What’s in a ranking?Playing off my previous post where I discussed the joys of numbers and what they can tell you, I’m going to swing to the other side and talk a little bit about rankings.Often used as definitive proof of success or simply derided as a popularity contest, there’s no denying rankings play into a college’s reputation.A couple examples of where KU stands: U.S. News and World Report rated Kansas University 85 out of 124 national universities – public and private – in 2008. That tied KU with SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, North Caroline State University-Raleigh, University of Denver, American University in Washington, D.C. and Iowa State. Web-based ranking site College Prowler gives KU a B in academics, an A- in athletics and a D+ in diversity.¢ The user-driven Web site StudentReview gives KU a B overall out of 38 surveys.So, my question to you is how important do you feel rankings are when it comes to choosing a school? Or, if you’ve already graduated, did rankings come into play at all?And if they did come into play, was the pedigree of the ranking system a factor (i.e. The Princeton Review vs. StudentReview)?