Why do Americans seem to be obsessed with attending a "high-ranked" college?

Question

Why do Americans seem to be obsessed with attending a "high-ranked" undergraduate university/college? All colleges seem to provide the same level of education. Why spend the extra money for something that you can get for so much cheaper at a "lower-ranked" school?

Answer 1

There are a few answers to this.

First is that some lower-ranked schools really are worse. I went to a low ranked college for my first two years and their math department in particular was incredibly poor. Because they were lower ranked and small they got less funding and paid professors less therefore drawing less skilled professors.

Another reason is that students in the US who want graduate degrees sometimes need to go to the high-ranked schools for their undergrad degrees. If you want a Masters or Doctorate in a competitive field the weight of the school you attended will help you get into the best grad schools. It is true that you can do very well at a lower ranked school and get into a great grad school but some studies have shown that the school you got your undergrad degree in is a main determining factor for grad schools.

Grad schools are of course where it really counts. In the US when we read an article by a professional or see one on tv being interviewed we will often see by their name their degree AND the school they received it from. We tend to think "oh they went to Yale, they worked hard to get in their, they were taught by the best, they must know what they are talking about" and to some small degree this is true (of course they could have barely made it through grad school for all we know).

The last reason has to do with the US' obsession with money and status. Rich kids can get into Ivy leagues with mediocre grades if their parents "give" enough money to the school (seriously). If your parents were famous (or you are) you also get into the best schools. Plus, even if you earned your way into the college, going to an ivy league for a Bachelor's in, I dunno, business (considered an easy degree in the US) it's like saying "Yea, my parents will blow a few hundred thousand dollars on me just so I can party at the best school and come out looking like I learned something. It's probably the worst reason, but over here it's a real one.

Answer 2

Because in fact not all edcuation is the same. The quality of your fellow students is an important componant of the educational experience. So if I take a bio course at my local community college vs. at Harvard, the course will be different on many levels. The professor will generally be a much more developed academic (more publications, greater professional accomplishments) my fellow students will be brigter (higher SAT, GPA, class rank, abilityt to think critically, pick up and understand more quickly), hence the class will move more quickly, will consider things byond the text, will challenge me in more ways. etc. This is why you want to go to ha higher ranked (in addition to many others that have been mentioned). An analogy might be why you would pay for a Bang and Olsen System vs. a no name wlamart special. They both play music...but you will know the difference if put them side by side...and a future employer will know the difference if you went to Harvard or Boston Community College.

Answer 3

These rankings are based off important statistics. Granted some are not so important, it all depends on the level of prestige the University wants to perceive itself of having.

One such statistic is post-grad salary or employment. Obviously if a higher ranked University has a higher post-grad salary average, people would most want to attend there. I do believe many of the rankings are bogus, but employers do buy into it big time. If Harvard only accepts 10% of applicants, chances are that those are the cream of the crop of many great applicants that would end up going elsewhere. If you are an employer, would you be likely to hire from somewhere you know constantly has a top reputation, or one from say Texas A&M which is a great school, but not an elite reputation? What happens to most people is that they attend a 2nd or 3rd tier school, then to be competitive, they have to prove themselves by being a top student at those schools.

It is a common belief that more tuition=greater return on investment.

Answer 4

It's true, there is a wide variety in the actual qualify of education a student would get at college A vs. college B, etc., and that if one can get into a better school and applies oneself, it serves them very well in the long run from most all perspectives.

I do take exception to this notion that people who donate money get their kids into top-ranked schools. First, if the kids aren't "up to" the academics, they wouldn't be doing anyone a favor. Second, you'd have to give BOATLOADS of money for this to happen. I know quite a few well-qualified kids who've been turned down at some of these fine institutions -- where their parents went and give generous amounts of alumni money. It isn't a "given" that if you donate, your kids get in.

On the other hand, if you can pay your way (vs. needing scholarship, loans, grants) you may have a slightly better chance at being accepted (at virtually all institutions.) This is because the school has to balance those with need vs. those who can pay, simply to make it all work financially. Though they won't admit it, if you can pay, it gives you an edge. But this is different than making huge donations to a school.

Answer 5

Someone graduating from a highly ranked university is able to get more job offers from better companies at higher pay levels. The more expensive education pays off.

My undergraduate students at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business were getting six figure offers from companies like Goldman Sachs. Goldman only recruits at the top schools.

Answer 6

all colleges decidedly do not provide the same level of education; some of the more expensive schools may in fact have poorer programmes, in some areas.. but in general, the more money spent on the student, the more the student is educated so more established colleges and universities often have better run programmes with better results at the end
the extra money you spend often means the extra education you get; it you are becoming a technician, then all you need is to learn the basics, but if you are becoming a specialist, then you need specialised instruction

Answer 7

Typically you are paid a higher salary if you attended a higher ranked school. It's perceived that you were given the best education possible in the particular field you chose and the fact you were accepted, graduated and so on, deserves a great salary to compensate you for that. Most are in competition with others. If you have two applicants with the same major, one from Harvard and one from an unknown school, I suspect they will pick the Harvard graduate if the company has the monetary resources in their budget to pay this individual. It comes down to competing with other people.

Answer 8

I've always wondered that myself.
They "high ranked schools" have a good reputation. The graduation percentage is high and they are supposed to have the best teachers and most potenial and challenge their students.

I've never really cared for the big time universities. I'm more concerned with the quality education I get. If a community college or somewhere else can do that then it works out fine for me.

Answer 9

I know what you are talking about. I've seen those kids over and over and everywhere on the campus. We called them, "Bunches" because they all bunched up with same Japanese buddies all the time. I've never seen them trying to interact with other students from other countries or Americans. I think they are shy and too afraid that no one will understand their English. Most of the Japanese 'bunches' who talk and play only with Japanese were the exchange students who only stay for a few months to study English. Their Japanese school was the sister college to mine in U.S. Other Japanese students I saw came to persuade their degrees in U.S. were more outgoing and made friends with Americans and other students from other counties. It was unfortunate that they didn't enjoy the time in U.S. with other people. I must wonder why the school even want to spend the money to be wasted. They attend the classes and go back to dorm room and play with other 'bunches' and drink in the evening. It's a shame. I hated these people because I was also a Japanese student who came to study (I didn't come from the same school as these kids, though.), and saw these people doing the exactly the same thing they do in Japan. The other Japanese students who came individually weren't interact with these "Japanese bunches" also, because it is just a waste of time. There are so many things you can learn from each other. Why you want to waste the perfect opportunity? I don't get it.

Answer 10

Here are three reasons:
1) if you are at a top school (say the Ivies or Duke or Standford) you are in class with smart kids who are already well educated when they arrive and work very hard on every single academic task. They are your friends for life, your network and your children's network. Twenty years from now most of them are going to be rich and successful and you can count on them for alumni favors. If you go to a low ranked school, most of the people you go to school with are the bottom of the barrel - they aren't very smart and they often dont know how to do academic or intellectual work. They might work hard on an assembly line, but they dont know how to do intellectual work. Twenty years from now they may be just as nice, just as honest, just as loyal people, but they are not going to be in a position to help you.

2) All private schools cost about the same, so why would you want to go to one that noone ever heard of. Maybe it's not fair, but I have noticed hundreds of times when I tell people the name of the prestigious school I went to it snaps their head around. They immediately pay more attention. The school carries an aura of prestige - smart people go there. Successful people went there. Someone may claim that they aren't impressed, but when the new guy says he went to Elite U. , they pay attention

3) The resources at these elite schools are amazing. One friend of mine teaches at Harvard. He wanted to take his class to New York to see a museum show, someone made a call and when the museum heard that kids from Harvard were coming they invited them into the backrooms and they actually got to handle the exhibits. Then one of the museum people took them to lunch with a very famous art person and then they went for drinks at the penthouse of a world famous collector. That doesnt happen when you ride the bus to the museum from Podunk U.