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Next fall, incoming college freshmen will have a new way to measure their schools.That’s when thefederal government plans to release its first ratings reportfor U.S. colleges and universities.And while the details are still murky, just the idea of the report is making some institutions of higher learning a little nervous.The Obama administration has said the ratings system will incorporate some broad issues, including access, affordability, and outcomes.But other than potentially analyzing metrics like graduation rates and student loan debt, President Obama and the U.S. Department of Education still haven’t hammered out what the plan will look like.
And even before the ratings officially roll out, several higher education institutions are already voicing their disapproval of a ratings system.Roberto Rodríguez, the president’s special assistant for education, said one reason schools could be worried is because some of their federal funding will be tied to performance, but that wouldn't happen right off the bat.“We’ve made clear that this is a ratings system," said Rodríguez. "This will be the first iteration of that system. It will not be used next year to drive financial aid decisions for those institutions, but it will be the entry point on a conversation about greater value and affordability in higher education.”But by 2018, the President does plan to ask Congress to tie some chunk of federal funding into the ratings.In the meantime, Rodriguez says the administration will continue to ask for input from higher education leaders as development continues.