U.S. News and World Report recently released its updated 2025 rankings of the best national universities, placing the University of Connecticut at 70th overall and 32nd among public schools. This comes as a sharp drop in stature as in the previous year’s report it held the 58th spot for national universities and 26th for public schools. As for the Wall Street Journal, whereas UConn previously proudly ranked 46th in the nation, this year the list has dropped it almost out of the top 100 entirely at 99th place.
As the Editorial Board has previously written, college ranking systems do not always reflect the reality of what it is like to go to a school, nor are they often clear in what they are evaluating or how prospective students should understand them. However, the simple fact alone that UConn faces sharp declines in its relative standing among universities both public and otherwise this year, from multiple sources as well, is concerning. These lists, although problematic and vague in influence, still do affect decisions of students across the country, as well as general perceptions of the school and their students. The fact that UConn went down is going to hurt, regardless of whether or not these rankings should be considered, because the reality for students is that they are.
As for the reasons why this concerted drop in rank has happened this year, the answers have been of our own making. This university is facing steep academic budget cuts which affect the quality of its education, something that would absolutely be taken into account by rankings. For the past year, professors and graduate students have warned that research and education will suffer as a result of the cuts. This takes the form of fewer class offerings, larger class sizes, scaled back graduate programs and decreased research opportunities and funding, all of which are directly considered in ranking systems. Another factor is the continuing rise of tuition to the tune of almost a 25% increase over the past five years. Although cost is no longer directly considered within the calculus of US News or WSJ rankings (although it is seen as a “contextual figure” for the WSJ), it does have consequences for important metrics such as graduation rate, post- graduation debt and attendance of minority or first generation students.
The Editorial Board has covered all of these individual topics extensively, warning that there would be consequences for the rising costs and decreasing funds, which ultimately harm the student body. Yet, this is one of the first times that we are able to see a measured difference from an outside perspective on the situation here at UConn. It doesn’t matter how popular or renowned UConn becomes from winning another national championship or getting another five-star recruit, if our perception as a school continues to drop because of poor academic and financial decisions, that will then negatively impact student lives and outcomes.
Part of that is simply because the university isn’t really in a college town. Mansfield is not. Do you see little quaint shops and restaurants? Far and few between. Sure Dog Lane is great but in most real college communities you would have more. Instead the holy trinity of CT (Dunkin Donuts, CVS and a dollar store (dollar general etc) are in the area.
Consider this. Most of the town lacks public water and sewer and yet how much is paid for sports which yield very little. If UConn simply paid for water and sewer systems that would make it much easier to develop the town rather than segregate the students once they leave campus. UConn Storrs is the flagship of UConn by any measure. The only other area like it in new england is UMass Amherst. Amherst has public water and sewer. In addition the Amherst area has other communities like Northampton and Greenfield and there is rail if you want to go north and south. There is no rail in eastern ct (at least inland). The lack of development and trying to develop eastern CT holds UConn back significantly. Either develop eastern ct or move UConn Storrs to Hartford. It would help absorb the empty commercial buildings and free up more land for other uses in eastern ct.