Rankings and ‘top 10’ lists are generally overrated as factors in university choices for youngsters.

Another American college “rating” list has been released, and many administrators are breathing a sigh of relief because their schools were not among the ballyhooed “top 10.” The top 10 party schools, that is. The Big 12’s own University of Colorado topped the list, no surprise to many considering some of the annual goings-on in picturesque Boulder.

Schools, such as Kansas University, sometimes eagerly await publication of lists that emphasize such things as academic excellence, educational bargains and cultural superiority. For one thing, the leaders’ egos are flattered by such positive attention. For another, many think this tends to attract good students.

Yet there are knowledgeable people who contend that the ratings, good and bad, are overemphasized from the standpoint of influencing enrollment. In this difficult economic period, of course, “educational bargains” such as KU and Kansas State University may draw more attention. But even the money issue may not be as overwhelming as some might believe.

U.S. News and World Report has an annual rundown on what colleges offer various things and which do not. There is great pride on many campuses when favorable reviews occur in this publication.

But, notes the Los Angeles Times after a careful analysis of the ratings trends: “When it comes to smart choices … it’s the teenagers who are proving themselves wiser than all those academic powerhouses and magazine editors.”

A poll last year by a college-oriented survey company, the Art and Science Group, found that most college applicants don’t take rankings seriously, according to the Times, including rankings by U.S. News and World Report. “The students have good reason to disregard the rankings. The magazine’s annual ratings are based on a stew of questionable data. For example, the magazine polls academicians, who might know little about the campuses involved or have a vested interest in downgrading schools other than their own.”

When choosing a school, students rely on campus visits, college catalogs, Internet sites, advice from guidance counselors, current students and graduates of the schools. The answer seems to lie in sources of current, full and complete information about course offerings, the learning atmosphere and teacher quality.

Concludes the Times: “Any college should be proud to accept students that bright.”

Anyone conversant with a major university and why it attracts students is quick to agree that emphasis on the basics, especially campus visits, contacts with current faculty and students and advice from successful graduates will push any poll or ratings system out of sight.

For example, KU has an attractive campus in a community of high merit, has countless students willing to “sell” the school to newcomers, has a strong faculty and is proud to boast a long list of graduates who can attest what the school provided for them.

And for all the recent rises in costs of tuition, fees, living and lodging, KU remains one of the finest bargains in higher education. The Lawrence school may have weaknesses, but when put into a hopper with other state-supported universities, KU need not worry about some convoluted ratings reports to attract and retain bright young people.