University program rankings in the United States: Failures in assessing important factors for library and information science students

Abstract

This article presents an overview of the popular rankings (US News and World Report, QS World Rankings) of U.S.-based library and information science (LIS) education programs and the shortcomings of each ranking. It calls for a new, more objective ranking of LIS programs that will more accurately a ssess quality and sustainability of these programs and provide more relevant information for future students in choosing a program. The uniqueness of the library and information professions is discussed as an impetus for producing more useful rankings and providing open data on student costs and outcomes in LIS programs. Statistics comparing relationships between the major LIS school rankings and factors identified from the literature as important for LIS student college choice are presented. New criteria for the creation of more representative rankings of LIS programs is presented.