🍁 Happy September, Reader!
It's that time of year again, when we watch the rankings make our chancellors and presidents sweat.
Boards ask about them. Donors cite them. Parents Google them.
And let’s be honest—sometimes it feels like an entire cabinet meeting can get derailed by one data point in the rankings by U.S. News.
But here’s the opening: alternative rankings are changing the story.
Washington Monthly’s “Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax Dollars)”—out just last week—flips the script. It measures accessibility, affordability, and the kind of public good most of us in career services work toward every day.
This year, ten Cal State campuses ranked above Harvard. Fresno State was No. 2. 🤯
And here’s the kicker: Fresno State’s president says these rankings have helped the university win research funding, recruit corporate partners, and even build credibility with families.
That’s not vanity metrics. That’s strategy. 🎯
Why this matters for career services leaders
Rankings may feel distant from your day-to-day work. For years, that made sense—most of them had little to do with career outcomes and everything to do with popularity, wealth, or test scores. (The academic equivalent of “who threw the best tailgate.”)
But things are changing.
Rankings like Washington Monthly’s focus on accessibility, affordability, ROI, and public good.
And that’s the very terrain where career services makes its impact:
- Creating pathways that make education pay off.
- Closing equity gaps by preparing all students—not just the most connected.
- Building partnerships that link classrooms to careers and improve measurable outcomes.
So when your institution shows up on these lists (or doesn’t), it’s not just a ranking. It’s a reflection of work that career services leaders have been championing all along.
And that’s where your leverage begins.
Ideas for when you’ve made the list…
If your institution appears in Washington Monthly—or any alternative ranking that emphasizes value—don’t just put out a press release and call it a day.
- Celebrate strategically – Share the news in employer newsletters, family outreach, and admissions materials.
- Link to your work – Connect the recognition to specific career outcomes your office helps achieve (placement rates, equity gains, ROI).
- Equip your leaders – Provide cabinet members and deans with talking points that tie rankings to career-related priorities.
- Show employers the value – Rankings like these signal to recruiters that your students are an investment worth making.
Recognition is most powerful when you make it visible—and when you connect it back to the student and institutional impact you drive.
Fresno State didn’t waste any time. Check out this example of how they connect their ranking with their priorities.
What if your school isn’t on the list?
Not there? That’s okay. (Your president also won’t be the only campus leader pretending not to care—while quietly checking where your peers landed.)
Instead of shrinking from the absence, treat it as an advocacy opening:
- Highlight the gap – “We aren’t being recognized for the student outcomes we’re producing. Here’s where we’re missing visibility.”
- Connect to priorities – “If Washington Monthly values affordability and ROI, what investments would position us better?”
- Make it aspirational – Frame it as a challenge: “We should be the kind of institution that makes these rankings.”
- Focus on your wins – Even if your institution isn’t recognized, spotlight data points that align with the criteria (retention gains, access programs, employer partnerships).
Action steps you can take
- Search the rankings – Where does your institution land? What story does it tell?
- Translate it for leadership – Connect the dots: career readiness, equity, and ROI show up directly in these measures.
- Incorporate it into your advocacy – Reference the data in board reports, cabinet updates, or even with employer partners.
- Use it externally – Families want value. Employers want ROI. Rankings like this give you an easy shorthand.
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Final thought
Rankings aren’t going away. But you can flip them from being a source of anxiety to a tool of influence.
Whether your institution is celebrated or overlooked, you have leverage.
If you’re on the list—shine a spotlight on the recognition.
If you’re not—use the absence to build urgency for investment and change.
The opportunity isn’t just to chase numbers.
It’s to use those numbers (or lack of them) to tell your story—and get the support you need to deliver it.
Things you might want to read
Last but not least, I want to take a moment to thank YOU for reading!
With open rates this high lately, I know these ideas are resonating—and every open, every share, every conversation tells me this work matters to you too. I also love the responses and ideas many of you send back—they make this newsletter stronger and more useful for our whole community.
Warmly,
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