Adding his voice to those of a growing number of college and university presidents who are electing to forego the U.S. News & World Report college ranking process, Columbia president Warrick L. Carter wrote a letter to U.S. News last spring explaining his institution’s decision to stop participating in the rankings.

The survey is used to rank higher education institutions and assist college-bound individuals in choosing a college or university to attend. “The U.S. News rating system does not adequately reflect the impact or value of institutions that, like Columbia, open doors to the creative professions for vast segments of American society whose voices have long been muted by institutions and structures that perpetuate power and privilege,” Carter wrote.

The debate over the U.S. News ranking process has continued. On August 23, the Chicago Tribune published a letter from Carter that again outlines the college’s position on the issue, and its reasons for being critical of the U.S. News rankings. In September, Carter was invited by the Tribune's editorial board to speak with them about Columbia’s educational philosophy and generous admissions policy.

View the letter in its entirety here.