The American Council on Education, which has made no secret of its dislike for the Obama administration's plan to create a new ratings system for colleges, has released a report offering new grounds for its opposition.
Among them: findings from the recent Freshman Survey that show that students, particularly those from low-income homes, don’t rely heavily on ratings or rankings when choosing a college.
The report, an issue brief titled "Rankings, Institutional Behavior, and College and University Choice: Framing the National Dialogue on Obama's Ratings Plan," also cites evidence noting that, for the many students enrolling in community colleges, location and affordability are the most important factors.
The Chronicle of Higher Education: http://chronicle.com/blogs/bottomline/ace-report-reiterates-opposition-to-proposed-college-ratings-plan/