From the time that college rankings began officially being published, Cornell University has consistently been ranked as one of the top universities worldwide. Students, faculty members, and alumni take great pride in knowing that the university not only excels in comparison to other American schools, but is also one of the best on an international scale. Until recently, all Americans, regardless of what college they attend or previously attended, have reveled in the fact that their nation’s university system is ranked as one of the highest in the world. Recent reports have shown that the United States is continually decreasing in higher-education performance levels compared to other countries. However, new reports from the Institute for Higher Education Policy show that these rankings are not accurate because the data that is used to compare American universities to schools in other countries is misinterpreted and analyzed incorrectly.

The Spaces Between Numbers: Getting International Data on Higher Education Straight, a report by Clifford Adelman of the Institute for Higher Education Policy is an attempt to correctly analyze and interpret data collected from worldwide universities. Adelman uses data from the World Bank, the United Nations Educational, Eurostat, and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) to provide accurate perceptions of various countries’ higher-education levels. Adelman believes that reports such as the OECD’s annual “Education at a Glance” report provides inaccurate and negative conceptions of the American university system.

American statistics differ from other countries in the data they incorporate into degree-completion figures. For example, the United States merges associate-degree completion figures into overall bachelor-degree statistics because American colleges, specifically community colleges, are more focused on putting students on any degree-attaining track. However, associate degrees are not counted when graduation rates are computed, which leads to the supposed decline of the United States’ graduation rates in proportion to other countries. On another note, while the population of the United States is increasing, the populations of other countries are remaining stable or decreasing. Thus, the amount of Americans graduating appears to be decreasing, but it may simply be staying the same while the population is increasing.

Adelman’s report will attempt to provide an equal playing field for American universities in relation to international universities. Maybe Adelman will produce another report in attempts to accurately rank American universities and provide a more accurate rating of Cornell in comparison other national colleges.