Should Your College Be Running a Peer Rankings Media Campaign?
Love them or hate them, college and university rankings like U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Colleges” aren’t going anywhere.
Institutions and industry publishers consistently debate the fairness of rankings methodologies and question whether they accurately reflect a college’s mission or value. While skepticism remains, rankings still have a real-world impact—shaping enrollment decisions, faculty recruitment, fundraising success, and overall institutional prestige. Get this:
- A 1-rank improvement in U.S. News has been associated with 1–3% increases in applications at many institutions
- ~70% of prospective students say rankings help them create an initial college list (NACAC / EAB research, commonly cited).
- 98% of parents of college-bound high school students say their college preferences are based on school reputation (Eduventures)
But here’s something that may surprise you: college rankings are about more than data.
Your peers influence college rankings, too
Many leaders assume rankings are driven purely by metrics like graduation rates, faculty resources, student outcomes, and financial indicators. While these factors certainly matter, peer assessment scores are also a major component of rankings—and they are inherently based on perception.
Each spring, college and university presidents, provosts, and other senior leaders are asked by U.S. News & World Report to rate the academic quality of other institutions. These peer surveys account for 20% of a college’s final ranking score.
That means institutional reputation among peers plays a meaningful role in the final outcome.
And leaders can’t rate what they don’t know.
Remaining silent while hoping your college’s reputation speaks for itself allows outdated—or simply incomplete—perceptions to persist.
In other words, progress without visibility won’t translate into improved rankings. For institutions making meaningful strides—launching innovative programs, strengthening outcomes, or expanding research and partnerships—sharing those stories is essential.
When should a college run a rankings campaign?
Timing is critical.
A successful rankings media campaign should precede the peer survey, building awareness well before institutional leaders are asked to cast their votes.
To maximize impact, media campaign planning and strategy should begin the summer before the survey cycle. This allows institutions to build visibility throughout the fall and winter and culminate in a focused push during the spring—when surveys are in voters’ hands.
Early planning matters for practical reasons, too:
- Sponsored content and editorial collaborations often require weeks of development and approval
- High-impact media placements with higher education publishers frequently sell out
- Competition for these placements has grown significantly, with some inventory selling out six months or more in advance
Waiting until late fall or after the new year to determine a budget and start planning weakens your institution’s competitive advantage in the peer rankings arena.
Reputation is a strategic asset
Peer assessment is part of the rankings formula. Ignoring it simply gives competitors an edge.
Colleges that treat reputation as a strategic asset, rather than an afterthought, position themselves to compete more effectively in an increasingly rankings-driven environment.
The world of peer rankings may seem daunting, but CCA is here to help.
We work with institutions to build and execute strategic media campaigns designed specifically to support rankings initiatives, ensuring messaging, placements, and budgets are aligned with reputational goals.
Want in? Reach out to us today to get the conversation started.