A different kind of college rankings: The top 10 that give back

I respect Washington Monthly for reminding us that higher education is not equivalent to "prestige". Seriously though, people are over reacting with these rankings. This is just one ranking out of the thousands out there.
If you read Washington Monthly's approach they specifically did this because the CEO's who leveraged America away were from those "Ivy" institutions and the same "politicians" who tried to save the CEO's ass were from "Ivy" institutions.

Sure, call me bias because I attend one of the schools that Washington Monthly calls "Top ten", but honestly who cares? School rankings are a bunch of man made jargon to inflate people's ego's. I find it despicable when parents shove rankings down their child's throat, hoping that their child is "good enough".

To all those high school seniors applying to college, honestly college is what you make of it. Yea that sounds cliche but here is an analogy using cars.

Traditional ranking: If you rank which car companies based on which attract the richest customers, is the most exclusive, and cost the most the ranks would be something like: 1. Rolls Royce 2. Aston Martins etc..

Washington Monthy: If you rank which car companies produce the most efficient vehicles, and are accessible to most people, the ranks would be something like 1. Honda 2. Toyota 3. Hyundai etc.

Interpret this as you wish, but Washington Monthly I respect you for doing something non-traditional. These rankings may be the outlier but that doesn't mean its useless information

Lol what the hell, why is Riverside on this list?! The students there are the most retarded, shallow, self absorbed leeches of FAFSA I have ever met. I studied for there for 2 years before transferring to UCLA ASAP because I could not put up with the stupidity. If I had stayed I could've graduated in 3 years with honors. The only thing worth praising about UCR is that the etymology grad program is one of the best, but nothing else that's for sure.

God have mercy on you. The Bible say " Many would come calling the name of Jesus Jesus,but their hearts are evil who can know them".

its just ignorant to put down the UC system just because of California's financial crisis,when the UC system works autonomously from the government.

If they have alll this money sitting around, lowwer the cost of going to college.

Communism/capitalism and education go hand in hand.School of hard knox 101

They think thier gods the way they've raped the country with the outrageous wages.Go to school to learn how to rip off your own kind.101

Let me see. The criteria they list for these top ten are biased. First one is low-income. UCSD is a no brainer for this one. Next criteria is community and national service. Again, large hispanic population. Last but not least criteria is groundbreaking research and production of PhD graduates. This is due in no small part to a majority of international graduate students (the vast majority) collaborating in cutting edge research projects that will make international corporations richer (corporations fund said research). Instead of these criteria they list, three much more relevant ones are: How many graduates who come from low-income families are successful business owners or workers making high wages? How much better off are the local communities that said students now work in based upon the educations they have received? Which universities do groundbreaking research of innovations products made here in the U.S. to be sold in a global market? These in my opinion are the best universities, even if they cost far more in terms of initial financial costs since the net return is priceless.

The best comminity service higher education can do is to reject sub-par students trying to attend with government grants and student loans.

Totally useless. How does this help me decide where to send my kids? Colleges give back by educating the next generation and hopefully making them productive citizens. That's all I care about.

Juan Soto go back to school and learn how to spell!

Look at all the people jealous of California!!! Ha ha

You can give a LOT more back to society without handicapping you with a lot of student debt upon graduation and no guarantee of a job offer upon graduation. Do something productive other than going to college--learn a trade, work your way up in a local business, etc.

Is B17 joking? I have two kids in college in California. No, dear, education is not free here anymore. Look up your facts and save your impressive bile spilling for someone who actually is deserving of it.

I wonder if a Calf. person or person did this report? I do not think that Calf. with its Gov. depth and overall constructor is even in the running to be even considered for anything

Even though Harvard is extremely hard to get accepted to and don't offer athletic scholarships there is a good number of young men from Texas and the south on the football, baseball, and basketball teams.

B17 sounds like a bitter and miserable person! Stay in AZ you loser!!!

California has the greatest colleges in the country - HANDS DOWN!

It's just the other top 10 lists shuffled a bit. Still the worthless price tags that they are.

Isn't it kind of weird that 6 of the top 10 are in the state of California? I thought the state is essentially bankrupt at the moment.