America's leading college directory and a perennial favorite among high school guidance counselors is a recognized authority in comparative college ratings The brand-new edition of Barron's Profiles of American Colleges describes more than 1,650 colleges, with up-to-date facts and figures covering: Admission requirements and procedures Tuitions, fees, and financial aid sources Library, computer, and athletic facilities Campus safety and security Degree requirements and extracurricular activities Websites, email addresses, and admissions contacts The book contains an Index of College Majors, an extended chart listing all available major study programs at every school. Also profiled are many of the finest colleges in Canada, as well as brief profiles of religious colleges and American colleges based in foreign countries. All colleges in the directory are rated according to Barron's competitiveness scale, which ranges from "Competitive" to "Most Competitive." Includes FREE access to Barron's exclusive College Search Engine. It gives college-bound students online information and guidance to help them match their academic plans and aptitudes with the admission requirements and academic programs of every accredited four-year college in the country.

Gathering unique and thoughtful contributions from leading international scholars, this timely Research Handbook offers diverse perspectives on university rankings twenty years after the first global rankings emerged. It presents an in-depth analysis that reflects the current state of research on rankings, their influence and impact.

Some colleges will do anything to improve their national ranking. That can be bad for their students—and for higher education. Since U.S. News & World Report first published a college ranking in 1983, the rankings industry has become a self-appointed judge, declaring winners and losers among America's colleges and universities. In this revealing account, Colin Diver shows how popular rankings have induced college applicants to focus solely on pedigree and prestige, while tempting educators to sacrifice academic integrity for short-term competitive advantage. By forcing colleges into standardized "best-college" hierarchies, he argues, rankings have threatened the institutional diversity, intellectual rigor, and social mobility that is the genius of American higher education. As a former university administrator who refused to play the game, Diver leads his readers on an engaging journey through the mysteries of college rankings, admissions, financial aid, spending policies, and academic practices. He explains how most dominant college rankings perpetuate views of higher education as a purely consumer good susceptible to unidimensional measures of brand value and prestige. Many rankings, he asserts, also undermine the moral authority of higher education by encouraging various forms of distorted behavior, misrepresentation, and outright cheating by ranked institutions. The recent Varsity Blues admissions scandal, for example, happened in part because affluent parents wanted to get their children into elite schools by any means necessary. Explaining what is most useful and important in evaluating colleges, Diver offers both college applicants and educators a guide to pursuing their highest academic goals, freed from the siren song of the "best-college" illusion. Ultimately, he reveals how to break ranks with a rankings industry that misleads its consumers, undermines academic values, and perpetuates social inequality.

This practical resource helps aspiring leaders demystify the challenges associated with becoming a community college president. Building on existing scholarship and research related to historical origins of the community college, this book explores the role and function of the presidency, discusses existing demographics and the importance of meeting the needs of a diverse student population, and unpacks the required competencies and leadership challenges related to becoming a community college president. Including real voices from award-winning and current presidents as well as a step-by-step approach to attaining the position, this is an important resource that speaks to the needs of today and tomorrows’ community college leaders.

In this book, the authors bring together in one place essential information about college students in the US in the 21st century. Synthesizing existing research and theory, they present an introduction to studying student characteristics, college choice and enrollment patterns, institutional types and environments, student learning, persistence, and outcomes of college. Substantially revised and updated, this new edition addresses contemporary and anticipated student demographics and enrollment patterns, a wide variety of campus environments (such as residential, commuter, online, hybrid), and a range of outcomes including learning, development, and achievement. The book is organized around Alexander Astin’s Inputs-Environment-Outputs (I-E-O) framework. Student demographics, college preparation, and enrollment patterns are the "inputs." Transition to college and campus environments are the substance of the "environment." The "outputs" are student development, learning, and retention/persistence/completion. The authors build on this foundation by providing relevant contemporary information and analysis of students, environments, and outcomes. They also provide strategies for readers to project forward in anticipation of higher education trends in a world where understanding "college students in the United States" is an ongoing project. By consolidating foundational and new research and theory on college students, their experiences, and college outcomes in the US, the book provides knowledge to inform policies, programs, curriculum and practice. As a starting point for those who seek a foundational understanding of the diversity of students and institutions in the US, the book includes discussion points, learning activities, and further resources for exploring the topics in each chapter.