On Sept. 10, U.S. News & World Report released its 2014 Best College Rankings. Brandeis is now ranked number 32 in its national university rankings, moving up one spot from last year.

Brandeis is just under Boston College, number 31, and shares the number 32 ranking with The College of William and Mary, New York University and the University of Rochester.

The U.S. News & World Report ranks schools in the categories of national universities, which "focus on research and ... offer several doctoral programs," liberal arts colleges, regional universities and regional colleges, according to the U.S. News website. The website also lists schools that are not ranked for various reasons, including schools that do not factor SAT or ACT test scores in their admissions process.

The University's new test-flexible application option, under which standardized test scores are not required and students can instead submit an academic portfolio including an analytical writing sample and extra recommendation letter, will begin next fall. However, Brandeis still does use test scores if students choose to submit them, and international or home-schooled students are required to submit SAT or ACT scores.

"Being test flexible does not impact our ranking or listing, and many test optional and flexible schools are in the rankings, such as Wake Forest [University]," Senior Vice President for Students and Enrollment Andrew Flagel wrote in an email to the Justice. "It is possible that an institution doing away with standardized tests entirely could impact U.S. News status, but that is far from the case for the Brandeis program model."

Flagel also serves on the Educational Advisory Board for U.S. News & World Report, which is an unpaid position. The board meets to discuss, review and improve the rankings prodecure.

"If students know how the model is developed, they can use the rankings to quickly compare schools across a small number of areas," Flagel said. "Unfortunately, it often serves as a proxy for which school is 'better,' which doesn't even touch considerations like campus culture and individual student interests or standout academic programs."

The problem, according to Flagel, is that "the rankings become a shorthand for educational quality." The U.S. News & World Report website encourages students to use the rankings as just one tool in comparing schools, and not to rely solely on them.

U.S. News & World Report calculates the rankings based on questionnaires sent to "accredited four-year colleges and universities in the late winter through spring," according to its website. "Measures of graduation and retention are the most heavily weighed factors in the Best Colleges rankings."

This year, many schools improved or decreased in their rankings due to changes in the ranking methodology. These changes include placing less weight on the high school class standing of incoming students and more weight on SAT and ACT scores.

However, according to Flagel, "the tool is purposefully designed so that there is little movement among the very top levels of the ranking. Although Brandeis has remained in the top tier since the inception of the rankings, this design provides an advantage to older and larger schools with very large budgets." Therefore, it is hard to tell precisely what impact the rankings have in attracting new students.

Based on anecdotal information, a school's movement up or down in the rankings does not tend to correlate with an increase or decrease in applications, said Flagel.

Brandeis may continue to move up in the ranks, according to Flagel. "Because this particular ranking receives so much attention, it is important that we are aware of how it interacts with our decisions.  As we work on the goals of the Brandeis strategic plan, we can focus on areas where our goals align with things that are measured by the survey methodology," Flagel said.

One influential factor measured by the rankings is class size, which research has shown is important to Brandeis' prospective students. "It is a Brandeis core value, and our plan is to support and enhance that structure, so in that case placement in the rankings and our plans align closely," Flagel said.

The complete list of ranked and unranked schools in all categories, as well as the detailed description of the methodology used, can be found on the U.S. News & World Report website.