Shifting Rankings: How U.S. News Impacts Top Colleges

Duke University has risen to the 7th spot in the U.S. News and World Report Best National University rankings, climbing three places from last year. The university is tied with the California Institute of Technology. The ranking methodology has been revamped, with a focus on a school's success in graduating students from diverse backgrounds. Duke's School of Law and School of Medicine recently withdrew from U.S. News' rankings due to concerns about their design and influence. Public universities, including the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the University of California, Berkeley, have also seen improvements in their rankings.