Wash U 146? What a freaking joke.

Clone9 · 08-16-2008, 10:46 PM

America's Best Magazines:

Forbes: 257th out of 258

They barely edged out Highlights.

Methodology: opinion on www.cyclonefanatic.com

Angie · 08-16-2008, 10:48 PM

Originally Posted by Clone9

America's Best Magazines:

Forbes: 257th out of 258

They barely edged out Highlights.

Methodology: opinion on www.cyclonefanatic.com

Umm... Highlights has the cool hidden picture thing on the back cover, so they're better.

Maybe the large print Reader's Digest?

LindenCy · 08-16-2008, 10:51 PM

That is insane.

Clone9 · 08-16-2008, 10:52 PM

Originally Posted by Angie

Umm... Highlights has the cool hidden picture thing on the back cover, so they're better. Maybe the large print Reader's Digest?

You're right, Highlights is better. Forbes just fell below The National Enquirer in my personal credibility ratings though.

josier · 08-16-2008, 11:07 PM

"the University of Wisconsin, Madison, ranked 335th; the University of Texas, Austin, 215th; and the University of Minnesota 524th. California public schools scored relatively well, with the flagship Berkeley campus coming in 73rd place."

The criterion for rating is ridiculous. Who's Who? Ratemyprofessors? Debt incurred? Correct me if I'm wrong, but don't Californian students pay next to nothing for in-state tuition. I'm usually a big fan of Forbes but this is ridiculous.l

clonefan_80 · 08-16-2008, 11:43 PM

Originally Posted by CyAggie

Based on US News, and others, we are not as great as we think we are.

We are one of the top 100 public universities (86th).
Our Ag College is ranked 2nd, Business 83rd, Chemical 23rd, and Engineering 37th.

Based on engineering we are probably ranked 3rd or 4th in the B12.

However, if we were in the B10, we would be ranked only average (5th or 6th out the B10 schools for Engineering rankings.

This is only one report, but I have seen others that are similar.

Truth be told, we have good programs, but not as good as we like to think they are.

Here's how I like to conduct my rankings:

Who has one of the largest college career fairs every single year? Iowa State University.

Companies want to hire ISU grads, that counts for more than what any stupid magazine says.

Wesley · 08-16-2008, 11:57 PM

Looks like private schools are better than public schools. Maybe the profs buddy up to their high paying students.

scyclonekid · 08-17-2008, 01:45 AM

What a bunch of bs. Why get so worked upped over a stupid magazine publication when in all actualality they write at a senior high school level!!!! I laugh a lot at this I am not an alum of ISU, but my fiance is as is a lot of my friends and ISU is a good school to attend. Maybe someday I will have the honor of being an Alum. Forbes magazine wow and congrats on graduating at joke University way to go nicely done.

powerpighello · 08-17-2008, 02:08 AM

my alma mater at 71. dig it!

cyclonenum1 · 08-17-2008, 07:08 AM

Originally Posted by CyAggie

Based on US News, and others, we are not as great as we think we are.

We are one of the top 100 public universities (86th).
Our Ag College is ranked 2nd, Business 83rd, Chemical 23rd, and Engineering 37th.

Based on engineering we are probably ranked 3rd or 4th in the B12.

However, if we were in the B10, we would be ranked only average (5th or 6th out the B10 schools for Engineering rankings.

This is only one report, but I have seen others that are similar.

Truth be told, we have good programs, but not as good as we like to think they are.

I think you are probably right about the highlighted statement...but then I think most grads self-rate their school higher than others do...no matter the school. It's kind of the same concept as a people always thinking they are using the best doctors / best hospital.

However, I agree with others that seeing ISU listed in the bottom ten is offensive. There is absolutely no way ISU should be listed in the bottom 10. Maybe a letter to the editor is in order here?

CycloneErik · 08-17-2008, 08:26 AM

Originally Posted by powerpighello

my alma mater at 71. dig it!

Dig it? Des this make you the Macho Pig?

cloneaholic · 08-17-2008, 09:19 AM

Originally Posted by CyAggie

Based on US News, and others, we are not as great as we think we are.

We are one of the top 100 public universities (86th).
Our Ag College is ranked 2nd, Business 83rd, Chemical 23rd, and Engineering 37th.

Based on engineering we are probably ranked 3rd or 4th in the B12.

However, if we were in the B10, we would be ranked only average (5th or 6th out the B10 schools for Engineering rankings.

This is only one report, but I have seen others that are similar.

Truth be told, we have good programs, but not as good as we like to think they are.

And the US New & World Report is another example of a publication that uses questionable criteria for rating colleges and universities.

EVERY SINGLE YEAR, ISU enrolls more Iowa high school graduating seniors than ANY other college or university, and this year will be no exception. Families realize that they get an incredible value when they send their sons and daughters to Iowa State. ISU is truly the flagship univesity for the state. You could say that's the only rating that really matters.

The most important technological innovation of the 20th century was invented at ISU in late 1930's (electronic digital computer). ISU is poised to become the world's leader in biorenewable energy research. The American Society of Landscape Architects ranked ISU's central campus as one of the 3 most beautiful in the nation (along with Harvard and Univ of Virginia). ISU ranks 2nd in the nation (behind MIT I believe) in R&D awards.

I could go on and on, but I know I'm just preaching to the chior on this message board. I just get angry when I see publications rank us low based on their incredibly shallow surveys. Sorry for the rant.

CyinCo · 08-17-2008, 09:27 AM

I work for a fortune 400 company. I know for a fact that the company actively and aggressively recruits engineers from ISU. That is how I ended up there. In my training class when I first started the job (6 months of training 8 hours/day), there were 40 students from North America. Including myself, there were SIX ISU engineering grads. They hire ISU students because they have been successful in doing so.

I've done well with my salary.

I believe it is a good school.