MU's TOP RANKING COMES WITH SOME CAVEATS

What is a best buy? When it comes to higher education, a best buy should combine not only what you pay, but what you get.

The University of Missouri-Columbia found itself at the head of the class in terms of a recent national ranking. U.S. News and World Report ranked the school as the best buy among national universities.

Four of the nation's most elite private schools round out the top five: Caltech, Harvard, Stanford and Rice.

The ranking is even more impressive considering Mizzou was tagged the 46th best value in the nation last year. That's quite a jump in a single year. It also came at a time when Mizzou raised its tuition and cut back on its scholarship offerings.

Why the change? The university has greatly stepped up the grants it gives to both in-state and out-of-state students. Thankfully, this did not come from increased public aid. Giving more aid is a decision that should rest in the hands of the university, but it should not come at the cost of taxpayers across the state.

In the rankings, the magazine ranks a public university's cost by the average tuition paid by an out-of-state student. That's because in-state students are heavily supported by government grants, according to the magazine.

Another explanation of the top ranking may be simple number crunching.

University officials say they reinterpreted the data it sent to the magazine's researchers. Mizzou's chief budget officer said that in years past the school had been reporting the wrong figure to the magazine.

It's this kind of confusion that has led many college administrators to criticize these national rankings, even those done by respected magazines. In fact, Mizzou didn't even issue a press release about the results because of a decision years ago not to publicize such lists.

In terms of quality, Mizzou wasn't among the elite. It finished somewhere in the second tier of national universities, an unranked group between 51 and 120.

Other Missouri universities earned a mention in the national ranking as well. Washington University in St. Louis was ranked as the 17th best national university, and Truman State University in Kirksville was recognized as the ninth best regional school in the Midwest.

Such rankings are much like statistics and polls. They seem to change depending on the spin and the eye of the beholder.

But that doesn't mean the University of Missouri shouldn't enjoy its moment in the spotlight. By all means, the university and Tiger fans should savor the ranking.

This top ranking can only help Mizzou in its student recruitment and focus more attention on Missouri's public universities.