"Colleges Contribute to U.S. News Revenue Despite Criticism"

U.S. News & World Report, known for its influential college rankings, is profiting from the very institutions it evaluates by selling them "badges" to promote their rankings in marketing materials. Despite criticism and a recent boycott by several law and medical schools over the impact of rankings on university priorities, colleges continue to invest in these badges, with the University of Maine at Augusta spending over $15,000 last year for this purpose. This practice highlights the complex relationship between higher education institutions and the rankings industry, where even critics of the system contribute financially to its perpetuation.