Scorecard snub leaves Hillsdale out of other ratings

Home News Scorecard snub leaves Hillsdale out of other ratings

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Rep. Justin Amash, R-Mich., talks with students after speaking in Lane Hall on Wednesday.

Vivian Hughbanks | Collegian

 

Several agencies have compiled college rankings based on data from the Department of Education’s College Scorecard since it was released in September. Because the Scorecard excluded Hillsdale and several other conservative schools that don’t accept federal funding, those schools have been effectively erased from the world of comparison in those analyses.

The government inserted itself directly into this decision process with the College Scorecard, and Hillsdale College’s absence from the database means more than a simple slight by the Obama Administration.  

The Scorecard claims to be a “comprehensive” database of information about all four-year schools in the nation. Using the Scorecard data, other organizations have begun making their own analyses based upon it.

“The main thing is that people need to select an institution that works best for them, so I encourage people to do their homework,” Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder told the Collegian last week.  

The Economist released its first-ever University rankings list late last month. Hillsdale College wasn’t considered by The Economist because its rankings drew solely on Scorecard data.
According to Rep. Justin Amash, R-Mich, the federal government should not play any role in helping prospective students choose which colleges to attend.

“I don’t think the federal government’s rating system means all that much,” Amash told the Collegian, explaining that education wasn’t an issue in which the federal government should be involved.

“I think the federal government shouldn’t have a role in education,” Amash said.

The congressman’s office recruits Hillsdale students and graduates as interns and staff. Amash announced at an event on campus Wednesday that his office is working with the college to launch an official program of recruitment.

“I can vouch for Hillsdale students,” he said. “They are among the best applicants we get.”

High school guidance counselors have questioned Hillsdale’s admissions office about the school’s absence from the College Scorecard.

The Michigan Colleges Association also has high praise for Hillsdale and has not received any questions about Hillsdale’s good standing as a member.

“Hillsdale College, a long standing member of Michigan Colleges Alliance (MCA), is a premier liberal arts college, among the most esteemed and selective nationally,” Robert Bartlett, president of the Michigan Colleges Alliance, told the Collegian. “MCA regards its historic affiliation with Hillsdale as a high honor and privilege.”

As of yet, the Department of Education has still not published any disclaimer that the database is incomplete.