At least War Eagle is no. 1 with U.S. News & World

At least War Eagle is no. 1 with U.S. News & World

By Fran Thompson
It’s not like War Eagle Nation has 18 national football championships, including six since hiring Nick Saban in January of 2007. Auburn’s football team can’t claim that for the past 14 years it has spent part or all of each season ranked No. 1 in nation.
But those who love life on The Plains can take solace in being tops in Alabama among the 1,850 universities it considered for this year’s U.S. News & World Report rankings.
Auburn was ranked #97 on the list, tied with the New Jersey Institute of Technology and six other schools. Samford University ranked #127, and UAB and Alabama tied for #137. The University of Alabama at Huntsville (UAH) ranked #263 and South Alabama 331.
Auburn tuition and fees total $11,826 per year for in-state students ($31,986 for out-of-state). Around 6,000 of its 24,931 undergraduates are involved in Greek Life. Additionally, the school facilitates 500 student organizations.
But before buying a commemorative t-shirt, consider t hat Ivy League stalwart Columbia dropped from no. 2 to No. 18 after being accused of submitting false information.
The school was ratted out by one of its own math professors, Michael Thaddeus, in a blog post.
“Inaccurate, dubious or highly misleading” is the way Thaddeus described the data Columbia submitted.
“I find it very difficult to believe the errors were honest and inadvertent at this point,” he added in an interview with The Guardian.
The rankings have had an outsize influence on parents and college admissions over the years. And the methodology used is provided by schools. It makes sense that by making strategic responses or manipulating figures, schools can influence the process.
Alabama has gone 10-4 in the last 14 Iron Bowls. But Auburn won the six previous Iron Bowls before that.
This year’s game is Nov. 26 in T-Town.